Taking over Star Wars was never going to be a normal directing job. The first installment of the Star Wars franchise (after George Lucas’s original six) was going to need to bring back many of the long-time fans as well as develop new characters that could sustain a future trilogy.
In addition to developing new characters, whoever accepted the position would be inheriting years of opinions regarding how a Star Wars movie should appear and be experienced.
J.J. Abrams accepted the challenge of creating a sequel to the Star Wars franchise when he directed The Force Awakens. This movie premiered in theaters on December 18, 2015. It introduced two young actors, Daisy Ridley as Rey and John Boyega as Finn.
It also brought back some of the most loved characters from the original movies, including Harrison Ford as Han Solo. All of this took place during a new conflict between the Resistance and the First Order. The Force Awakens became a very successful movie as it grossed over one billion dollars globally in less than two weeks.
However, J.J. Abrams was not the only director approached by Lucasfilm. Now, Ben Affleck has stated that he was the first choice of Lucasfilm and that he turned down their offer.
Affleck told Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast about his experience being approached by Lucasfilm. Affleck had just completed Animals, which he was promoting on the podcast, and discussed various projects that had fallen through over the years. According to Affleck, Lucasfilm inquired if he would be willing to direct the next installment of the Star Wars franchise. At the time of the inquiry, Affleck stated that he did not believe that Lucasfilm was considering anyone else to direct the film, such as Abrams or another director. Affleck’s response was straightforward: while he is a fan of the Star Wars universe and considers himself one, he felt that someone who has greater enthusiasm for the subject matter would be able to create a superior product.
“Someone who has more passion for this is going to do a better job,” he explained.
In addition to being honest, Affleck said there was nothing noble in his decision. He did not view the opportunity to direct a Star Wars movie as a great act of self-sacrifice since he was uncertain if he could produce a great version of the original or create a new take on the series. Affleck’s honesty is remarkable. Many directors would see a Star Wars directing job as too big an opportunity to turn down. Affleck viewed the situation differently. He knew he liked the films, but he also recognized that liking them didn’t translate into knowing how to make the next installment.
Rewriting a franchise’s established image is a large task, and He stated that there have not been many directors since him who have attempted this. Although he did say that some have been successful, He also stated that the fan base for this franchise has very strong views and that any new director would have to take these into consideration.
Ironically, Ben Affleck’s Argo was about the CIA faking a Star Wars sci-fi film, and the fact that he was rumored to direct the actual film would be quite funny. Also, this is not the first time we’ve heard this rumor. In 2016, Bill Simmons asked him on HBO if he was going to direct a Star Wars film, and Affleck avoided answering, saying it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to discuss the films he turned down and that he had received many offers.
While this response didn’t provide confirmation, it did suggest that there was some truth to the rumor. At that point in his career, he had already taken over as Batman, so he certainly had enough on his plate. More than ten years later, he has finally laid this question to rest.
