Ben Affleck Officially Reveals Why He Turned Down Star Wars

Taking over Star Wars was never going to be an ordinary directing assignment. The first movie after George Lucas’ original six movies had to bring longtime fans back while introducing characters who could carry another trilogy. Whoever accepted the job would also inherit decades of expectations about what a Star Wars movie should look and feel like.

J.J. Abrams ultimately took on that challenge with The Force Awakens, returning the franchise to theaters on December 18, 2015. The movie paired Daisy Ridley’s Rey and John Boyega’s Finn with returning favorites, including Harrison Ford’s Han Solo, setting up a new conflict built around the First Order. But another established filmmaker had the opportunity to consider taking that first trip back to a galaxy far, far away.

Ben Affleck has confirmed that Lucasfilm approached him about directing The Force Awakens, and he passed because he didn’t believe he was the right person for it. Speaking with Josh Horowitz on Happy Sad Confused, Affleck acknowledged that he liked Star Wars but felt the job needed someone with a stronger attachment to the franchise. “Someone who has more passion for this is going to do a better job,” he explained.

Ben Affleck Didn’t Think Being a Star Wars Fan Made Him the Right Director

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Affleck’s account makes the decision sound straightforward. Lucasfilm asked whether he was interested, and he considered whether his enthusiasm would be enough to make the movie work. “I thought, 'I like Star Wars, and I’m a fan, but I’m not the person to direct this movie,'” he recalled. It’s an honest distinction from a filmmaker who could have treated the size of the opportunity as reason enough to accept. He also questioned what he could bring to a franchise that already had such a defined identity. Affleck said he didn’t know whether he could make a great version of Star Wars or reinvent it, pointing to the difficulty of that task. His concern was about whether he could deliver, even with a property he enjoyed. Liking the movies didn’t give him an immediate answer about how to make the next one.

Looking back, Affleck noted that the challenge has continued for the filmmakers who did take it on. “It hasn’t been easy for them to reinvent that franchise,” he said, while also acknowledging that some have done well. He pointed to a fan base with strong opinions, something any director entering Star Wars has to contend with. His comments don’t single out a particular movie or filmmaker as the problem.

Abrams directed The Force Awakens and later returned for The Rise of Skywalker. The next trip to a galaxy far, far away hits theaters May 28, 2027, with Shawn Levy's Starfighter. Stay tuned at Collider for more.