Ben Affleck Officially Confirms Jennifer Garner Rejected to Play His Wife in New Netflix Thriller

Ben Affleck is returning to his directorial hat with a new Netflix thriller, Animals. Ahead of its highly anticipated release, the actor, who is also playing the lead role, revealed that he initially wanted Jennifer Garner in it. However, Garner, who is also his ex-wife, turned down the offer, and it eventually went to Kerry Washington.

Affleck told Entertainment Weekly, “I thought, God, Jen Garner would be amazing for this role.“

He believed they would be able to coordinate their schedules better and also get to see their kids more. The former couple shares three children: Violet, Fin, and Samuel. “She can bring something interesting that she hasn’t [done], that I kind of know she can do, that I don’t think she had a chance to do in one movie,” the former Batman told EW.

However, Garner turned down his offer. The actor recalled,

I talked to Jen, and she was like, ‘We don’t wanna do that. You just get baggage.‘

Affleck expressed his interest in a future on-screen reunion with his ex-wife. He told the outlet that they remain good friends, but they don’t want to “take the audience’s baggage and have it work against” them.

Matt Damon and Jennifer Garner Almost Played a Couple in Animals

Matt Damon in The Odyssey | Credit: Universal

Jennifer Garner is not the only star Ben Affleck wanted in his movie. The role of Mark Kimball, which he ended up playing himself, was first reserved for his pal Matt Damon. However, things changed after Damon joined Christopher Nolan’s epic The Odyssey as the lead star. In the interview with EW, Affleck joked, “Matt was unfortunately doing another lesser film, obviously, with Odyssey. He chose a smaller director and a smaller film and a smaller role for his career, and I think he’s gonna suffer for it. He’ll regret this choice.”

Affleck thought that “a better actor had to play the part, naturally.” While Jennifer Garner might have agreed to couple up with Matt Damon in Animals, that changed after Affleck took on the role himself. Kerry Washington ultimately plays Mark’s wife, Abigail, in the Netflix thriller. The actor and director of the movie said of her, “She’s very polished, but she’s also very warm. I thought, Oh my God, she’s amazing for this.”

When Is Ben Affleck’s Animals Releasing on Netflix

Ben Affleck and Kerry Washington in Animals | Credit: Netflix

Ben Affleck’s Animals is set to release on Netflix on October 9. The movie will also have a limited theatrical release, notes Rotten Tomatoes. The story follows Mark Kimball, a Los Angeles mayoral candidate, and his wife, Abigail. After their son is abducted, the couple finds themselves in a maze of deception. They must raise the ransom money, and the choices they make along the way could collapse their world. Affleck directed and also co-wrote the movie with Connor O. McIntyre and Billy Ray.

While Matt Damon couldn’t star in the movie, he co-produced Animals with his wife, Luciana Damon, Ben Affleck, Brad Weston, Dani Bernfeld, and Collin Creighton. The thriller stars Gillian Anderson, Steven Yeun, and Matt Gerald in crucial roles. Do you want to see Jennifer reuniting with Affleck?