Ben Affleck Explains Why He Passed on Directing Star Wars: The Force Awakens

One of the more fascinating Star Wars what-ifs just got a clear answer. Ben Affleck has revealed that Lucasfilm approached him about directing the film that became Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and he says he turned it down because he did not think he was the right person for that job.

Affleck discussed the offer during an appearance on Josh Horowitz's Happy, Sad, Confused podcast. He said Lucasfilm asked whether he was interested in directing the next Star Wars film. Affleck added that he did not know whether the studio was also speaking with J.J. Abrams or other filmmakers, but he already felt he was not the director they needed.

His reasoning was straightforward. Affleck said he likes Star Wars and considers himself a fan, but he did not believe he was the person to direct that movie. In his view, someone with more passion for the material would do a better job. He also said his decision was not meant as some grand act of self-denial. He simply was not sure he could make a great version of Star Wars or reinvent it in a satisfying way.

Why the idea was so intriguing

At the time, Affleck was a particularly interesting name for a project that carried enormous expectations. He had already directed Gone Baby Gone, The Town and Argo, building a strong reputation behind the camera. Argo also went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture.

That run made him one of the more notable possibilities as Lucasfilm prepared its first new Star Wars film after George Lucas sold Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012. The sale itself set off a major reaction among fans because it meant the long-promised sequel trilogy was finally moving ahead. The prequel trilogy had drawn a mixed reception, so there was considerable attention on who would take creative control of the next chapter.

Before a director was in place, Lucasfilm announced that Michael Arndt would write the screenplay. Other filmmakers were also in the mix. Guillermo del Toro, David Fincher and Brad Bird were all mentioned as contenders, and Bird reportedly would have made the movie if he had not been committed to Tomorrowland. In that company, Affleck stood out as a filmmaker who had momentum and prestige at exactly the moment Lucasfilm was starting over on the big screen.

Affleck's bigger point about Star Wars

Affleck's comments also got at something larger than a single directing assignment. Looking back, he acknowledged that Lucasfilm has had difficulty reinventing Star Wars, which he tied to the franchise's unusually strong hold on audiences dating back to 1977. That attachment, in his telling, raises the stakes for anyone stepping in.

He also made clear that the fan response around Star Wars was part of the calculation. Affleck said some people have handled the franchise very well, but he noted that the fan base has very strong opinions. He compared the decision to other directing opportunities he has passed on, saying he has turned down scripts as a director, including some he considered better than scripts he had been offered as an actor.

For Star Wars fans, that leaves an alternate history that is easy to picture but impossible to test. Affleck was asked. He seriously considered what the job demanded. In the end, he decided that being a fan was not the same thing as being the right filmmaker to guide Episode VII.

Lucasfilm eventually made The Force Awakens with Abrams in the director's chair. Affleck's explanation does not answer what his version might have looked like, but it does make one thing clear. When one of Hollywood's biggest franchises came calling, he did not say no because Star Wars lacked appeal. He said no because he believed the series needed a filmmaker with a deeper personal drive to take on that particular galaxy.