Ben Affleck Explains Recasting Ex-Wife Jennifer Garner in New Film

Ben Affleck made the decision to recast his ex-wife Jennifer Garner as the love interest in his upcoming film "Animals" due to concerns about the "baggage" that their public history might bring to the audience's perception of their on-screen relationship.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Affleck explained that while he would still like to work with Garner in the future, he wanted to avoid the audience's pre-existing associations with their past impacting the film's narrative. "What you don’t wanna do is take the audience’s baggage and have it work against you," he stated.

The project initially began production in January 2024 with Matt Damon slated for the lead role. Affleck had envisioned Garner for the love interest part, believing she could bring a unique quality to the role that he knew she possessed but hadn't had the opportunity to fully showcase in a film. He also noted the practical benefit of working with Garner, as it would have simplified co-parenting their three children. "It also has the added benefit of, like, both of us will see our kids more because we do a week and a week and back and forth. I thought, ‘Well, we can coordinate our schedules around it.’"

However, production was temporarily paused. By the time Affleck returned to the project and stepped into the lead role himself after Damon became unavailable due to a commitment to "The Odyssey," the decision was made to recast Garner.

Affleck ultimately cast Kerry Washington in the role of Garner's character. The film, which centers on a mayoral candidate and his wife navigating a ransom situation while uncovering dark secrets, now features Affleck and Washington as the central couple.

Affleck confirmed that he and Garner were in agreement about the recasting. "I talked to Jen, and she was like, ‘We don’t wanna do that. You just get baggage,’" he recalled.

Despite the recasting, Affleck expressed a strong desire to collaborate with Garner on future projects. "I would love to work with her, frankly. She’s fabulous, and we’re really good friends, and I’m profoundly grateful to her, and we have a great thing," he said.

Affleck and Garner, who met on the set of "Pearl Harbor" in 2001, married in June 2005 and share three children: Violet, Seraphina, and Samuel. They separated in 2015, with their divorce finalized in 2018. The former couple has maintained a friendly relationship and continue to co-parent their children.