Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner are back together on the big screen, even playing husband and wife? For a moment, it looked like a real possibility. Affleck has indeed spoken about considering his ex-wife for Animals, the new thriller he is directing, but the project’s original concept was very different from what we will see on screen.
What changed everything was Matt Damon and, indirectly, The Odyssey by Christopher Nolan.
Ben Affleck Had Chosen Jennifer Garner for Animals
In the initial version of the project, Ben Affleck would have been responsible only for directing Animals, while the lead character would be played by his longtime friend Matt Damon. It was at this stage that Affleck had thought of Jennifer Garner to portray the wife of the main character.
Affleck explained that he considered Garner to be particularly well-suited for the role, and that the fact that the two share three children would have made it easier to coordinate work and family life during filming.
The plan, however, did not last long.
Matt Damon Leaves the Film and Changes Everything
After several changes in production, Matt Damon was no longer available to play the lead because he was busy with shooting The Odyssey. Affleck therefore decided to take his place in front of the camera himself.
But at that point, the Garner casting became much more delicate.
If she had remained in the film, in fact, Affleck and Garner would have had to portray a married couple. A detail hard to ignore, considering that the two were actually husband and wife from 2005 to 2018.
Affleck therefore spoke directly with Garner, and together they addressed the issue. According to the director, it would have been her who pointed out the problem: putting two former spouses on screen as a couple would inevitably bring along the weight of their personal history.
Jennifer Garner Chose Not to Play His Wife
So this wasn’t about any rift between Affleck and Garner. On the contrary, the director explained that he still has an excellent relationship with his ex-wife and hopes to work with her again in the future.
The point was simply another one: seeing Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner portray a married couple could have drawn more attention to their real relationship than to the characters and the story of Animals.
Garner therefore left the project, and the role went to Kerry Washington, who in the film plays the wife of Mark Kimball, the character played by Affleck.
Animals tells the story of a Los Angeles mayoral candidate and his wife, forced to confront their son’s kidnapping and a ransom demand that pushes them toward increasingly drastic choices. In addition to Affleck and Washington, the cast also includes Gillian Anderson, Steven Yeun, and Ray Fisher.
The film will arrive on Netflix on October 9, 2026.
Comments