Ben Affleck explains why Jennifer Garner refused to play his love interest on screen

Ben Affleck is taking fans behind ex-wife Jennifer Garner's decision to step away from playing his love interest on screen.

The 54-year-old actor, who is currently all set for his new Netflix movie Animals, first announced the project with longtime pal Matt Damon taking the lead role opposite Jennifer.

The Gone Girl star told Entertainment Weekly, “I thought, ‘God, Jen Garner would be amazing for this role’.

Ben, who shares three kids, Violet, Fin, and Samuel, with Jennifer, explained, “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, due to Matt's busy shedile and delay in production of his new movie Odyssey, he dropped the role and Ben ultimately stepped up.

And, this, obviously, would have meant Ben and Jennifer starring against each other

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

The dad of three then gushed over Jennifer, calling her a “fabulous” actor and added he would "love to work" with his former wife in the future.

“We’re really good friends, and I’m profoundly grateful to her, and we have a great thing,” he remarked.

“I still would wanna work with her in the future, but what you don’t wanna do is take the audience’s baggage and have it work against you, you know?”

For those unversed, Ben and Jennifer were married for 10 years before announcing their separation in 2015. They finalized their divorce in 2018.