Ben Affleck Almost Cast Ex-Wife Jennifer Garner in ‘Animals’ Before Recasting Decision

In recent interviews, Ben Affleck said he nearly cast his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, in his Netflix film ‘Animals.’ In the end, he decided against it, as it could have drawn negative attention to his divorce. Instead, he cast Kerry Washington.

Although production had not started for ‘Animals,’ Affleck had already cast some members. This included Matt Damon, whom Affleck later enlisted to star in ‘The Last Duel’ after he left ‘Animals’ to take the lead role. This left Garner without a role, as Affleck and she agreed it would draw unwanted public attention to her divorce; therefore, Washington replaced Garner.

Affleck had several reasons for casting Garner in ‘Animals.’ First, he wanted Jennifer Garner to play the wife of a character whose marriage is described as strained. Additionally, the film’s main character goes on to run for Mayor of Los Angeles, and Garner’s character would become his wife.

During his interview with Entertainment Weekly in 2026, Affleck shared, “I thought, ‘God, Jen Garner would be amazing for this role.’” He continued, “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.”

It was convenient for both ex-spouses to have Garner play the lead. Affleck explained the logistics: “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.’”

“Animals” began production in January 2024. Matt Damon, a close friend, was originally cast in the lead role to be opposite Garner. Production on “Animals” was halted for several months, and when it continued, Damon was unavailable as he was committed to filming “The Odyssey.”

To fill the void, Affleck stepped in to play the lead himself. For that reason, they also had to consider Garner’s role.

After he decided to take on the leading role, he approached Garner and asked her to reconsider her on-screen role. Although the two divorced in 2015 and finalized their divorce in 2018, they maintained a civil co-parenting relationship.

Affleck said about Garner, “I talked to Jen, and she was like, ‘We don’t wanna do that. You get baggage.’”

Affleck explained that real-life events tend to take the focus away from the movie’s narrative. “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?”

Kerry Washington stepped in for Jennifer Garner to play the mayoral candidate’s wife. Washington told Entertainment Weekly she was drawn to a complex marriage. “It was exciting to see the journey of their marriage through this traumatic unfolding of events,” Washington explained. “There are certain couples where, when tragedy strikes, or there’s a crisis at hand, it either moves them closer together or breaks them apart.”

The movie has an ensemble cast that includes Gillian Anderson, Steven Yeun, Adriana Paz, Luis Gerardo Méndez, and Ray Fisher.

Though there was a recasting, Affleck said he thinks highly of his ex-wife and has no problem working with her. “I would love to work with her, frankly. She’s fabulous,” he said. “We’re really good friends, and we have a great thing.”

They first met as co-stars in 2001’s Pearl Harbor and married in 2005, after reconciling after Garner broke it off in 2000. They have a good co-parenting relationship and have been consistently since their divorce. In June 2026, Garner posted a long emotional Father’s Day post to Affleck saying, “I see the way my kids dote on their dad, and I’m happy for them. To love and be loved by a great dad is a gift.”

There’s the recasting, which is a complex mix of personal and professional considerations. The situation requires a great deal of sensitivity to distraction from the audience, while maintaining respectful acknowledgement to Affleck’s former spouse.

The movie explores how relationships are tested. Because of this, the casting decision was significant. The film’s text is less familiar to viewers because the cast members have a known level of chemistry with each other.

Affleck’s movie, ‘Animals,’ is now available for streaming and in some theaters. The movie has gained a lot of attention in anticipation of the story and how it was recast with ensemble actors.

According to Affleck, he and Garner are still keen to work together. However, no movies with them have been announced. They have three children together, and continue to work in their separate acting careers.