Kevin Smith thinks Affleck didn't want to direct "The Batman" because it's impossible to make a better Batman movie than "The Dark Knight"

I see what he's saying. It was a lightning in a bottle kind of moment for Nolan with The Dark Knight. How can you ever have everything come together quite like it did for him in that movie? Heath Ledger literally became The Joker, on-set and, sadly off, the film's themes resonated powerfully for the post-9/11 world and you had Nolan at the peak of his directorial powers crafting memorable set-piece after memorable set-piece, of which none of his ensuing films (The Dark Knight Rises, Inception or Interstellar) managed to ever top or equal.

"Let’s talk about why? Why would this happen? I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to him in years, but here’s my take on it. Here’s my hot take. What’s the upshot? Seriously. Everybody wants that to be the greatest Batman movie ever made, and you know, in many cases, maybe the greatest Batman movie ever made has been made, called The Dark Knight, it’s a pretty wonderful film. If that’s your bar for a Batman standalone, Chris Nolan couldn’t even measure up to himself with The Dark Knight Rises. I liked it but it wasn’t received nearly as well. Let’s be honest like that Joker portrayal is for the ages. Fucking beyond brilliant and shit."

"It’s a tall order man, so maybe he’s the kind of guy who’s just like ‘why bother?’ Why am I going to step up to the plate, no matter what I do people are going to bitch? If it ain’t fucking The Dark Knight, I’m fucked, but if I’m just acting in it, my name’s Paul and this is between ya’ll, I’m just the Bat, that’s it. The guy or girl tells me what to do and go and so you got a beef with the movie? Talk to these motherfuckers. That’s easier. That’s an easier life. You don’t have to sit there and take the slings and arrows."

Thanks to my colleagues over at The Playlist