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Ben Affleck’s career has been pretty inconsistent over the years. During one of his dry spells in Hollywood, he missed out on a major role in Bruce Willis’sDie Hardfranchise. Willis’s iconic character John McClane returned to the big screen after a decade inLive Free or Die Hard. Affleck was cast in the role of McClane’s son in the initial draft of the script.
However, in subsequent script revisions, the character was rewritten as a female, introducing Mary Elizabeth Winstead as John McClane’s daughter Lucy Gennero-McClane. Losing out on this role added to theJustice Leagueactor’s Hollywood misery at the time.
Also Read:Ben Affleck, Christian Bale or Arnold Schwarzenegger Are Not the Highest Paid Actor in DC’s Batman Franchise
Ben Affleck Lost A Major Role InDie HardFranchise To Mary Elizabeth Winstead
InLive Free or Die Hard,Bruce Willis’s John McClane faces off against terrorist mastermind Thomas Gabriel. The movie also introduces McClane’s daughter, Lucy, who is kidnapped by Gabriel in the film’s final sequence.Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who played Lucy, was a last-minute addition to the movie. The role was originally written as a male character, withBen Affleckas the top contender for the role.
TheDaredevilactor was going through a challenging time in the industry, with a string of poorly received films. Affleck was also a victim of tabloid notoriety, gaining media attention for all the wrong reasons, including his relationship withJennifer Lopez. TheBounceactor could have used a major role in a successful franchise likeDie Hardto end his dry spell.
It’s unclear whether any of the character traits originally intended for Affleck were given to Winstead. It’s assumed thatJustin Long’s character replaced theGigliactor as the second male lead in the film. Interestingly, theBatman v. Supermanactor, who was only 17 years junior to Bruce Willis, had previously acted alongsideThe Sixth Senseactor in the 1998 film,Armageddon.
Live Free or Die Hardwas a return to form for the franchise and received positive reviews. With a total gross of $388 million at the box office, the film became the highest-grosser in the series.
Also Read:“Aquaman 2 is a total mess”: DCU Fans Outrage After James Wan Reveals Truth Behind Ben Affleck’s Role in Jason Momoa’s Aquaman 2
Ben Affleck’s Career Was In Shambles At The Time
Ben Affleck’s turning point in his career was co-writing and acting in the 1997 filmGood Will Hunting. The film earned him an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay alongsideMatt Damon. Following the success of the film, Affleck was catapulted into the leading man status, starring in successful films likeArmageddonandPearl Harbor.
However, by 2003, theAiractor’s career had taken a downturn with a bunch of bad films and unwanted media attention. The situation became so dire that Affleck was even dubbed the ‘world’s most overexposed actor’ byGQ magazine. His film career during this period included critically panned movies likeDaredevil,Gigli, andJersey Girl. However, he made a comeback in 2006 with the acclaimed role inHollywoodland, where he playedSupermanactor George Reeves.
Despite losing out on a major role inDie Hard, Affleck’s career rebounded as he ventured into directing as well. His directorial debut,Gone Baby Gone,was both a critical and commercial success. In 2013, his directorial venture,Argo,won the Best Picture Oscar, solidifying his status in the industry.
Also Read:“He’ll do it for nothing”: Ben Affleck Desperately Tried to Convince George Clooney For His Dream Role, Was Ready to Sacrifice His Movie Salary
Live Free or Die Hardis now available for streaming on Max.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3019
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
