Ben Affleck revealed that he was asked if he was interested in directing Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but ultimately chose to decline. Although he was a fan of Star Wars at the time, he didn't believe he was the right director for the film.
Affleck explained on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast, hosted by Josh Horowitz, that he worried he wouldn't be able to deliver a version good enough to make him proud. He believed that letting someone with more passion for directing the film take the helm would likely yield better results.
He also mentioned that rebooting the Star Wars franchise came with significant challenges, and fans had strong and varied opinions on the matter. Affleck stated that he wasn't sure whether the project team was also reaching out to J.J. Abrams or others at the time. What he confirmed was that he was asked about his interest in directing and ultimately decided not to take on the role.