Ben Affleck has had a difficult time playing Batman over the years, and the actor has now revealed more about his decision to part ways with the character. Speaking to his longtime friend and colleague Matt Damon for an interview on Entertainment Weekly, Affleck reiterated how difficult it was filming Justice League.

"I had a really nadir experience around Justice League for a lot of different reasons," Affleck said. "Not blaming anybody, there's a lot of things that happened. But really what it was is that I wasn't happy. I didn't like being there. I didn't think it was interesting. And then some really s---ty things, awful things happened. But, that's when I was like, I'm not going to do that anymore."

In fact, Affleck says his Good Will Hunting partner helped him realize he needed to move on to other projects.

"I talked to you about it and you were a principal influence on that decision," Affleck said. "I want to do the things that would bring me joy. Then we went and did Last Duel and I had fun every day on this movie. I wasn't the star, I wasn't likable. I was a villain. I wasn't all the things I thought I was supposed to be when I started out and yet it was a wonderful experience. And it was all just stuff that came along that I wasn't chasing."

Affleck has previously said that filming Justice League was a "very, very, very hard experience" that led to a relapse in drinking, and his decision to pull out of the planned Batman solo movie. The actor is set to appear in the upcoming Flash movie as the Caped Crusader, and Affleck said filming those scenes, "put a really nice finish on my experience with that character”.

Affleck first donned the cowl for 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, later appearing in 2017's Justice League, and, of course, the infamous Snyder Cut of the same film. His appearance led to a number of internet jokes, including the "Sad Batman" meme. The Flash movie will mark his final appearance as Bruce Wayne. For more, check out the latest trailer for The Flash, which shows off Michael Keaton's Batman, who is also returning for the movie.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

Ben Affleck has had a difficult time playing Batman over the years, and the actor has now revealed more about his decision to part ways with the character. Speaking to his longtime friend and colleague Matt Damon for an interview on Entertainment Weekly, Affleck reiterated how difficult it was filming Justice League.

"I had a really nadir experience around Justice League for a lot of different reasons," Affleck said. "Not blaming anybody, there's a lot of things that happened. But really what it was is that I wasn't happy. I didn't like being there. I didn't think it was interesting. And then some really s---ty things, awful things happened. But, that's when I was like, I'm not going to do that anymore."

In fact, Affleck says his Good Will Hunting partner helped him realize he needed to move on to other projects.

"I talked to you about it and you were a principal influence on that decision," Affleck said. "I want to do the things that would bring me joy. Then we went and did Last Duel and I had fun every day on this movie. I wasn't the star, I wasn't likable. I was a villain. I wasn't all the things I thought I was supposed to be when I started out and yet it was a wonderful experience. And it was all just stuff that came along that I wasn't chasing."

Affleck has previously said that filming Justice League was a "very, very, very hard experience" that led to a relapse in drinking, and his decision to pull out of the planned Batman solo movie. The actor is set to appear in the upcoming Flash movie as the Caped Crusader, and Affleck said filming those scenes, "put a really nice finish on my experience with that character”.

Affleck first donned the cowl for 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, later appearing in 2017's Justice League, and, of course, the infamous Snyder Cut of the same film. His appearance led to a number of internet jokes, including the "Sad Batman" meme. The Flash movie will mark his final appearance as Bruce Wayne. For more, check out the latest trailer for The Flash, which shows off Michael Keaton's Batman, who is also returning for the movie.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

Update 1/12 10:09 am PT: According to The Verge, the App Store has begun removing clone apps that are using the Worlde name in the title. This news follows recent coverage of developers capitalizing on Wordle's free-to-play nature and benefitting from its popularity.

While some imitation apps remain on the App Store, Apple seems to be specifically removing games that use the title "Worldle" as creator Josh Wardle declined to copyright his popular puzzle word game as it was meant to be a gift for his wife.

Original Story: Wordle, the browser word puzzle game your friends are probably playing, is easily the first big sensation of 2022. Since so many folks are either playing it or asking what it is, it’s probably not a good idea to rip it off and then brag about it online.

Here’s a little background. Wordle is a puzzle game where every day you have to correctly guess a five-letter word in six tries. It was created by software engineer Josh Wardle for his wife who loves word games. Wardle said he never wanted to make money from Wordle, hence why it’s a free browser game.

Then there’s Zach Shakked who proudly shared earlier this week on Twitter that he loves Wordle so much that he just made it again and put it on the App Store using the same name, Wordle. Other than the option to guess four, six, and seven-letter words, the (not original) Wordle is essentially the same game and interface.

While copycat apps are quite common, they rarely use the same name. But considering Wardle made this game for his wife and had no intent to earn a profit, he likely didn’t file a copyright claim on the game’s name.

This led (not original) Wordle on the App Store to garner 12,000 downloads overnight and become the fourth highest result for the term “Wordle” according to Shakked. In his words, “We’re going to the f*cking moon.”

There have been games with similar mechanics dating back at least to the 19th century — the 1980s game show Lingo was far from the first — but this guy plagiarized the name and interface from Wordle as a naked cash grab.

— Andy Baio (@waxpancake) January 11, 2022

Because while Wardle offers a free browser version, Shakked offers a paid “Pro version” that gives players unlimited playtime. The backlash was swift, as it's not a great look for someone to brag about profiting from someone else's success. Shakked has since made his Twitter account private.

Engineer Andy Baio, who shared Shakked’s braggadocious tweets on profiting from (not original) Wordle, says that while Wardle’s game is not original itself — with roots going back to the 1980s word game Lingo — Shakked’s version wholesale copies the name and interface that Wardle did originate.

IGN has reached out to Shakked, but in the meantime, you can play the original Wordle here and check out IGN’s beginner’s Wordle guide for some helpful tips.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

Wordle, the browser word puzzle game your friends are probably playing, is easily the first big sensation of 2022. Since so many folks are either playing it or asking what it is, it’s probably not a good idea to rip it off and then brag about it online.

Here’s a little background. Wordle is a puzzle game where every day you have to correctly guess a five-letter word in six tries. It was created by software engineer Josh Wardle for his wife who loves word games. Wardle said he never wanted to make money from Wordle, hence why it’s a free browser game.

Then there’s Zach Shakked who proudly shared earlier this week on Twitter that he loves Wordle so much that he just made it again and put it on the App Store using the same name, Wordle. Other than the option to guess four, six, and seven-letter words, the (not original) Wordle is essentially the same game and interface.

While copycat apps are quite common, they rarely use the same name. But considering Wardle made this game for his wife and had no intent to earn a profit, he likely didn’t file a copyright claim on the game’s name.

This led (not original) Wordle on the App Store to garner 12,000 downloads overnight and become the fourth highest result for the term “Wordle” according to Shakked. In his words, “We’re going to the f*cking moon.”

There have been games with similar mechanics dating back at least to the 19th century — the 1980s game show Lingo was far from the first — but this guy plagiarized the name and interface from Wordle as a naked cash grab.

— Andy Baio (@waxpancake) January 11, 2022

Because while Wardle offers a free browser version, Shakked offers a paid “Pro version” that gives players unlimited playtime. The backlash was swift, as it's not a great look for someone to brag about profiting from someone else's success. Shakked has since made his Twitter account private.

Engineer Andy Baio, who shared Shakked’s braggadocious tweets on profiting from (not original) Wordle, says that while Wardle’s game is not original itself — with roots going back to the 1980s word game Lingo — Shakked’s version wholesale copies the name and interface that Wardle did originate.

IGN has reached out to Shakked, but in the meantime, you can play the original Wordle here and check out IGN’s beginner’s Wordle guide for some helpful tips.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods will be a bit more grown-up, with “more adult humor” and “more adult stakes.”

During an interview with IGN, Shazam! producer Peter Safran teased a more grown-up kind of comedy in the upcoming superhero sequel.

“I love what we've done with it,” he said. “I like that the kids are a little bit older so that you can lean into a little more adult humor and also just adult stakes and adult issues that one deals with it at 16 and 17 that you don't deal with at 13 and 14.”

The first footage from Shazam! Fury of the Gods certainly looks a lot more spectacular than the first movie, with Zachary Levi stepping back into the role of the over-the-top superhero, Shazam!

“I love the first movie,” said Safran. “I really loved it. And I thought that Sandberg hit that tone just right. It was such a... the eye of needle was so small to thread. I think the second movie's even better.”

Shazam! Fury of the Gods adds Helen Mirren as the new villain, Hespera, as well as Lucy Liu in the role of Kalypso. Arriving shortly after the upcoming Black Adam movie, it’s unsurprising to see the Shazam! focus on the characters growing older.

“We very much lean into the idea that Asher's 17 going on 18,” he added. “And I think this script for Shazam! 2 was absolutely fantastic. Henry Gayden and Chris Morgan did an extraordinary job. I am really convinced that this movie is even better.”

Although Shazam! was one of DC’s lowest-grossing movies, it was a huge critical success with audiences bowled over by its light-hearted humor. Now, it looks as though Warner Bros. is aiming to build on this.

“So, I think it's got everything that the first movie had, but frankly, bigger action, great antagonists and Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu,” said Safran. “I cannot wait. For anybody that liked the first movie, I think they are just going to go bananas for the sequel. I really do. I love everything about it.”

Zachary Levi returns in Shazam! Fury of the Gods alongside Asher Angel, and Jack Dylan Grazer. They’ll be joined by new additions, Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods debuts in theaters on June 2, 2023.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods will be a bit more grown-up, with “more adult humor” and “more adult stakes.”

During an interview with IGN, Shazam! producer Peter Safran teased a more grown-up kind of comedy in the upcoming superhero sequel.

“I love what we've done with it,” he said. “I like that the kids are a little bit older so that you can lean into a little more adult humor and also just adult stakes and adult issues that one deals with it at 16 and 17 that you don't deal with at 13 and 14.”

The first footage from Shazam! Fury of the Gods certainly looks a lot more spectacular than the first movie, with Zachary Levi stepping back into the role of the over-the-top superhero, Shazam!

“I love the first movie,” said Safran. “I really loved it. And I thought that Sandberg hit that tone just right. It was such a... the eye of needle was so small to thread. I think the second movie's even better.”

Shazam! Fury of the Gods adds Helen Mirren as the new villain, Hespera, as well as Lucy Liu in the role of Kalypso. Arriving shortly after the upcoming Black Adam movie, it’s unsurprising to see the Shazam! focus on the characters growing older.

“We very much lean into the idea that Asher's 17 going on 18,” he added. “And I think this script for Shazam! 2 was absolutely fantastic. Henry Gayden and Chris Morgan did an extraordinary job. I am really convinced that this movie is even better.”

Although Shazam! was one of DC’s lowest-grossing movies, it was a huge critical success with audiences bowled over by its light-hearted humor. Now, it looks as though Warner Bros. is aiming to build on this.

“So, I think it's got everything that the first movie had, but frankly, bigger action, great antagonists and Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu,” said Safran. “I cannot wait. For anybody that liked the first movie, I think they are just going to go bananas for the sequel. I really do. I love everything about it.”

Zachary Levi returns in Shazam! Fury of the Gods alongside Asher Angel, and Jack Dylan Grazer. They’ll be joined by new additions, Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods debuts in theaters on June 2, 2023.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Spider-Man fans agree that Andrew Garfield's Peter Parker is an absolute heartthrob, but the actor has revealed not everyone has always been impressed with his looks. Specifically, Garfield says his appearance kept him from getting the role of Prince Caspian in the Chronicles of Narnia movies.

Speaking to Variety, the actor said he was desperate to join the Narnia franchise when he was just getting his start.

“I remember I was so desperate. I auditioned for Prince Caspian in ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ and I thought, ‘This could be it, this could be it,'” Garfield said. “And that handsome, brilliant actor Ben Barnes ended up getting the role. I think it was down to me and him, and I remember I was obsessed.”

Garfield said he pestered his agent after getting turned down for the role to find out why, leading to his agent telling him, "It’s because they don’t think you’re handsome enough, Andrew.”

Fortunately, it doesn't seem Garfield holds any ill will towards Barnes for apparently being more handsome than him, as Garfield said, "Ben Barnes is a very handsome, talented man. So in retrospect, I’m not unhappy with the decision and I think he did a beautiful job.”

And, we all know things worked out for Garfield pretty well in the end. After failing to get the part for 2008's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Garfield would go on to gain some traction in 2010's The Social Network, before getting his big break as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man.

Coincidentally Barnes also landed in the Marvel universe by appearing in Netflix's The Punisher series. Whether that series is canon though is anyone's guess.

As for Garfield, over a decade later, the actor has been in the news more than ever. The actor is now talking about how he found lying to fans about his recent roles "stressful but also weirdly enjoyable". Garfield also just won a Golden Globe for his performance in Tick, Tick... Boom! Now, you probably won't find anyone telling him he's not handsome enough for any part out there.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

Spider-Man fans agree that Andrew Garfield's Peter Parker is an absolute heartthrob, but the actor has revealed not everyone has always been impressed with his looks. Specifically, Garfield says his appearance kept him from getting the role of Prince Caspian in the Chronicles of Narnia movies.

Speaking to Variety, the actor said he was desperate to join the Narnia franchise when he was just getting his start.

“I remember I was so desperate. I auditioned for Prince Caspian in ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ and I thought, ‘This could be it, this could be it,'” Garfield said. “And that handsome, brilliant actor Ben Barnes ended up getting the role. I think it was down to me and him, and I remember I was obsessed.”

Garfield said he pestered his agent after getting turned down for the role to find out why, leading to his agent telling him, "It’s because they don’t think you’re handsome enough, Andrew.”

Fortunately, it doesn't seem Garfield holds any ill will towards Barnes for apparently being more handsome than him, as Garfield said, "Ben Barnes is a very handsome, talented man. So in retrospect, I’m not unhappy with the decision and I think he did a beautiful job.”

And, we all know things worked out for Garfield pretty well in the end. After failing to get the part for 2008's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Garfield would go on to gain some traction in 2010's The Social Network, before getting his big break as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man.

Coincidentally Barnes also landed in the Marvel universe by appearing in Netflix's The Punisher series. Whether that series is canon though is anyone's guess.

As for Garfield, over a decade later, the actor has been in the news more than ever. The actor is now talking about how he found lying to fans about his recent roles "stressful but also weirdly enjoyable". Garfield also just won a Golden Globe for his performance in Tick, Tick... Boom! Now, you probably won't find anyone telling him he's not handsome enough for any part out there.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

Fans of Red Dead Online are fed up with Rockstar's seeming inattention of late, and they've been making their feelings known on social media platforms like Twitter and Reddit with the hashtag #SaveRedDeadOnline.

The hashtag kicked off after Rockstar published an announcement on January 6 about new content coming to Red Dead Online... though most of those using the hashtag would probably hesitate to call it content. The gist of the update is that it increases the rewards for doing a bunch of existing activities in Red Dead Online for a period of time, making it easier to earn gold, experience, items, and other currency. It's all enhancement to stuff that's already there, rather than anything new.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is too beautiful to abandon @RockstarGames #SaveRedDeadOnline pic.twitter.com/WlDF7PNFn2

— Gaming Detective || #SaveRedDeadOnline (@that1detectiv3) January 9, 2022

An announcement of improved in-game rewards would normally be a cause for celebration in an online game, but a number of other factors have instead turned it into a community breaking point. For one, the last actual content update Red Dead Online received was back on July 13, 2021, and it wasn't received especially well due to focusing more on quality of life changes and new missions rather than anything meaty or transformative. Prior to that, Red Dead Online received updates roughly every six to seven months or so, a cadence that was already dissatisfying to its players.

Twice-yearly regular content for an online game might, in a vacuum, actually sound pretty good. But there's another major factor alongside the slow, thin trickle of updates that's had Red Dead Online fans riled up: its comparison to GTA Online.

The GTA Promise

When Red Dead Online first appeared in 2019, it was initially intended to follow in the footsteps of GTA Online as a persistent, online world for Red Dead Redemption 2 players to sink their teeth into for hundreds of hours, over years of updates. After GTA Online's success, it seemed certain that Red Dead Online would stand side-by-side with it as a cowboy-stuffed version of Rockstar's massive, ongoing moneymaker. But in the years since, the differences in support have grown stark.

Like Red Dead Online, GTA Online is also getting major content updates roughly every six months or so, though its updates are consistently much larger and better-received than Red Dead's. It just saw one of those major updates in December, called The Contract, which added an entire new adventure alongside the usual slate of new weapons, vehicles, and missions. These massive updates are proving financially successful, too. At the end of 2020, for instance, GTA Online brought in its highest holiday earnings ever thanks to the Diamond Casino update.

Dear Rock Star! Please don't forget that you have a great game like Red Dead Online! Many players, including myself, really want to return to this incredible world again and again. But the lack of attention to the game gets boring:((( #SaveRedDeadOnline #RockstarGames pic.twitter.com/xgfgCXmkrX

— Valentina (@_ValentinaAleks) January 10, 2022

Worth pointing out is the fact that GTA Online is going on nine years old, while Red Dead Online just turned three. When GTA Online was that age, it was getting anywhere between five and eight major updates in a year (depending on how you classify a "major" update).

Red Dying Online

Perusing the #SaveRedDeadOnline hashtag, which is still going strong days after it started, reveals a number of mixed feelings. There's the initial anger at the lack of meaningful updates in the January 6 post, and reflection on how useless it is to earn more XP and gold when there's nothing new to spend it on. There are requests for specific kinds of content, like proper player housing, a DLC set in Mexico, more story, and even specific bug fixes. There are plenty of memes of course, and lots of snark directed at GTA Online, though there's also some support from GTA Online community members who recognize that their cowboy friends are getting the short end of the stick.

#SaveRedDeadOnline Rockstar is killing the best game ever made pic.twitter.com/DVAs1egkZr

— Z5at|زخات (@Z5at73) January 8, 2022

Many of the tweets seem to simply be worried that without major updates, Red Dead Online will die an early death — one that Rockstar is perhaps endorsing by inaction. While meaty content updates are ultimately what they want, the vast majority of users tweeting #SaveRedDeadOnline come across not so much as making demands of developers, as wanting assurance that the promise of an ongoing Wild West world in the tradition of GTA Online hasn't been broken already by Rockstar and publisher Take-Two.

IGN has reached out to Rockstar for comment.

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

Fans of Red Dead Online are fed up with Rockstar's seeming inattention of late, and they've been making their feelings known on social media platforms like Twitter and Reddit with the hashtag #SaveRedDeadOnline.

The hashtag kicked off after Rockstar published an announcement on January 6 about new content coming to Red Dead Online... though most of those using the hashtag would probably hesitate to call it content. The gist of the update is that it increases the rewards for doing a bunch of existing activities in Red Dead Online for a period of time, making it easier to earn gold, experience, items, and other currency. It's all enhancement to stuff that's already there, rather than anything new.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is too beautiful to abandon @RockstarGames #SaveRedDeadOnline pic.twitter.com/WlDF7PNFn2

— Gaming Detective || #SaveRedDeadOnline (@that1detectiv3) January 9, 2022

An announcement of improved in-game rewards would normally be a cause for celebration in an online game, but a number of other factors have instead turned it into a community breaking point. For one, the last actual content update Red Dead Online received was back on July 13, 2021, and it wasn't received especially well due to focusing more on quality of life changes and new missions rather than anything meaty or transformative. Prior to that, Red Dead Online received updates roughly every six to seven months or so, a cadence that was already dissatisfying to its players.

Twice-yearly regular content for an online game might, in a vacuum, actually sound pretty good. But there's another major factor alongside the slow, thin trickle of updates that's had Red Dead Online fans riled up: its comparison to GTA Online.

The GTA Promise

When Red Dead Online first appeared in 2019, it was initially intended to follow in the footsteps of GTA Online as a persistent, online world for Red Dead Redemption 2 players to sink their teeth into for hundreds of hours, over years of updates. After GTA Online's success, it seemed certain that Red Dead Online would stand side-by-side with it as a cowboy-stuffed version of Rockstar's massive, ongoing moneymaker. But in the years since, the differences in support have grown stark.

Like Red Dead Online, GTA Online is also getting major content updates roughly every six months or so, though its updates are consistently much larger and better-received than Red Dead's. It just saw one of those major updates in December, called The Contract, which added an entire new adventure alongside the usual slate of new weapons, vehicles, and missions. These massive updates are proving financially successful, too. At the end of 2020, for instance, GTA Online brought in its highest holiday earnings ever thanks to the Diamond Casino update.

Dear Rock Star! Please don't forget that you have a great game like Red Dead Online! Many players, including myself, really want to return to this incredible world again and again. But the lack of attention to the game gets boring:((( #SaveRedDeadOnline #RockstarGames pic.twitter.com/xgfgCXmkrX

— Valentina (@_ValentinaAleks) January 10, 2022

Worth pointing out is the fact that GTA Online is going on nine years old, while Red Dead Online just turned three. When GTA Online was that age, it was getting anywhere between five and eight major updates in a year (depending on how you classify a "major" update).

Red Dying Online

Perusing the #SaveRedDeadOnline hashtag, which is still going strong days after it started, reveals a number of mixed feelings. There's the initial anger at the lack of meaningful updates in the January 6 post, and reflection on how useless it is to earn more XP and gold when there's nothing new to spend it on. There are requests for specific kinds of content, like proper player housing, a DLC set in Mexico, more story, and even specific bug fixes. There are plenty of memes of course, and lots of snark directed at GTA Online, though there's also some support from GTA Online community members who recognize that their cowboy friends are getting the short end of the stick.

#SaveRedDeadOnline Rockstar is killing the best game ever made pic.twitter.com/DVAs1egkZr

— Z5at|زخات (@Z5at73) January 8, 2022

Many of the tweets seem to simply be worried that without major updates, Red Dead Online will die an early death — one that Rockstar is perhaps endorsing by inaction. While meaty content updates are ultimately what they want, the vast majority of users tweeting #SaveRedDeadOnline come across not so much as making demands of developers, as wanting assurance that the promise of an ongoing Wild West world in the tradition of GTA Online hasn't been broken already by Rockstar and publisher Take-Two.

IGN has reached out to Rockstar for comment.

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.