# Ben Affleck recasts Jennifer Garner after ex-wife baggage concerns

> Ben Affleck recasts Jennifer Garner as love interest in 'Animals' after fearing audience baggage from their on-screen pairing.
- Title: Ben Affleck recasts Jennifer Garner after ex-wife baggage…
- Summary: Ben Affleck recasts Jennifer Garner as love interest in 'Animals' after fearing audience baggage from their on-screen pairing. Affleck chose Kerry Washington…
- Keywords: ben affleck, jennifer garner, kerry washington, animals movie, recast, ex-wife, co-parenting, screen actors guild, pearl harbor, juno, news, entertainment
- Source: Page Six — https://pagesix.com/2026/09/16/entertainment/ben-affleck-explains-decision-to-recast-ex-wife-jennifer-garner-as-love-interest-in-new-movie
- Published: 2026-09-16T14:35:32+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: ben affleck, jennifer garner, kerry washington, animals movie, recast, ex-wife, co-parenting, screen actors guild, pearl harbor, juno, news, entertainment
## Why recast?
Ben Affleck decided to recast Jennifer Garner after offering her the love interest role in 'Animals' due to concerns about audience baggage from their real-life relationship.

> 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.
## Initial plan
Affleck initially planned to cast Matt Damon as the lead and Jennifer Garner as his love interest in 'Animals' but had to recast when Damon became unavailable.

> I thought, God, Jen Garner would be amazing for this role.
## Co-parenting benefit
Casting Garner would help coordinate their co-parenting schedules for their three children, allowing both parents to see their kids more frequently.

> We can coordinate our schedules around it.
## Recast decision
After Matt Damon was unavailable for 'The Odyssey', Affleck recast Jennifer Garner's role with Kerry Washington to avoid potential audience baggage.

> We don’t wanna do that. You just get baggage.
## Real-life connection
Affleck and Garner met on the set of 'Pearl Harbor' in 2001, married in 2005, and have three children together.

> We’re really good friends, and I’m profoundly grateful to her.
## Current status
The exes remain close, co-parenting amicably and often hang out with their children, despite splitting in 2015.

> To love and be loved by a great dad is a gift.
## Key takeaway

Affleck chose Kerry Washington over Jennifer Garner to avoid potential audience baggage from their real-life relationship.