Jennifer Garner nearly reunited with ex Ben Affleck in 'Animals'

Ben Affleck reveals Jennifer Garner was nearly cast as his wife in Animals before Kerry Washington joined the film

Ben Affleck has revealed that his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, was initially considered to play his character’s wife in his upcoming Netflix thriller Animals.

Affleck, who directed, co-wrote and stars in the film, told Entertainment Weekly that he initially thought Garner would be a strong choice for the role of Abigail. He also noted that working together could have allowed the former couple to coordinate their schedules around their children.

“I thought, God, Jen Garner would be amazing for this role,” Affleck said.

The actor and filmmaker eventually decided against the casting after taking over the lead role of Mark Kimball. Affleck said Garner had concerns about the “baggage” audiences might bring to seeing the former couple portray husband and wife on screen.

Affleck said he remains close to Garner and would be interested in working with her in the future. The pair were married from 2005 to 2018 and share three children.

The production also underwent other casting changes. Affleck initially planned to have his longtime friend Matt Damon play Mark, but Damon became unavailable while working on Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. Affleck subsequently decided to take on the role himself.

Kerry Washington was ultimately cast as Abigail after Affleck got to know her during the 2023 Hollywood strikes. He said her combination of professionalism and warmth made her a strong fit for the character.

Animals follows Mark Kimball, a Los Angeles mayoral candidate whose son is kidnapped. He and Abigail are forced to find the ransom money while navigating the dangerous situation.

Co-written by Affleck, Connor O. McIntyre and Billy Ray, Animals is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on October 9.