Ben Affleck has finally broken his silence about his decision to move away from starring in The Batman, which he was also attached to direct.

The actor has revealed to The New York Times that alcoholism, his divorce from Jennifer Garner, and a “troubled shoot” on Justice League prompted him to abandon the role of the “Dark Knight”.

“I showed somebody The Batman script. They said, ‘I think the script is good. I also think you’ll drink yourself to death if you go through what you just went through again’,” Affleck told the publication, more than a year after he announced his departure from the film, now being directed by Matt Reeves with Robert Pattinson in the lead.

Affleck also called the divorce the “biggest regret” of his life. “Shame is really toxic,” he said.