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Ben Affleck Responds to the "Sad Affleck" Viral Video

"It taught me not to do interviews with Henry Cavill where I don't say anything and they can lay Simon & Garfunkel tracks over it."

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Actor Ben Affleck has responded to the "sad Affleck" meme that went viral last year in the wake of less-than-great reviews for Batman v Superman.

Speaking to the BBC about what he learned from working on a large-scale movie like Batman v Superman, Affleck said, "It taught me not to do interviews with Henry Cavill where I don't say anything and they can lay Simon & Garfunkel tracks over it. That's one thing I learned."

For those unaware, the sad Affleck meme originated from a press junket interview that Affleck did for Batman v Superman. Henry Cavill (Superman) answered a question while Affleck sat in silence, looking dejected. A fan saw an opportunity here and put Simon & Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence" over this and it was a quick hit.

The video picked up 22 million views before being taken down on copyright infringement claims. According to Entertainment Weekly, the video had a positive effect on "The Sound of Silence" as it rose up the Billboard rock charts. Additionally, Bandai Namco used it to promote Dark Souls III.

More seriously, Affleck said in the new BBC interview that he "learned a ton" about movie-making from Batman v Superman. "I had not made a movie of that scale. I didn't know what the technology was capable of doing nowadays," he said.

Affleck also said he hears "nothing but really nice things" about Batman v Superman from fans. "Which was nice because that's not what I got from the critics," he said.

Affleck's latest movie is the Prohibition-era crime film Live by Night. He also plans to direct and star in a new Batman movie. The actor will be seen next as Batman in this year's Justice League.

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