EXCLUSIVE: Ben Affleck's Acting Plans With Jennifer Garner 'Enraging' Her Partner
Ben Affleck seems to be ruffling Jennifer Garner's partner's feathers.
Oct. 9 2026, Published 9:00 a.m. ET
Ben Affleck's determination to reunite with his ex-wife Jennifer Garner on screen is said to be threatening to create fresh tensions in her relationship with businessman John Miller, amid speculation the former couple's enduring closeness is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the 54-year-old Hollywood star has declared he wants to work with Garner, also 54, despite abandoning plans to cast her as his wife in his new Netflix thriller Animals, which was released Friday, October 9.
Movie Plans Raise Questions About Jennifer Garner Romance
Affleck wanted another movie with ex-wife Garner, according to sources.
Garner has been dating Miller, the chief executive of CaliGroup, in an on-and-off relationship since 2018, while Affleck has remained closely involved in her life following their divorce.
Affleck told a publication: "In a movie, the illusion has to be the thing."
He added: "And I still want to find something to do with (Garner)."
His comments have renewed attention on the former couple's unusually close relationship, with sources telling us Miller is "enraged" by their enduring closeness and Affleck's professional ambitions.
A source claimed to Radar: "John has always understood that Ben will be part of Jennifer's life because they have three children together. But there's a considerable difference between accepting that arrangement and watching Ben publicly discuss how much he wants to work with her again, and it is enraging him.
"The idea of them spending months together on a film set, potentially playing romantic partners, is something John could understandably find uncomfortable. He has worked hard to build a relationship with Jennifer outside the enormous shadow of her marriage to Ben, and another high-profile collaboration would inevitably put that history back in the spotlight.
"But Ben doesn't necessarily see why working with Jennifer should be controversial. He respects her enormously as an actress, they have an established professional history, and their friendship has survived everything that happened during their marriage. From his perspective, there's no reason they shouldn't make another movie together. But what might seem like a straightforward creative decision to Ben could look rather different to the man currently sharing Jennifer's life."
Potential On-Screen Reunion Could Bring Media Scrutiny
Garner's boyfriend, John Miller, was reportedly 'enraged' by Affleck's plans.
A Hollywood insider added: "Imagine the publicity surrounding Ben and Jennifer playing husband and wife again. Every interview would become a conversation about their divorce, their children, and whether they still have feelings for each other.
"John would find himself dragged into a media circus without having anything to do with the movie. Even if everyone involved knew it was simply acting, the public fascination with Ben and Jennifer would make it almost impossible to keep their professional relationship separate from their personal histories."
The source claimed, "Jennifer isn't someone who wants conflict between the important people in her life. She has always tried to maintain a healthy family environment with Ben, while keeping her romance with John relatively private.
"But Ben's renewed interest in collaborating could force some awkward conversations about what everyone is comfortable with. There is a difference between supporting an ex-husband as the father of your children and agreeing to become his leading lady in a Hollywood production.
"The question isn't whether Ben and Jennifer can work together successfully – they have already demonstrated that they can. It's whether the attention surrounding such a reunion would be worth the potential disruption. Ben clearly hasn't abandoned the idea, and his latest comments suggest he genuinely hopes to find the right project. But any decision would have implications beyond the film itself, particularly for Jennifer's relationship with John and the private life they've established together."
'Animals' Nearly Reunited Former Couple on Screen
Affleck originally planned to cast Garner in his film 'Animals'.
Affleck initially envisaged Garner and longtime collaborator Matt Damon, 55, starring in Animals, a political thriller about a Los Angeles mayoral candidate whose son is kidnapped.
However, Damon's commitment to Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey prompted Affleck to assume the leading role himself, with Kerry Washington, 49, eventually cast as his wife.
The director subsequently reconsidered whether audiences could separate his fictional marriage from his real-life history with Garner.
Affleck told another publication: "At that point, I talked to Jen, and she was like, 'Yeah, we can't…'.
"Speaking of the headwinds and audience perception – history has shown that's a bad idea because the audience brings all this stuff to it in a negative way. Though I would love to work with Jennifer Garner, she's brilliant."
Former Spouses Maintain Close Family Connection
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
The former couple have stayed close while raising their children together.
Affleck and Garner's relationship has remained unusually affectionate since they separated in 2015, following 10 years of marriage.
They finalized their divorce in 2018 and share three children – Violet, 20, Fin, 17, and Samuel, 14.
Garner has been photographed spending time with Affleck, particularly during family occasions, prompting speculation about how their closeness affects her romance with Miller.
The businessman has generally avoided Hollywood publicity, while Garner has maintained a relatively private relationship with him.
Despite their separation, Affleck has repeatedly praised Garner's parenting and the friendship they have maintained.
He has said: "I would love to work with her, frankly. She's fabulous, and we're really good friends, and I'm profoundly grateful to her, and we have a great thing."
The Oscar winner added: "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, you know?"
The former spouses previously appeared together in Pearl Harbor in 2001 and Daredevil in 2003, when their relationship was developing.
Affleck's renewed professional interest follows his second divorce from Jennifer Lopez, 57, finalized in 2025.
Meanwhile, Animals, which Affleck directed and co-wrote, follows mayoral candidate Mark Kimball and his wife Abigail as they struggle to secure their kidnapped son's release.
The film reunites Affleck with Netflix after several high-profile productions and features Washington as his embattled spouse.
