Beyond Boston And Batcaves: The Highest Grossing Ben Affleck Movies (2025)

Jul 23, 2024Florance Siggers

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• The Sum Of All Fears (2002)

• Good Will Hunting (1997)

• Argo (2012)

• Shakespeare In Love (1998)

• Gone Girl (2014)

• Pearl Harbor (2001)

• Armageddon (1998)

• Justice League (2017)

• Suicide Squad (2016)

• Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice (2016)

Highlights

• Ben Affleck's movie The Sum Of All Fears grossed $193.9 million worldwide, establishing him as an action hero.
• Good Will Hunting earned $225.9 million globally and won two Academy Awards, propelling Affleck's career.
• Argo brought in $232.3 million worldwide on a budget of $44.5 million, showcasing Affleck's success as a director.
• Affleck starred in a hilarious ad for Dunkin' Donuts during Super Bowl LVIII, with Matt Damon making a "small but memorable contribution."

For over four decades, Ben Affleck has left audiences in awe with his versatile talent, navigating effortlessly between gritty dramas and blockbuster action flicks – even donning the classic cowl of Batman.

Fresh off a prominent, viral ad for Dunkin' during Super Bowl LVIII (featuring Matt Damon), Affleck has been in the news.

From his early days co-writing the Oscar-winning screenplay for Good Will Hunting alongside his childhood friend Matt Damon to his directorial debut with the acclaimed Gone Baby Gone, Affleck's Hollywood resume has been marked by both critical acclaim and commercial success.

With over 50 acting credits to his name and a career spanning many genres, his films have collectively grossed over $6.31 billion worldwide. Affleck's meteoric rise began in the late 1990s.

His breakout role in Good Will Hunting established him not only as a gifted actor but also as a skilled screenwriter, earning him and Damon two Oscars for "Best Original Screenplay."

Affleck transitioned into leading man roles, bringing his dramatic chops to light in films like Pearl Harbor and The Town, while simultaneously embracing comic book heroes with his portrayal of Daredevil in 2003.

His diverse filmography reflects his willingness to take on challenging characters, whether it's the morally ambiguous CIA agent Jack Ryan in The Sum Of All Fears or the charming con artist Nicky Cage in Gone Girl.

While Affleck's net worth is estimated at $150 million, his highest-grossing films speak volumes about his impact on the box office.

From the heartwarming drama of Shakespeare In Love to the superhero spectacle of Batman v Superman, each film on this list showcases his diverse skill set, and demonstrates that Affleck is a box office behemoth.

10 The Sum Of All Fears (2002)

Global Box Office, The Sum Of All Fears - $193,921,372

Marking Ben Affleck's first foray into the world of Tom Clancy adaptations, The Sum Of All Fears brought the CIA analyst Jack Ryan to life in 2002.

Though met with mixed critical reception, the film performed well at the box office, raking in a global total of $194 million.

Domestically, it grossed $119 million, while the international box office brought in an additional $75 million.

With a production budget of $68 million, the film delivered a solid return on investment. The Sum Of All Fears offered an exciting blend of political intrigue and pulse-pounding action, elevating Affleck's action-hero status.

Although not a blockbuster in the same vein as some of his later entries on this list, The Sum Of All Fears remains a notable chapter in Affleck's filmography, and remains an early example of his action movie prowess.

9 Good Will Hunting (1997)

Global Box Office, Good Will Hunting - $225,933,435

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Co-written with Matt Damon, this emotional story about a conflicted math prodigy named Will Hunting (played by Damon) saw Affleck step into the role of Chuckie Sullivan, Will's loyal best friend from their tough South Boston neighborhood.

Working as a janitor at MIT, Chuckie serves as Will's anchor, encouraging him to break free from his limitations and embrace his potential.

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At the 70th Academy Awards, it received nominations in nine categories, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director." It won two: "Best Supporting Actor" for Robin Williams, and "Best Original Screenplay" for Affleck and Damon.

Good Will Hunting earned $225.9 at the box office worldwide, which includes $138 million at the domestic box office and $87 million internationally.

8 Argo (2012)

Global Box Office, Argo - $232,325,503

Ben Affleck dons the director's hat and stars in Argo, a true-life thriller based on the dramatic rescue of American hostages during the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis.

Affleck portrays Tony Mendez, a CIA operative who masterminds a daring escape plan – convincing the world he's scouting locations for a Hollywood sci-fi film shoot, while secretly extracting six Americans undercover.

This suspenseful and critically acclaimed film was fairly successful at the box office, grossing an impressive $136 million in the US and Canada and $96.3 million internationally, bringing its global total to $232.3 million.

Notably, Argo achieved this feat on a relatively modest production budget of $44.5 million.

The film's profitability extended beyond the box office; it raked in an additional $44.9 million from DVD and Blu-ray sales.

7 Shakespeare In Love (1998)

Global Box Office, Shakespeare In Love - $289,317,794

While not the star of the show, Ben Affleck's portrayal of Ned Alleyn in Shakespeare In Love added a dash of Elizabethan swagger to this fictionalized account of the Bard's inspiration for Romeo And Juliet.

Critics praised the film for its highly skilled plotting and balancing of comedy and drama and for the high quality of its dialogue, performances, and production design.

This love letter to the theater, produced for a modest $25 million, defied expectations, blossoming into a box office sensation.

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At the domestic box office, Shakespeare In Love reached over $100 million; when combined with $189 million from overseas, the film took in over $289 million globally.

6 Gone Girl (2014)

Global Box Office, Gone Girl - $369,330,363

Ben Affleck takes a dark turn in Gone Girl, a gripping psychological thriller adapted from Gillian Flynn's best-selling novel.

Playing Nick Dunne, a husband whose picture-perfect life unravels when his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) mysteriously disappears, Affleck navigates a media frenzy and public suspicion while grappling with his own troubled past and Amy's unsettling secrets.

Directed by David Fincher, Gone Girl was a box office success, praised for its sharp twists, complex characters, and Fincher's signature visual style.

Gone Girl grossed $167.8 million in the U.S. and Canada and $201.6 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $369.3 million, against a production budget of $61 million.

According to Deadline Hollywood, Gone Girl made a profit of $129.99 million, making it one of the most profitable films of 2014.

5 Pearl Harbor (2001)

Global Box Office, Pearl Harbor - $449,220,945

Ben Affleck takes flight (literally) in Pearl Harbor, Michael Bay's epic historical drama set against the backdrop of the infamous attack on December 7th, 1941.

Affleck portrays Rafe McCawley, a young pilot torn between two loves and duty, as he joins the fight against the Japanese after the devastating attack.

While liberties are taken with historical accuracy, the film's grand production value and emotional storytelling were lauded by audiences and critics.

Despite mixed critical reception, Pearl Harbor soared at the box office. During its opening weekend, Pearl Harbor generated a total of $59 million, making it the highest opening weekend for a Ben Affleck movie until 2016, when Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice surpassed it.

Pearl Harbor ended its theatrical run, earning $198.5 million at the North American box office and $251 million overseas, for a worldwide total of $449 million.

This success came against a hefty production budget of $140 million, demonstrating its commercial appeal.

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However, the film's historical inaccuracies and melodramatic approach drew criticism, ultimately leading to only one Academy Award win for "Best Sound Editing," despite four nominations.

4 Armageddon (1998)

Global Box Office, Armageddon - $553,709,788

One of Ben Affleck's greatest performances came in Michael Bay's explosive sci-fi action film Armageddon, which is about a desperate mission to save Earth from a planet-killing asteroid.

Affleck plays A.J. Frost, a rough-around-the-edges oil driller recruited by NASA to join a ragtag team led by Harry Stamper (Bruce Willis) tasked with drilling into the asteroid and planting a nuclear bomb.

Armageddon received mixed reviews from critics but was commercially successful. Its global total reached $553.7 million, making it the highest-grossing film of 1998 and the highest-grossing film ever released by Touchstone Pictures at the time.

Its total gross was fueled by a domestic haul of $201.6 million and $352.1 million from international audiences.

Although the film's scientific accuracy faced scrutiny, its high-octane action sequences, Bruce Willis' iconic performance, and an emotional undercurrent of saving humanity were embraced by audiences worldwide.

3 Justice League (2017)

Global Box Office, Justice League - $661,326,987

Ben Affleck dons the cape and cowl for the second time in Justice League, Zack Snyder's superhero team-up epic.

As Batman, Affleck leads a ragtag group of heroes - Superman (Henry Cavill), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), The Flash (Ezra Miller), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) – to face the cosmic threat of Steppenwolf and his army.

Despite boasting an all-star cast and a colossal $300 million budget, Justice League failed to live up to expectations.

While it amassed a respectable $661.3 million globally, it fell short of the estimated $750 million needed to break even, resulting in a box office disappointment for Warner Bros.

Deadline Hollywood reported that the film lost the studio around $60 million, making it a box office bomb. Mixed reviews further complicated the film's reception.

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Critics focused on the convoluted plot, uneven pacing, and forgettable villain, while praise landed on the action sequences and some of the performances.

2 Suicide Squad (2016)

Global Box Office, Suicide Squad - $749,200,054

Ben Affleck takes a darker turn in Suicide Squad, DC's anti-hero ensemble film about a team of imprisoned supervillains recruited by the government for a dangerous black ops mission.

While not the main protagonist, Affleck portrays Batman, providing a brooding counterpoint to the film's colorful cast led by Will Smith and Margot Robbie.

Suicide Squad received heavy criticism for its plot, dialogue, direction, action scenes, and use of licensed music, though some praise was given to Robbie's performance as Harley Quinn.

The film won an Oscar for "Best Makeup And Hairstyling" at the 89th Academy Awards; it is also the only DCEU film to have won an Academy Award.

Suicide Squad grossed $325.1 million in North America and $421.7 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $746.8 million, against a production budget of $175 million.

According to a Deadline Hollywood report, Suicide Squad made a net profit of $158.45 million for Warner Studios, making it one of the most profitable films in 2016.

1 Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice (2016)

Global Box Office, Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice - $874,362,803

Despite the initial backlash when it was revealed that Affleck would become Batman in the new DCEU, fans could not help but wonder what this seasoned actor would bring to the iconic role of the Caped Crusader.

And boy, did he pique their interest!

As a grizzled and jaded Batman, Affleck embodies the character's internal conflict as he faces off against the all-powerful Superman (Henry Cavill), manipulated by the cunning Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg).

While commercially successful, the film's financial achievement came with mixed reviews.

Despite a record-breaking global opening weekend of $422.5 million and a final haul of $874.3 million worldwide (placing it seventh among 2016's highest-grossing films), Batman v Superman ultimately fell short of expectations.

In North America, it earned $330.4 million, with the international market contributing $543.3 million.

Considering its $250 million production budget, the film turned a net profit of around $105.7 million.

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