The Second life of Ben Affleck

In theaters Friday: Jack the Giant Slayer, The Last Exorcism, Stoker
New on Blu-ray: The Master

Was his shirtless scene in the movie indulgent? Perhaps. I mean, we get it Ben, you’re still in good shape. But with Argo taking home statues for Best Screenplay, Best Editing and Best Picture at an awards ceremony with more parity among nominees than any in recent memory, Affleck the Director’s career is, now more than ever, in great shape, too. Despite the bizarre Oscar snub in the director’s category—Affleck wasn’t even nominated—he can do pretty much whatever he wants behind the camera from here on out. And, apologies to those waiting for Armageddon 2: Here Comes Another One, but I think we’ll see a lot less of the star on screen in favor of more directing projects in the near future.

The resurrection of Ben Affleck’s career, just five years after a post-Gigli, post-Jersey Girl stint in self-imposed movie prison, was completed last night. The star who had to take three years off because he couldn’t get good roles on screen then came storming back reformed as an intellectual but crowd-pleasing filmmaker, did everything on the film. He co-produced, starred in and directed the 1970s-set drama about the role Hollywood played in extracting U.S. citizens from a revolution-ravaged Iran.

Affleck’s very next directorial effort has yet to be announced, though he has already, famously, declined to direct Man of Steel and lost out to J.J. Abrams for the new Star Wars gig. Some details have emerged about the violent biopic of infamous gangster Whitey Bulger he wants to shoot with Matt Damon, but that project still seems a few years away.

So what is next for the now two-time Oscar winner? Well, starting April 12, he can be seen opposite Rachel McAdams and Olga Kurylenko in Terrence Malick’s relational drama To the Wonder, and his star turn in Brad Furman’s off-shore drama Runner. Runner is expected to drop before the end of the year. But as a director, my guess is that Argo‘s sci-fi strands and his runner’s-up position in the Star Wars race has Affleck hungry expand his palette with a heady, intellectual thriller set far in the future or even in space. Something along the lines of Steven Soderbergh’s Solaris—an underrated film that starred Affleck’s new producing partner George Clooney—or even Moon, the Kubrick-esque debut from Duncan Jones.

Only time will tell, but with Bulger on the horizon, Affleck should be looking beyond Boston crime movies to shake things up after his Oscar win. Now is the time for ambition.

Watch Affleck’s heartfelt acceptance speech and the trailer for Malick’s To the Wonder below: