Ben Affleck almost cast Matt Damon inThe Town, but his replacement proved to be a brilliant choice. AlthoughAffleck and Damonare known for their collaborations together, likeGood Will HuntingandThe Last Duel, it took a surprisingly long time for Affleck to cast his friend in one of his own movies.
Affleck’s best moviesare often those that he’s directed himself, likeArgoandGone Baby Gone. The Townis no different, with Affleck starring as the leader of a group of Boston bank robbers. It’s one of the most exciting heist movies in recent memory, even though Affleck originally wanted to cast Damon in one of the supporting roles.
Ben Affleck Says That He “Couldn’t Afford” To Cast Matt Damon In The Town
Ben Affleck originally wanted Matt Damon to play the part of Jem, but this never came to pass. On a 2023 episode ofThe Bill Simmons Podcast, Damon said that “He didn’t ask me to be in The Town,” although Affleck joked, “Let me tell you the truth. We couldn’t afford Matt Damon by a country mile.” (viaThe News)
Damon was already a huge star at the time, having spent the 2000s starring in big franchises likeOcean’sandJason Bourne,as well as standalone hits like Martin Scorsese’s crime thrillerThe Departedand Clint Eastwood’s sports biopicInvictus. He was certainly a more expensive option than Jeremy Renner, who took the part of Jem instead.
The Townwas a big hit even without Damon’s involvement, further solidifying Affleck’s status as a director worth watching.He would eventually cast Damon in one of his own movies, 13 years later,Air, which tells the story of Nike’s attempts to sign an unprecedented deal with Michael Jordan in 1984.
The Town Wouldn’t Be The Same Without Jeremy Renner’s Oscar-Nominated Performance
Although it would have been interesting to see what Matt Damon could bring toThe Town, it’s probably for the best that Jeremy Renner got the role of Jem instead. It’s hard to imagine the heist thriller without Renner’s menacing presence as the most volatile member of the team of bank robbers.
Renner was nominated for an Oscar for his performance inThe Town,which followed another Oscar-nominated role inThe Hurt Lockerone year earlier.He’s the clear standout in a strong ensemble castthat also includes Titus Welliver, Jon Hamm, and Rebecca Hall. It’s possible that Damon’s presence would have been more distracting.
If Damon had been cast as Jem, it would have set up a new dynamic with Ben Affleck. The duo often play friends or allies on-screen, butThe Townwould have pitted them against each other in a more nuanced relationship, characterized by suspicion and betrayal. Their performances inThe Last Duelsuggest that this could have been a fascinating watch.
The Town
Cast
The Town, directed by Ben Affleck, follows Doug MacRay, a skilled thief seeking a way out of his criminal life. The plot intensifies as a bank heist leads to a developing relationship between Doug and a kidnapped branch manager, risking exposure to an FBI agent pursuing his crew.
