Ben Affleck revealed that Jennifer Garner was briefly set to star in his Netflix thriller Animals , but the former spouses decided against appearing together before production. The film arrives in select theaters before its Netflix debut on October 9. Garner joined the project early, while Affleck initially planned to direct without acting. The original setup paired Garner with Matt Damon as a married couple caught in a kidnapping plot, but Damon later exited because of scheduling conflicts with Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey . Why Did Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner Pass? After Affleck stepped into Damon's role, he and Garner discussed playing spouses on screen, according to Affleck's interview with Entertainment Weekly. Affleck said Garner recognized that audiences could bring real life baggage to the pairing, even though the two remain close friends and co parents. Affleck also said he was excited by the idea of giving Garner a role unlike her previous work, but the reunion ultimately felt too complicated. Kerry Washington took over the part, joining Gillian Anderson , Steven Yeun , Luis Gerardo Méndez , and Adriana Paz in the finished movie. Animals took a winding route to the screen after Affleck paused the project when Spike Lee began developing his own kidnapping thriller, Highest 2 Lowest . Affleck later returned to direct, while the completed film heads to select theaters before streaming on Netflix October 9.