We are gathered here today to mourn Sad Affleck. We hardly knew thee.

Ben Affleck just barely escaped from the disaster zone that was 2016. Trying to promote a movie colorfully described by one critic as “a stink bucket of disappointment” while navigating the media fallout from your highly public split is a position even Lex Luthor wouldn’t subject his most formidable foe to. Nah, too evil.

Alas, “Batman v Superman,” loved by some and hated by many more, became the film of a cultural moment. Affleck was certainly made aware of the harsh critiques, but up until now no one thought to actually ask the guy his opinion. We all just assumed he thought it sucked too.

During an interview for his new film “The Accountant,” FOX 5’s Kevin McCarthy put forth that very question, eliciting a thoughtful and notably upbeat answer from Affleck about why the film was such a lightning rod for criticism.

“It’s interesting: It was a huge hit movie ― more people went to see that than any movie I’ve ever made in my career,” Affleck said of “Batman v Superman.” “It was the biggest hit of my career and then it had so much editorial negativity.”

“Fans went, and I got a lot of positive response. It was interesting, that movie, because it was judged not necessarily on execution so much as on its tone. People seemed to want to have a lighter tone to the movie, and I thought that was interesting,” he continued. “Tone isn’t a qualitative thing. It’s subjective, right? Some tones resonate with me that might not with you. And the tone of the movie was really parallel to the Frank Miller book, which I liked and thought was great. I’m glad that so many people went and so many people liked the movie.”

When prodded further about whether he liked the movie or not, Affleck admitted, “I loved it.”

All good sad things must come to an end.