Case in point, Ben Affleck is well aware of 'Sad Affleck'.

Last March, while promoting their overblown blockbuster Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice just days ahead of the film's disastrous release, Affleck and co-star Henry Cavill were asked to respond to the film's lukewarm reception amongst critics.

While Cavill enthusiastically answered the reporter's question, the internet spotted Affleck's muted response and did what it does best, creating a viral meme that showed the actor gazing soullessly into the void as Simon & Garfunkel's The Sound Of Silence played forlornly.

The meme was so popular that the 1966 folk hit re-entered Billboard's 'Hot Rock Songs' top ten chart at the time.

Almost a year on, Affleck has finally broken his 'sound of silence' over Sad Affleck.

While discussing his new Prohibition-era thriller Live By Night in an interview with BBC Radio 1, Affleck was asked what working on the "colossal" Batman V Superman taught him about being an actor and a director - and he went for an unexpected and highly specific answer.

"It taught me not to do interviews with Henry Cavill where I don't say anything and they can lay Simon and Garfunkel tracks over it," he quipped.

It's a useful lesson, but Affleck has no regrets (or, perhaps, willful delusion) over making the much derided film, which still managed to pull in over $US870 million ($1.16 billion) at the worldwide box office despite the bad word-of-mouth.

"I hear nothing but really nice things about the movie [from people on the street]," he added. "Which was nice, because that's not what I got from the critics."

The actor is reprising Batfleck in at least three more upcoming films: this year's Justice League and its 2018 sequel with Batman V Superman director Zach Snyder, and The Batman on which he also takes on writing and directing duties.