Analyzing the filming of the film ‘Air’ in the year 2023, Ben Affleck has now revealed that the emotional tone of the film has been inspired by a certain, non-negotiable demand made by none other than Michael Jordan, and not by the script of the film. This has been revealed by Ben Affleck in the episode of ‘All The Smoke with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson,’ which aired on January 14, 2026.
An ultimate that spoke volumes
According to Affleck’s telling of it, there was one condition that had to be met in order for Jordan to give this Nike origin story the green light. Viola Davis was going to play his mother, Deloris Jordan. This was not a request. This was an ultimatum.
Meeting Jordan himself was also an ‘overwhelming’ experience, which was akin to ‘standing on Olympus.’ Even after several decades of stardom and industry muscle, Affleck admitted he was “starstruck as hell’ during their one-hour conversation. But it was not his “competitive mythology’ that left Affleck starstruck; it was his vulnerable moments as he reminisced about his mother.
“I mean, Viola is somebody that I really look up to. I think she’s at the absolute top of the best actors in the world. And she knew I felt that way because I had a little part with her in Suicide Squad. I remember telling her then, ‘Hey, you know, I think you’re a genius, and I’d love to do something with you.’”
This requirement formed the emotional thesis statement in ‘Air’ and altered the storytelling direction to focus on belief, intuition, and the might of a mother’s determination in contrast to the focus on branding. This move proved to be very astute, as it resulted in Davis receiving universal acclaim and the movie being nominated for consideration. The All The Smoke appearance is also a victory lap of sorts for Affleck in 2026. His latest Netflix film, The Rip, in which he stars alongside Matt Damon, is currently the most-viewed film on the platform.
Through Artists Equity, Affleck and Damon have continued to live up to the ideals that came together in Air, having just persuaded Netflix to include performance bonuses for the crew working on The Rip. At the end of the day, it is Affleck’s willingness to listen to the concerns of Michael Jordan in 2023 that has translated into more than one film. By keeping Air focused on the “genius” of Viola Davis and the power of Deloris Jordan, he proves that in an industry that is driven by data and dollars, the greatest motivator is still a mother’s love in believing in her child.
