Ben Affleck is at it again. During a recent press run for their new Netflix thriller The Rip, Affleck couldn't help but take a few hilarious swings at his lifelong best friend, Matt Damon. Specifically, he’s been roasting Damon’s shredded physique for Christopher Nolan’s upcoming epic, The Odyssey. If you’ve been online at all this week, you’ve likely seen the clips. Affleck, with that signature Boston smirk, essentially accused Damon of "flexing his nuts off" the second he saw a paparazzi camera on a beach in Italy.
It’s classic Ben and Matt.
The Viral Photos That Started the Beef
So, here’s the deal. Matt Damon, now 55, looks like he’s been living in a gym for the last year. For his role as Odysseus, he reportedly dropped down to 167 pounds—a weight he hasn’t seen since he was a teenager at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. Photos from the set showed a lean, vascular Damon walking along a rocky shoreline, looking every bit the ancient Greek warrior.
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Affleck, appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on January 15, 2026, wasted zero time poking fun at the images. "It looks like a guy who just stepped into really cold water, right?" Affleck joked, mimicking a tensed-up posture. He basically implied that Matt saw the long lenses and immediately started posing.
Honestly, it’s the kind of ribbing only a friend of 40 years can get away with. Damon’s defense was even better. He told Fallon that the shells on the beach were "really jagged" and he was just trying to walk without cutting his feet. "There's no scene where Odysseus is like, ‘Oh, my feet!’" Damon quipped.
Why the Transformation is Actually a Big Deal
Jokes aside, Damon’s fitness journey for The Odyssey was brutal. He sat down with Jason and Travis Kelce on the New Heights podcast earlier this month and got surprisingly real about the process. He stopped eating gluten entirely—a move suggested by his doctor—and cut over 30 pounds from his usual walking weight.
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He told the Kelce brothers that at 55, you can't just "wing it" anymore. He treated the prep like an NFL training camp. He was doing 100 pull-ups a few times a week and organized his entire life around the gym. Affleck, despite the jokes, admitted he was impressed. "He does look pretty good," Ben told Access at a separate event. "As you get on in life, it's less and less easy to do this... he is getting it done."
More Than Just Muscles: The Rip and Artists Equity
While the internet is busy debating who has better abs, the duo is actually busy trying to upend the entire Hollywood business model. Their latest collaboration, The Rip, just premiered on Netflix (January 16, 2026), and it’s not your average cop movie.
Directed by Joe Carnahan, the film stars Affleck and Damon as Miami police officers who stumble upon $20 million in a stash house. It’s gritty, it’s loud, and according to early reviews, it features a lot of the two of them screaming creative insults at each other. But the real story is behind the scenes.
Produced through their company, Artists Equity, the film is part of a landmark deal with Netflix. Usually, streaming giants pay a flat fee and that’s it. For The Rip, Affleck and Damon negotiated a "performance bonus" for the entire crew. If the movie hits certain viewership numbers, all 1,200 people who worked on it—from the grips to the PAs—get a one-time bonus.
"Everybody is vital to it," Affleck told Variety at the New York premiere. He’s pushing for a "middle-class wage" in an industry that has become increasingly top-heavy. It’s a bold move, and it’s why these two remain the most interesting power players in the business.
The "Dad Shoes" Scandal
Because no Ben Affleck news cycle is complete without some kind of footwear controversy, the internet also noticed Ben has seemingly swapped his flashy sneaker collection for "orthopedic" looking shoes.
During the same Fallon interview where he roasted Matt’s abs, the host asked him if he’d officially given up on sneakers. "I'm working through this," Ben joked, looking down at his comfortable footwear. "I'm good, GQ!"
It’s a funny contrast. You have Matt Damon getting into the best shape of his life for a blockbuster, and Ben Affleck leaning into the "comfortable shoes and leather jacket" phase of his 50s.
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What You Can Learn From Their Longevity
There is actually some practical wisdom to take away from the "Ben and Matt" 2026 era:
- Consistency over Intensity: Damon didn't get ripped overnight; he spent months building a routine that felt like "a season" of a pro sport.
- The Power of Partnership: They avoided working together for decades to "individuate," but realized later that their best work (and most fun) happens when they’re a team.
- Adaptability: Whether it’s going gluten-free at 55 or changing how crews get paid, they aren't stuck in the 1990s.
What’s Next for the Duo?
If you want to keep up with the "Boston Boys," here is what's on the immediate horizon. The Rip is currently streaming on Netflix, and it's a must-watch if you miss the mid-budget, character-driven thrillers of the early 2000s.
Meanwhile, The Odyssey is slated for a July 2026 release. Expect the "muscle" discourse to ramp up even more when the first trailer drops. Ben will likely be there, standing in the background in his orthopedic shoes, making sure Matt doesn't take himself too seriously.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check out The Rip on Netflix to see their on-screen chemistry in action—it's their 18th collaboration.
- Watch the New Heights podcast episode with Matt Damon if you're interested in the specifics of his gluten-free, 100-pull-up routine.
- Keep an eye on Artists Equity. Their "crew bonus" model could change how you see "success" in the streaming era.