Despite his very bright future as a talented director, Ben Affleck hasn’t entirely turned his back on the acting game. Heat Vision reports that the actor is now attached to star in the Warner Bros. comedy Nathan Decker. Written by Dan Fogelman (Crazy, Stupid, Love), the story centers on “a politician who is caught in an affair and returns to his hometown to confront his past.” Tom Cruise was previously poised to star in the film, but it appears the politically-inclined Affleck will most likely be taking over the role now. I don’t think Affleck gets enough credit for his acting chops—especially in comedies—and I’m eager to see him tackle this sort of light, fun material.

Affleck’s currently finishing up post-production on his period thriller Argo, which he directed, and is prepping a big-budget adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand for Warner Bros. Given the heavy nature of his directorial projects (and a giant, highly anticipated adaptation looming over his head), it’ll be nice to see Affleck have some fun as an actor in Nathan Decker. No director is attached and no timetable is given, but I assume WB would want to shoot Decker before Affleck goes into what's sure to be a long production on The Stand.