Air: Ben Affleck explains why Michael Jordan doesn’t appear in the movie

Although Ben Affleck’s Air will tell the story of the “game-changing partnership” between Nike and the then-rookie Michael Jordan, the NBA superstar doesn’t actually appear in the movie. While speaking on the Inside Total Film podcast, Ben Affleck explained the choice not to include Michael Jordan as a character.

“Admittedly, we made as much a sort of fable as anything else, because it’s really about a character who never appears in the movie, in Michael Jordan,” Ben Affleck explained. “I felt that he’s just too iconic and recognizable and special, where you immediately would know the whole thing was a lie if I tried to tell you somebody else was Michael Jordan.” Affleck continued: “Fundamentally, what I love about it is that it’s actually about the person that I feel guided him, and serves to represent women like her all over the world, particularly in the United States, who are in that position, and how important they are.“

Although Michael Jordan may not appear directly in Air, his presence is certainly felt through his family, particularly with Viola Davis, who plays Michael’s mother. Deloris Jordan was a fierce advocate for her son, was instrumental in negotiating this unprecedented deal, and was committed to ensuring her son’s legacy. Air also stars Matt Damon as maverick Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro, Ben Affleck as Nike co-founder Phil Knight, and Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan. Additional cast includes Jason Bateman as Rob Strasser, Chris Messina as David Falk, Marlon Wayans as George Raveling, Chris Tucker as Howard White, Matthew Maher as Peter Moore, Gustaf Skarsgård as Horst Dassler, and Julius Tennon as James Jordan.

The film “reveals the unbelievable game-changing partnership between a then-rookie Michael Jordan and Nike’s fledgling basketball division which revolutionized the world of sports and contemporary culture with the Air Jordan brand. This moving story follows the career-defining gamble of an unconventional team with everything on the line, the uncompromising vision of a mother who knows the worth of her son’s immense talent, and the basketball phenom who would become the greatest of all time.” Air premiered at SXSW earlier this month and will hit theaters on April 5th.