Immediately after news broke that Ben Affleck would play Batman in the upcoming Man of Steel sequel, fans began wondering (half in jest) whether Matt Damon would partner with his long-time friend as Robin. Damon squashed that rumor during a recent interview, but he did see the humor in the idea.

“I’m a little older than Ben. I never saw Robin as older than Batman,” the actor told the Times of India. “Somebody sent me a picture actually [of me as Robin]. It was really funny. But it’s safe to say I won’t be Robin.”

Damon believes that Affleck will be a great Batman, despite fans’ less-than-positive reaction to the news. “I know there are a lot of people grousing on the Internet. . . You know, he’s not playing King Lear—it’s Batman! Certainly within his skill set,” said Damon, who also pointed out that Batman’s alter-ego, Bruce Wayne, presents a greater challenge character-wise. “If anyone saw Argo or The Town and all the work he’s been doing lately, it’s way more nuanced and interesting than Batman.”

Damon may not have time for Robin anyway. He is linked to Chris Nolan’s forthcoming sci-fi movie Interstellar, and according to reports, he is in talks to make his directorial debut with A Foreigner. The conspiracy thriller, based on a true story about a murder in Guatemala, is being written by Chris Terrio, who did the screenplay for Argo.