Which actor stars as the lead in David Fincher's Gone Girl?

Ben Affleck stars as the lead in David Fincher's Gone Girl. In the 2014 psychological thriller, Affleck plays Nick Dunne, a Missouri writing teacher who becomes the prime suspect when his wife Amy disappears on their fifth wedding anniversary.

The film adapts Gillian Flynn's 2012 novel, with Flynn writing the screenplay herself. Rosamund Pike plays Amy, and the story deliberately shifts perspectives through police evidence, media coverage, diary entries, and revelations about the couple's marriage. Affleck's performance is especially important because Nick's public image becomes part of the mystery: his awkward behavior is interpreted by television commentators and the public as evidence of guilt.

The other options are actors associated with Fincher films or major thrillers, but they do not lead Gone Girl. Leonardo DiCaprio was never the film's star, Jake Gyllenhaal led Fincher's Zodiac, and Brad Pitt appeared in Fincher's Se7en and Fight Club. Pike's performance as Amy also earned an Academy Award nomination, making her a co-lead rather than changing the answer to the question about the film's male lead.