Last month, fans of the DCEU were left stunned when news broke that Zack Snyder was stepping away from Justice League. The director made a formal announcement about his leave to The Hollywood Reporter, explaining that he needed to take time off to be with family following his daughter’s death. Warner Bros. confirmed that Joss Whedon would take up Justice League in his colleague’s absence, and fans have been left just how much influence the Avengers director will have over Justice League‘s post-production.
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Well, when it comes down to it, Whedon will not have room to change foundational parts of the DC blockbuster. According to Warner Bros. president Toby Emmerich, Whedon will not have any invasive directing jobs.
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Emmerich said Whedon’s influence won’t be substantial in terms of content. “The directing is minimal, and it has to adhere to the style and tone and the template that Zack set,” the executive said.
“We’re not introducing any new characters. It’s the same characters in some new scenes. He’s handing the baton to Joss, but the course has really been set by Zack.”
The explanation from Warner Bros. has helped calm fans down as Justice League reportedly begins reshoots in London. Reports have claimed the additional footage will be “extensive,” but Emmerich’s words seem to combat such a suggestion. The reshoots being done are not meant to tax Whedon, and all the additional photography requested was filed for by Snyder prior to his leave.
So, if you were worried that Whedon was the one asking for reshoots, then think again. The director was not brought into to alter the film’s narrative course; He was simply asked to fill in for Snyder’s post-production gig after its scheduling was set in place.
When it comes to Justice League, Whedon’s job will come into play when editing becomes the studio’s focus. The cutting room is where the real movie magic happens, and it will be up to Whedon to create theatrical cuts for Snyder and Warner Bros. to review. Whedon has the skill set to handle such a task thanks to his work in the Marvel Cineamtic Universe, and Snyder believed in his colleague enough to pass on Justice League to him.
Fans may be concerned how the blockbuster’s dual directors will affect its overall cut, but Justice League is Warner Bros. top priority right now. The ensemble flick will determine the future slate of the DCEU, so the studio has no room to flub this film. Dozens of eyes will be put to Justice League before it ever reaches an early screening, and fans should rest assured that Snyder will be one of the first men to vet it.
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In Justice League, fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.
Justice League is directed by Zack Snyder, from a screenplay by Chris Terrio, based on a story by Snyder and Terrio, and stars Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Amy Adams, Willem Dafoe, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen, J. K. Simmons, and Ciarán Hinds.
