After Joss Whedon took over directing duties on Justice League, fans speculated how extensive the reshoots would be and how much they would alter Zack Snyder‘s vision.
But J.K. Simmons revealed that he wasn’t involved in the reshoots and that he hasn’t yet met the new director in an interview with Red Carpet News. Watch the clip above.
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“I think [Whedon]’s really dedicated to finishing the story that Zack was telling,” said Simmons. “That’s my understanding from my vantage point. But I haven’t met Joss.”
It’s interesting that Simmons hasn’t been involved with the production since Whedon took over, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything bad.
Simmons is playing Commissioner Jim Gordon in the film, the longtime ally of Batman on the Gotham City Police Department. He is featured prominently in the trailers where he meets with the League on a rooftop, and is often involved with some of the funnier exchanges between the characters.
People shouldn’t read too deeply into that, however, considering we don’t quite know the extend of the reshoots Whedon undertook.
Conflicting reports have stated that either Whedon is sticking to Snyder’s plan or fundamentally changing the movie and rewriting the ending. He’s altered and added to the script enough that he’s now sharing writing credits with Chris Terrio. And a recent rumor says the latest edit of the film has cut out Jesse Eisenberg’s role as Lex Luthor entirely.
It seems unlikely that the same will happen to Simmons at this point, especially with his character appearing in the trailers. And he does seem to be genuinely excited to appear in the movie.
But hearing the actor’s comments about not being involved in the reshoots and not even meeting the new director doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. Maybe he didn’t have availability in his schedule to reappear or maybe the footage Snyder captured with Simmons was substantial enough.
Justice League is set to premiere in theaters in less than two months. As the promotion for the film starts to gear up, maybe we’ll get to see Simmons and Whedon finally meet. Who knows, it may even happen on the red carpet at a premiere.
Justice League premieres November 17.
