One of the most shocking developments in the production of Justice League was director Zack Snyder having to abandon the picture due to family tragedy, with Joss Whedon stepping in to bring the film to completion. This decision might have made fans worry about a seamless creative transition, but the cast recently shared how the two directors’ skills complement each other for the film.
Videos by ComicBook.com
“It’d be hard for me to encapsulate Zack Snyder’s style in a pithy way, or Joss’s,” Ben Affleck told SFX Magazine. “They both have a strong intuitive sense of how a scene should play, and they’ve thought about it well ahead of time. I don’t get the sense that either of them had specific styles that sort of superseded the way they wanted to tell the story.”
One of the biggest talking points when comparing films in the DC Extended Universe vs. the Marvel Cinematic Universe if that of directorial style, with Snyder taking a tonally and stylistically darker approach, whereas Marvel and Joss’s Avengers films being more lighthearted.
“I think that they were focused on the characters and the story and they allowed that to dictate style,” Affleck noted. “Naturally, they both have strong senses of style [and are] slightly different. But, nonetheless, both make for compelling movies.”
Much like the change in creative leadership can worry audiences, the cast can also be impacted with the adjustment.
“I think [Joss] was very fair to each and every one of us in terms of knowing that we know the characters best, and he gave us the freedom to be that way,” Gal gadot shared. “At the same time he does bring his own talent and his vision to the movie. It was lovely working with him.”
This isn’t to say that Whedon attempted to mimic Snyder’s work or create one fluid production, but that also doesn’t mean differences in styles are inherently bad.
“Every experience is different when you work with different filmmakers,” Gadot added. “I think, at their core, each and every one of them has the understanding of how to tell a good story. So yeah, of course you feel the difference, but not in a bad way. Just because they’re different people.”
We’ll be able to see for ourselves when Justice League hits theaters on November 17.