Still in its early years, the DC Extended Universe has had quite a few ups and downs. Directors have departed, reviews have been critical, all while new projects have been announced. And the latest bit of drama revolves around Justice League director Zack Snyder, who had to step away from his movie so he could focus on some very dire personal issues. Joss Whedon has since stepped in to finish Snyder's film, and now we have more information on how The Avengers and Buffy the Vampire Slayer director got involved.
During a recent Wonder Woman premiere, DCEU producer Charles Roven was asked about Zack Snyder's emergency departure from Justice League's production. It's here where we learned how Joss Whedon took over, with Roven revealing:
He was already working with us on some of the scenes for that additional photography that we're going to be doing shortly. It was fortunate that Zack convinced him, and he agreed to step in and finish the movie -- to help Zack finish his vision. We're excited about that.
Now this makes a great deal of sense. It turns out that Joss Whedon was already working on Justice League, so his transition into the director's chair wasn't completely random. And considering how successful Whedon has been with superhero team up films, he's got the experience to help complete Zack Snyder's vision for the film.
But what's even more interesting is how Zack Snyder personally reached out to Joss Whedon about directing. With Zack Snyder currently dealing with so much tragedy, you'd think he would allow the studio to have those types of talk with Whedon. Alas, Justice League felt important enough to Snyder that he personally approached his fellow director.
Charles Roven's comment, which comes to us from Variety, also reveals that Joss Whedon was originally not too keen on taking this type of role in Justice League. The film will still very much be directed by Zack Snyder, so Whedon's involvement is rather unprecedented. But with Whedon directing a Batgirl movie for the DCEU, his newfound position in Justice League may be the perfect way to dip his toes into DC's waters. This type of flexibility and hard work has the potential to give Whedon newfound power within the DCEU, perhaps allowing him to take a larger role in the shared universe as it continues to grow.
While the DCEU may have released a problematic first few films, it certainly seems like the cinematic universe is getting it together. With Wonder Woman becoming the first DCEU be acclaimed by critics, it may just have the staying power to compete with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and X-Men franchise.
Zack Snyder's Justice League will arrive in theaters on November 17, 2017, complete with Joss Whedon's contributions. In the meantime, check out our 2017 release list and plan your next trip to the movies.
