Zack Snyder has become a divisive figure among DC fans. His work on Man of Steel, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, and (as far as we can tell) Justice League has taken enormous risks with these classic characters, and the results have proven somewhat hit or miss. Now, in the midst of a massive creative overhaul and a devastating personal loss, it appears that Warner Bros. may soon move forward in a way that offers Snyder far less creative input on the DCEU as a whole.
It's no secret that Zack Snyder has distanced himself from the DCEU within the last few months, as his public decision to step down from Justice League following his daughter's suicide grabbed headlines back in May. It's clear that the Snyder family wants to take some time to regroup in the face of a massive personal tragedy, and that reportedly includes Zack and Deborah Snyder taking huge steps back from the DC film slate. Although they may remain involved in future DC films as executive producers or producers, the reports seem to suggest that they may soon become far less central to the development of future DCEU films.
It's important to note that this report from Mashable doesn't state that Warner Bros. has totally gotten rid of Zack or Deborah Snyder due to the quality of their films. The family is dealing with an unthinkable loss at the moment, and in many ways, the writing has been on the wall for their presence in the DCEU ever since their daughter's suicide went public back in May. For them to potentially take a step back and focus on their family (as well as some personal projects) makes plenty of sense.
With Zack Snyder far less involved in future DCEU films, we can likely expect the universe to shift away from his distinctive visual and tonal style. The massive success of Wonder Woman's bright and hopeful atmosphere resonated with audiences following its June debut, and rumors related to the future of the DCEU suggest that Warner Bros. wants to lean more in the direction of Patty Jenkins than Zack Snyder for the foreseeable future.
With that said, it doesn't look like we will see any substantial changes until after the release of Justice League. Although Joss Whedon has stepped in to handle the film's exorbitantly expensive reshoots (which are primarily meant to improve the story and dialogue), Zack Snyder will still receive top billing as the movie's director. Following that, these characters and stories could potentially fall into the similarly capable hands of directors like Matt Reeves, James Wan, Patty Jenkins, and Whedon himself. Snyder got us here, but now it looks like it's time to pass the baton.
Zack Snyder's Justice League will hit theaters later this year on November 17, 2017. Here's what we know about the upcoming project.
