Whedon will write and shoot additional scenes for the film in Snyder’s absence.
Zack Snyder, director of Man of Steel and Batman v Superman, is currently not working on his upcoming film Justice League, due to a personal loss.
The Hollywood Reporter details that Snyder’s daughter Autumn Snyder died by suicide at age 20 this past March.
Snyder, and his wife Deborah, who is producing Justice League, are taking a break from production of the film to be with their family.
“In my mind, I thought it was a cathartic thing to go back to work, to just bury myself and see if that was the way through it,” says Snyder. “The demands of this job are pretty intense. It is all-consuming. And in the last two months, I’ve come to the realization … I’ve decided to take a step back from the movie to be with my family, be with my kids, who really need me. They are all having a hard time. I’m having a hard time.”
Warner Bros. is in full support of Snyder and his leave of absence, and apparently, they already have someone on board to finish production of the film, which is still set for release on November 17.
Joss Whedon will helm postproduction of Justice League, which includes writing and filming additional scenes. Whedon is best known for his work on Firefly, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the Avengers films, and we can’t think of anyone better to help out.
“I want the movie to be amazing, and I’m a fan, but that all pales pretty quickly in comparison. I know the fans are going to be worried about the movie, but there are seven other kids [Snyder’s other children] that need me. In the end, it’s just a movie. It’s a great movie. But it’s just a movie.”
As explored in Snyder’s films, heroism is not defined by one’s powers, but rather by one’s humanity. It is not super strength or the ability to fly, it is the ability to empathize and care for others. It’s stepping away from work to be with your family. Perhaps now we too can embody the core tenants of heroism by showing sympathy and support for Zack during this very difficult time.
Our thoughts are with the Snyder family.
