justice league

Ever since Joss Whedon stepped into the director’s chair on ‘Justice League’ following Zack Snyder‘s departure in the wake of a personal tragedy, fans and commentators alike have been speculating about just how much influence Whedon’s involvement would have on the style and tone of the finished film. This natural curiosity was compounded by the less than enthusiastic reception given to Snyder’s grim and gritty ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ last year. After all, whatever one thinks of that film, there’s no denying that it’s about as far cry from Whedon’s more lighthearted and fun approach to ‘The Avengers’ as superhero movies get. Speculation was further amplified by rumors involving not only the reshoots conducted by Whedon but also by rumors of entire subplots being removed in the editing bay.

While we won’t really know just how Whedon’s work on ‘Justice League’ will mesh with Synder’s until the film arrives in theaters next month, we have now gotten an early indication of what to expect from members of the film’s cast. Gal Gadot’s remarks were straight to the point, affirming that ‘Justice League’ has not fundamentally changed  since Whedon took over:

“This is Zack Snyder’s movie. Joss only did a few weeks of reshoots. He was Zack’s guy and knew exactly what he wanted to get… He has a beautiful vision.”

Ben Affleck, who has previously described the movie as “an interesting product of two directors” offered further comments on the matter. Interestingly, Affleck appears to suggest the ‘Justice League’ will represent a combination of Snyder’s tone and Whedon’s storytelling sensibility:

“I didn’t sense that we were moving toward something that felt like ‘The Avengers’. Joss is more than just an ‘Avengers’ director. He’s a good storyteller, full stop. In mid-stream, Joss got on and part of what interested him was the puzzle aspect of it, fitting in pieces that weren’t there yet. He put the rest of the pieces in and gave it his own imprimatur. Joss came in and walked a very fine line between Zack’s sensibility, tone and direction. We found a really fun and inspiring synthesis of their two forms of storytelling. I was so glad everyone showed up to work for Zack.”

Whatever shape the finished film takes, it’s clear from their comments that everyone involved thinks highly of Snyder, with Ezra Miller describing the director as the “ultimate f—ing legend” with Jason Momoa adding “I’d do anything for him.”  With any luck, the cast’s enthusiasm bodes well for the film. Certainly, it would be nice to finally see DC’s cinematic efforts pay off.

Directed by Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon, ‘Justice League’ will serve as the flagship entry in DC’s burgeoning cinematic universe. The film will feature returning stars Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Jeremy Irons, Amy Adams and Jesse Eisenberg alongside a slate of newcomers that includes Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Amber Heard, Ciaran Hinds, and J.K. Simmons. The film will arrive in theaters on November 17, 2017.