Ever since Zack Snyder stepped down from the post-production of Justice League — and Avengers director Joss Whedon stepped in to replace him during these last, critical months — the film has undergone more scrutiny than even one of the year’s highest profile blockbusters would normally warrant. Concerns over how much is being changed in reshoots, whether it will be able to make its fast-approaching November deadline and how much creative input Whedon actually has over a project that has been notoriously micro-managed by studio-heads and handed off from another director have surged in the popular consciousness.
Warner Bros hasn’t helped the PR situation either. First came them downplaying Justice League‘s impact on the flagging DCEU, even going so far as to quietly cancel the planned “Part 2” that was supposed to come out next year.
They announced their plans to make a Flashpoint movie, which would presumably reboot the entire franchise. They have announced a series of spin-offs, comic adaptations and solo movies that will exist independent of DCEU canon, begging the question what, exactly, would even count toward their mega-franchise. Even their marketing material — down to the trailer they released at Comic Con — looked half-hazardly rushed, forcing many fans to adjust their expectations of what the movie itself will be like when it releases in less than three months.
All of these combine into one undeniable and disheartening truth. For all the money that they have sunk into this particular franchise, Warner Bros has absolutely no faith in it anymore (if they ever had any in the first place). You don’t downplay your capstone film, all but announce that it’s rebooting, then promote a series of side-projects if you believe that your franchise-topping crossover is going to be anywhere near good.
Although the faith of his fans has wavered in recent weeks, Joss Whedon has an immense artistic pedigree that should reassure DC fans of the film’s quality. After all, between Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Dollhouse, Avengers and Cabin in the Woods, he has consistently proven able to handle all manner of traditionally “nerd” material with deft and grace.
But the odds are increasingly not in the filmmaker’s favor. Early cuts of the film were allegedly called “unwatchable,” and some reports suggest that most of the film is being reworked in post-production. The director is still shooting for the film and has a closing window with which he can edit together a workable cut of the film for distribution. And given just how hands-on Warner Bros has proven to be with this franchise, it’s just as likely that the film’s producers will try to weigh in on whatever he does manage to put out.
The question then becomes, between the film’s over-reaching studio and the film’s original director, just how much say in the final cut of Justice League will Joss Whedon have? Will the film ultimately be a product of his proven vision, or is he just the last in a succession of guns for hire trying to salvage something from this titanic mess of a franchise?
It’s hard to say, exactly, but his contributions have evidently convinced the right people that they mean something substantial. Due to the unprecedented scale of the reshoots, Whedon will be getting shared credit with Snyder as the film’s director. Because he reworked the script into the version used in the reshoots, he will also be getting a writing credit.
What this means for the final product remains to be seen, but it is, at least, a promising start to the idea that Whedon can save this film. If anybody can do it, it’s probably him.
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