Aoracording to reports, the Justice League film is being massively re-shot amid claims that Zack Snyder’s first version of the film was unwatchable and in truth, fans have been expecting the reshoots owing to the fact that Snyder recently decided to leave the project to spend time with his loved ones following the tragic death of his daughter Autumn.
Joss Whedon has since taken over to look at the film’s post production and the director of the highly successful Avengers franchise will helm the reshooting in Snyder’s absence.
It’s unclear what impact Snyder’s departure will have on the Justice league film but with more and more information being released about the film by Warner Bros, it’s now possible to at least speculate on the possible direction the film may take and on the implications for the future of the DC-EU beyond Justice League.
It’s important to note that the large majority of films go through the reshooting process and so this fact in isolation shouldn’t be much of a concern in itself. Suicide Squad went through a number of well-publicised reshoots before the final cut of the film was given the nod following the mixed reception of Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice and even recent box office smash Wonder Woman underwent minimal changes before being the final version was released to the public.
In addition to this, a good number of high profile films such as Rocky, E.T. and Jaws have been heavily re-shot in the past and have gone on to enjoy remarkable success. A source close to the Justice League film is reportedly urging fans to stay positive and that “The reshoots are a normal occurrence when it comes to filming blockbusters…. they don’t mean that Justice League is floundering.” and that “the reshoots will make the flick the best film possible.”
On the surface of it, the film’s future does appear to be in good hands. Joss Whedon is a highly rated and acclaimed director who has enjoyed plenty of success with the Avengers franchise, as well as writing for X-men, Alien: Resurrection and believe it or not, Disney smash hit Toy Story.
Justice League is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated films of the year and after the recent success of Wonder Woman, fans are extremely eager to see a good follow up film from the DC-EU to give the franchise a much needed shot in the arm.
DC have certainly pushed the boat out in trying to market and advertise the film, with a whole range of games and merchandise available to get fans in the mood for the film’s release date (November 17th in case you didn’t know).
Mattel have produced a special edition of 6-inch superhero figures in anticipation of the film’s release, with other various items of interest available including mugs, t-shirts and costumes in case dressing up as one of your favourite superheroes is on your wishlist.
In addition to this, there are rumours of a new next-generation Justice League video game and some of your favourite superheroes have even made it into the world of online casino in the form of an interactive slot game available from Coral, with an Oddschecker bonus available in case Steppenwolf gets the better of you the first few times you face him head on.
‘@justiceleaguewb‘: Our Best Look Yet At #Steppenwolf‘s Monstrous Visage Has Been Revealedhttps://t.co/kEAEr0b7uQ pic.twitter.com/V8GkNKdeMW
— ComicBookMovie.com (@ComicBook_Movie) August 10, 2017
In addition to this, fans have been quite divided on Zack Snyder’s often bleak and doom-laden vision of the iconic superheroes and the first two entries in the DC-EU, Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice could be described at the very least as tonally dark. The disappointing box office figures and polarising reviews for both films suggest that whilst some fans are fine with the direction the DC-EU is going, a significant majority prefer their superheroes with more of a lighthearted flavour, much like Marvel have done so successfully over the last few years.
Producer Deborah Snyder (who is coincidentally Zack Snyder’s significant other) has recently stated that Justice League will feel a little bit lighter than previous efforts owing to the inclusion of characters such as Ezra Miller’s Flash, who will reportedly bring a much needed comedic element into the DC-EU as well as a more optimistic view of the world as a whole.
It remains to be seen whether Joss Whedon has the same vision for the Justice League film but the re-shoots may well lead the film to take an even lighter turn than previously thought due to the director’s involvement in the Marvel franchise.
Interestingly enough, there are rumours that suggest that the reshoots are changing the ending of the filmAfter speaking to reported inside sources at DC, editor in chief of Film/ Peter Sciretta has said that “From what I’ve heard is happening, Joss Whedon has been brought in to make it lighter but he’s also redoing the end of the movie.”
Sciretta went onto explain that the original plot for Justice League largely dealt with the gathering up of the advanced alien technology known as mother boxes by Darkseid’s army, lead by the formidable Steppenwolf, thus setting the scene and putting the pieces in play ready for the film to be left on a cliffhanger before Darkseid allegedly descends on planet Earth in the second part of the franchise.
However, Sciretta has now revealed that Justice League may have eventually been wrapped up into a neat little package with the cliffhanger removed and Darkseid set to appear much later in the franchise than originally first thought. In addition to this, Whedon has also reportedly added a flashback scene which will flesh out Steppenwolf, making him an imposing enough figure to be a villain in his own right as opposed to simply hanging around waiting for Darkseid to descend and destroy everything in sight.
There are various fan theories floating around the internet with regards to exactly how Whedon may change the ending of the film and most self-confessed geeks and avid comic book lovers are salivating at the many different possibilities.
If there’s one thing that Avengers told us about Whedon, it’s that he knows how to deliver the most epic hero shots, with the scene that sees the Avengers assemble outside Grand Central Station lasting long in the memory as one of the most impressive moments in any of the recent superhero franchises.
The prevailing theory is that Whedon will do a similar thing with Justice League and will replace the current cliffhanger ending with a memorable shot of the characters leaping into action against a new threat, which will indicate that the group is ready to reunite whenever they’re needed but at the same won’t impact any of their respective solo outings.
Whatever Joss Whedon decides to do, fans can rest assured that the director has successfully stumbled upon the formula for success in the past with regards to superhero movies – and there’s no reason why Justice League will be any different.
With The Avengers director reportedly getting out of the superhero game, Justice League is likely to be one of his last comic book related multi million dollar blockbusters and this could well add an extra incentive for Whedon to go out in a blaze of glory.
Fans will also have the return of Superman to look forward to in the film, with the caped crusader’s conspicuous absence from the recently released Justice League trailers, it appears that Superman’s involvement in the film will be kept under wraps until the initial release in November.
Ben Affleck, who plays Batman, has remarked that the film “is an interesting product of two directors, both with kind of unique visions” and added that he’s enjoyed working with both Snyder and Whedon and that “if the end product is good enough for The Dark Knight then quite frankly it’s good enough for us”.