May 23, 2017: Joss Whedon Replaces Zack Snyder on "Justice League" Due to Family Tragedy

by Neil Cole

Zack Snyder has stepped down from "Justice League" due to a family tragedy and handed over directorial duties to Joss Whedon ("The Avengers," "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.").

Following a recent screening at Warner Bros. of a rough cut of the film, Snyder revealed that his 20-year-old daughter, Autumn Snyder, had passed away in March from suicide and that he was stepping away as director to be with his family during this difficult time.

"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," stated Snyder during an emotional interview with The Hollywood Reporter alongside his wife Deborah.

"The demands of this job are pretty intense. It is all-consuming. And in the last two months, I've come to the realization," he added. "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."

Autumn was Snyder's daughter from his prior marriage to Denise Snyder and was a student at Sarah Lawrence college at the time of her death. According to his wife, Deborah, Autumn loved "to write, to write, to write" and had recently completed a sci-fi novel, which they hope to publish one day.

Warner Bros. is in full support of Snyder's decision and has assured fans that the director's vision for "Justice League" is still intact.

"What they are going through is unimaginable, and my heart - our hearts - go out to them," said Warner Bros. Pictures President Toby Emmerich. "We're not introducing any new characters. It's the same characters in some new scenes. He's handing the baton to Joss, but the course has really been set by Zack. I still believe that despite this tragedy, we'll still end up with a great movie."

Snyder had initially planned on staying on to finish post-production work on the film as well as the shooting of a few additional scenes. However, his perspective about movie-making and life in general has greatly changed following Autumn's untimely passing.

"I want the movie to be amazing, and I'm a fan, but that all pales pretty quickly in comparison," he said. "I know the fans are going to be worried about the movie, but there are seven other kids that need me. In the end, it's just a movie - it's a great movie - but it's just a movie.”

The majority of filming on "Justice League" has already been completed and Snyder has been collaborating with Whedon over the past month in order to ensure a smooth transition from one director to another.



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