For weeks now, there have been rumors kicking around that Warner Bros. was being much more hands-on with Zack Snyder on “Justice League” than they had been with him on “Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice.” While publicly the studio has said they are happy with the results of that superhero throwdown, there’s no denying it took a critical beating, and it’s been said that internally, WB has since had concerns about Snyder’s vision for their DC universe overall. So in that context, this next move makes a lot of sense.
Ben Affleck, who is already starring in the currently filming “Justice League,” has been named as one of the executive producers as well. This means he will be joining Zack Snyder and screenwriter Chris Terrio in guiding the creative side of the movie.
READ MORE: ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice’ And The Battle Between Critics And Fans
It’s a smart play by Warner Bros. One the one hand, it gets another voice in the “Justice League” mix, one that is hopefully much more measured and thoughtful, to balance Snyder’s more macho, maximalist tendencies. And it also enables the studio to keep one of their marquee filmmakers happy. Affleck — alongside directors like Christopher Nolan and Clint Eastwood — is one of the studio’s most valued creatives, both as a star and filmmaker. And giving him a bigger say in this massive franchise makes Affleck an even important presence on the studio lot.
However, it’ll be interesting to see if Snyder, Affleck and Terrio can all get on the same page. It can’t be easy for Snyder, who has built his vision for the DC Films universe, now have another very strong creative voice looking over his shoulder. However, Affleck must like being able to guide his character’s destiny a bit more, particularly with the solo Batman movie he’s directing on the horizon.
Let’s hope everybody can play nice. “Justice League Part One” opens on November 17, 2017. [Deadline]