Joss Whedon Takes Over 'Justice League' As Zack Snyder Departs For Family Tragedy

The superhero wars, more specifically the constant pitting of Marvel Studios against DC Films, doesn’t seem abate in the social media sphere, as both sides constantly lob fiery tirades about why their team is better than the other. But let’s face it, these are just movies, and while that’s not to diminish the talents involved or the passion of the creatives, the responsibilities and realities of real life are always the number one priority, and today comes a bracing reminder of that fact.

THR reports that director Zack Snyder and his wife and producer Deborah Snyder are taking a break from the post-production process of “Justice League” to spend time with their family in the face of a devastating personal tragedy. The trade reveals that the Snyder’s daughter, Autumn Snyder, committed suicide in March, and while they both attempted to solider on with “Justice League,” they realized they needed to really step back and spend time with their family.

Joss Whedon will be tapped in to help guide post-production in Snyder’s place. The director who will be helming the upcoming “Batgirl” for DC Films also wrote additional scenes for “Justice League,” and will be directing them as well, with lensing to take place in England. But if you think this means a major tonal or creative shift away from what Snyder has been planning, guess again, because Whedon won’t be deviating from Snyder’s playbook.

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“The directing is minimal and it has to adhere to the style and tone and the template that Zack set,” Warner Bros. president Toby Emmerich said. “We’re not introducing any new characters. It’s the same characters in some new scenes. He’s handing a 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.”

Active on social media, Zack Snyder is more than aware of the kind of story that some might try to manipulate out of this terrible event, and it’s why he’s tried to keep things within his inner circle until now.

“Here’s the thing, I never planned to make this public,” he said. “I thought it would just be in the family, a private matter, our private sorrow that we would deal with. When it became obvious that I need to take break, I knew there would be narratives created on the internet. They’ll do what they do. The truth …I’m past caring about that kind of thing now.”

“Justice League” is still expected to be released on November 17th. Our thoughts go out to the Snyders and their family.

If you or someone you know is thinking about or threatening suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. International numbers can be found here.