Joss Whedon Takes Over ‘Justice League’ Snyder Stepping Away Due To Family Tragedy

It hasn’t been something that’s really been talked about in the news, but Zak Snyder’s daughter committed suicide in March. It was his intention that he would dive headlong into his work this summer as a way to get through everything, but now he’s decided that his energy is better spent caring for his family as they mourn and heal together.

In his stead, Joss Whedon is stepping in to manage re-shoots and and overall care for the franchise while Snyder is absent. Here’s what he told THR:

“In my mind, I thought it was a cathartic thing to go back to work, to just bury myself and see if that was way through it,” says an emotional Snyder in an interview Monday in his office on the Warner Bros. lot with Deborah sitting by his side. “The demands of this job are pretty intense. It is all consuming. And in the last two months I’ve come to the realization …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.”

As has been widely reported, Justice League is deep in post-production and set for re-shoots this summer. It is going to be very interesting to see how the man who helped shape the MCU tinkers with the DCEU while he’s got the keys to the castle.