Many will remember the many controversies surrounding 2017’s Justice League, most namely Zack Snyder being forced off of the project and Joss Whedon taking over in the director’s chair. Whedon and Warner Bros. vastly altered scripts, aesthetic, and ultimately destroyed Snyder’s vision for the film. Ben Affleck was recently a guest on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, where he went into detail on why he viewed the film as a “low point” in his career.
The truth is, the experience of Justice League for me was so, so negative for lots of different reasons… Some of which having to do with where I was personally, some of which having to do with the tragedy that happened during the time, and also the fact that I really saw how not to make a movie like that when the studio is at odds with the filmmaker. You’re really making a mistake. That was what really doomed that.
Affleck made his debut as the caped crusader in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but the film was met with widespread criticism. This sent Warner Bros. into a panic that saw them push for a lighter tone that better mimicked the success at Marvel studios, and following the tragic passing of Snyder’s daughter, Warner Bros. sent in Whedon to do just that. The film underwent extensive reshoots, making Snyder’s original vision incomprehensible, and almost completely destroying any credibility DC maintained in the film space.
In the interview, Affleck discussed how the film was falling apart in front of the talent after Snyder had to leave, also pointing to the negativity and hate Ray Fisher and Gal Gadot were subjected to. Ultimately Zack Snyder was able to finish what he started, with Zack Snyder’s Justice League releasing on HBO Max in 2021.
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