"Justic League" filmmaker Zach Snyder is reflecting on having the movie taken over by Josh Whedon following the death of his daughter. The Zach Snyder Shares Honest Thoughts On Josh Whedon Taking Over ‘Justice League’ first appeared on The Blast

Zach Snyder directed 2017’s “Justice League” but left the production early following the tragic death of his daughter. The studio then brought in Josh Whedon to oversee post-production, which led to tons of changes. Now, years later, he’s opening up about the ordeal amid promoting his new movie, “The Last Photograph,” at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Zach Snyder Recalls Learning About ‘Justice League’ Reshoots

Snyder spoke to Variety in September 2026 following the premiere of “The Last Photograph” at TIFF. During the conversation, which included his reaction to negative reviews of the new film, Snyder was also asked about not only losing his daughter but also having his movie taken away from him, which led him to essentially take his name out of the running to help future DC films.

Specifically, when asked about “having the DC universe taken away,” the director said, “The circumstances around it were so particular. It just kind of crawled over me. What was happening with me and my family was so intense.”

He then discussed learning about the extensive reshoots done for the movie. According to him, “It was so loud — that part was so loud — that, in retrospect, asking, ‘How’s the movie going?’ And they go, ‘Oh, it’s fine! They’re doing some reshoots.'” 

After that, Snyder stated that his wife, Deborah Snyder, went to see the movie after Whedon’s changes. The director added, “And I go, “Oh, OK. F-ck it.” So, Debbie went and watched the Joss [Whedon] version of the movie, and to have her come back to me and say, “You can never see that movie,” and to realize then that it was 60 pages of rewrites that they did for it.”

Zach Snyder Has Never Seen Josh Whedon’s ‘Justice League’

Snyder continued his Variety interview by saying that he wasn’t sure if there were actually 60 pages of rewrites for “Justice League.” He said, “I’ve never seen the movie, so I don’t know.”

After that, the interviewer asked him to confirm he’d never seen the movie. Snyder responded, “I’ve never seen it. There was a point when the movie was released that was a low point for me because the pile-on effect was so insane.”

He continued, “Not only did I lose my daughter, but also they’ve released this version of the movie that I had nothing to do with, and my name is on a movie that I didn’t make.”

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The ‘Justice League’ Director Says A Warner Bros. Executive Told Him He Was Right

“Justice League” was released in November 2017 and debuted to abysmal reviews. Currently, the film holds a 39% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. In a Variety interview, he also said he heard from a Warner Bros. executive after the movie was released who praised his vision for it.

According to him, “But there was this catharsis of, I met with this executive at Warner Bros. who’s long gone since — I won’t say who it was — and he said to me, ‘You know, Zack, I’ve got to tell you one thing: You were right about everything.’ And I was like, ‘That’s kind of you.'”

Snyder added, “And he goes, “We were fighting you, and in the end you were right.” Snyder was then asked what the studio had fought him over. He responded, “The whole vision for the DC universe and the way I made movies and everything. They did this attempt to control it — and I’m just talking about the regime that was there that’s no longer there.”

Still, he can understand Warner Bros./ DC Studios wanting to “protect” the intellectual property.

He Reflected On ‘Zach Snyder’s Justice League’ In 2021

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DC Studios released “Zach Snyder’s Justice League” on HBO Max in March 2021 after massive fan outcry. While discussing the movie with Esquire, he was asked how it felt to finally have his vision for the movie see the light of day.

Snyder responded, “It’s very cathartic. It’s like this incredible relief, to be honest.” After that, he stated that the movie was dedicated to his late daughter before adding, “and the thing I was most stressed out about was, frankly, that the movie wasn’t good enough.”

He continued, “That gave me the most anxiety. But then as we finished it, I felt better about it. She was a bit of a dork, so I thought she would have really liked the movie. Regardless of whether people liked it or not, I took solace in the fact that she would have liked it. It is nice that the fans seem to really love it. That’s good news.”

Snyder’s New Movie Isn’t Receiving Good Reviews

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Snyder’s newest film “The Last Photograph” premiered on September 13 at the Toronto International Film Festival. So far, the action thriller hasn’t had the best reception, with an 18% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The filmmaker reacted to the poor reaction in his Variety interview, with the reporter noting that much of the hate came from the depiction of excessive violence toward women. He responded, “I mean, I don’t know. First of all, I would argue that the violence toward women and men is equal and that nobody is spared — men, women, children, everybody.”

He also blamed the reception on “preexisting opinions” about him and his movies.

The Zach Snyder Shares Honest Thoughts On Josh Whedon Taking Over ‘Justice League’ first appeared on The Blast