Zack Snyder steps down from Justice League after tragedy

Director Zack Snyder has backed away from DC’s Justice League as it enters its final stages of post-production to spend time with family. His wife, Deborah, a producer on the film, has also pulled out of the project.

Tragedy struck the Snyder family in March when their daughter, 20-year-old Autumn, took her own life. The film took a two-week-long hiatus for the Snyders to mourn, but the director told The Hollywood Reporter that he initially wanted to keep working.

“In my mind, I thought it was a cathartic thing to go back to work, to just bury myself and see if that was the way through it,” he said.

But when work eventually meant travelling to England to film new scenes, Snyder decided it was time to stay home.

At first, Warner Bros. considered pushing the film’s release back, but the Snyders decided it was best to keep the film moving.

Tragedy struck the Snyder family in March when their daughter, 20-year-old Autumn, took her own life

Joss Whedon, who was in the process of writing new scenes, has been called on to complete the film. Warner Bros. assures that he will have to follow Zack Snyder’s directorial vision, with which the majority of the film has already been crafted.

For now, the studio has pushed back deadlines for Snyder’s upcoming projects, which includes Gotham City Sirens, Aquaman and Suicide Squad 2. 

Snyder told THR that he was prepared for hardcore comic fans to be disappointed by the news, but commentary so far has been largely sympathetic.

Zack Snyder, that man is a real superhero ❤️ Poor guy 😓

— 🦊FreddieFox🦊 (@Wuulffish) May 23, 2017

@ZackSnyder family always come fist pic.twitter.com/RFeCqbBKWF

— Yan Odinson (@yan_odinson) May 23, 2017

I really hope @ZackSnyder family take their time together and fully recover.

— Christiann Ramos ツ ☊ (@IamXtiann) May 23, 2017

Heartbroken to hear about what happened to @ZackSnyder and his family. Nobody should have to go through something like this. My condolences.

— Jammer (@Connor_M5) May 23, 2017

Featured image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr (CC 2.0, resized)