Director Zack Snyder, the man primarily responsible for the DC Cinematic Universe thus far, is stepping down from his duties as director of the upcoming Justice League as a result of the recent suicide of his twenty year old daughter, Autumn in March. Snyder’s wife Deborah, a producer on the film, will step away as well. In an emotional interview on the Warner Bros. lot, Snyder, with Deborah beside him, had this to say:
“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. 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. Here’s the thing, I never planned to make this public. 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 a break, I knew there would be narratives created on the internet. They’ll do what they do. The truth is … I’m past caring about that kind of thing now.”
Warner Bros. Pictures president Toby Emmerich is fully behind the decision:
“What they are going through is unimaginable, and my heart — our hearts — go out to them.”
Joss Whedon, who has been attached to direct the upcoming Batgirl film for Warner Bros, is stepping in to handle pick up shots and post production for Snyder. The film is still scheduled be meet its release date of November 17, 2017.