Joss Whedon continues to joke about the massive reshoots he oversaw for Justice League. Following a less than stellar response to Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Warner Bros. and DC Films began to rethink the future of the DC Extended Universe. Zack Snyder's take on the DC characters divided audiences and made the studio wary that his dark and layered approach to the films was the right path. Changes were already being made to Justice League to lighten the tone and condense the sprawling story Snyder imagined, but the movie saw several more changes come after Snyder left the project due to the death of his daughter.
With Snyder stepping away, WB brought The Avengers director Joss Whedon onboard to take over post-production on Justice League. Whedon had previously been hired to write new scenes for reshoots, but his increased involvement saw him completely oversee the reshoots. The size of the reshoots were a major topic of conversation, and they were happening only a few months before the film's release date. WB executives refused to delay Justice League to give it proper time in post-production, though, so they could receive their end of the year bonuses.
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Whedon is now ready to joke about the rushed nature of these reshoots. In response to a photo of John Wick's dog being dusted from Thanos' snap in Avengers: Infinity War, Whedon took to Twitter to joke that it isn't too late for this to be reshot and added to Avengers: Endgame or John Wick: Chapter 3. On the surface, this is just him supporting the wild alternate universe this photo creates, but can also be read as a commentary on Justice League's own reshoots.
Even though the timetable issue is completely on WB, Whedon received plenty of blame from fans for how Justice League turned out. One quick look through the replies to this tweet will confirm this, as several fans responded to mention his work on DC's superhero team up film. While it is easy to point the finger at Whedon since he oversaw the reshoots, all signs point to him just doing what WB wanted from Justice League to begin with.
The reshoots of Justice League may not have resulted in the movie that fans, critics, or the studios were hoping for, but it has signaled a change for the future of the DC Extended Universe that appears to be bright. Instead of trying to copy Marvel Studios' formula for creating a tightly woven and intricately connected shared universe, WB and DC Films are opening up the world to give directors more freedom, both with the stories they tell and the tones. James Wan delivered an underwater epic in Aquaman, David F. Sandberg appears to have succeeded with his lighthearted approach to Shazam!, Matt Reeves may go to the 90s for The Batman, James Gunn is helping reboot Suicide Squad, and Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman 1984 is freed of almost any connectivity. It may be disappointing that Justice League had to struggle to get to this place, but at least the future is bright and could help make an eventual Justice League 2 worth the wait.
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Source: Joss Whedon
