Here’s another doozy, “Justice League” Cinematographer, and Zack Snyder-loyalist, Fabian Wagner says he actually cried whilst watching Joss Whedon’s released cut of the movie. Just to confirm, these were not happy tears.
Wagner did not hold back when asked by Comic Book Debate about “Justice League” and Joss Whedon. If you remember, Snyder left during the movie’s post-production phase to deal with a family tragedy. Whedon ended up getting hired by the WB and oversaw all reshoots, but he also reshaped Snyder’s original cut, even adding bits of Marvel-esque humor to the film, which displeased many DCEU fans.
Wagner, tongue in cheek, told CBD that he had “unfortunately.” seen Whedon’s cut, adding, “It’s really hard to say because I was watching it and I think I was crying all the way through,” Wagner said. “So it’s hard for me to say exactly how much was changed, but a lot was changed. It looked very different, and it’s sad for me because I loved working with Zack. I had the best time of my life.”
Wagner continued, “There were many other things on that movie that made it so good apart from the fact that I was working with Zack and the whole gang. I met my wife on that job. There [were] a lot of other things. It was just a great shoot, and so it was a shame to see the film the way it turned out to be.”
Whedon‘s extensive reshoots on “Justice League” no doubt clashed with Snyder‘s original vision. Among the changes, Jesse Eisenberg‘s return as Lex Luthor was reportedly axed, and Gal Gadot‘s Wonder Woman is said to have received more scenes and screentime. It’s not just the characters, the overall mood was rumored to get a lighter makeover with Whedon deviating away from Snyder’s darker palettes for a more colorful tone. “Justice League,” in short, was the mix of two visions and you could see that while watching the film. Sure there’s Zack Snyder’s use of ultra slow-mo, the dark interiors and exteriors he so loves to use, and his penchant for the camera zooming in and out of action sequences, but Whedon crashed the party by pulling back on some of that, so much so that as you’re watching the movie you can tell exactly who shot what. The work of these two titan directors that couldn’t be more different, resulted in the “Justice League” that we got.
Meanwhile, fans have been rallying behind an online petition demanding Zack Snyder’s original director’s cut. The film’s cinematographer has also added his voice to the mix, hoping to see Snyder’s fully realized film. The petition creator is now claiming "victory." Of course, take this with a grain of salt. This is super cryptic and the commenters on the petition are calling him on being vague. Could be he’s claiming victory because they hit 162 K signatures. Could be he’s heard something. Who knows. But it's no secret that a Zack Snyder director's cut being released has become a no-brainer decision for the WB to please its DCEU fans.
Meanwhile, don’t expect another “Justice League” for quite a while. With DC is trying to shift the tone of their universe, it looks like Henry Cavill's days as the "Man of Steel" are done. Fans seem to be OK with having Supergirl's Tyler Hoechlin step into the role and many think he's the favorite to do so.
While James L. Brooks teased last year that "we'll soon be seeing" Jack Nicholson, 89, act again, and that he was "reading scripts," that idea has now been shut down by his close friend Michael Douglas, 82.