‘Justice League’: Joss Whedon Wrote Opening Batman Scene

The debate among fans regarding which scenes of Justice League were shot by Zack Snyder and which scenes were shot by Joss Whedon is destined to be one that will remain prominent in fan circles for years to come. But thankfully, there is confirmation for at least one of the scenes in the film.

In the film’s opening scene, we see Batman (Ben Affleck) on top of a rooftop in Gotham City as he stops a burglar (Holt McCallany) and also defeats a Parademon. As it turns out, this opening scene was part of Whedon’s reshoots.

Holt McCallany was interviewed by Men’s Fitness and was asked about his scene in the film as well as working with Whedon on the project:

“I love Joss Whedon. My scene with Batman was originally conceived as a comedic scene. That’s how Joss wrote it, and that’s how we shot it. I thought it came out great, but the studio felt it would be a mistake to open the film with a completely comedic scene, so it was re-edited a little bit. I was disappointed, but when I got home to New York I found a bottle of my favorite Champagne and a note from Joss that said ‘To Battles Lost. Gratefully, Joss.’ I can’t tell you how much it meant to me that he took the time to write to me. Joss Whedon is a class act. I had the letter framed.”

It has been discussed extensively, but Justice League has a significantly lighter tone in comparison to Snyder’s previous two entries in the DC Extended Universe. Much of this is due to the polarized reception of both films.

Snyder reportedly already took a more lighthearted approach with Justice League before his departure in May due to a family tragedy. Since then, Whedon was in charge of the film’s reshoots and post-production.

Here is the synopsis for Justice League: 

“Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.”

Directed by Zack Snyder, Justice League stars Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen, J.K. Simmons, Ciarán Hinds, Amber Heard, Joe Morton and Billy Crudup.

Justice League is in theaters now.

Source: Men’s Fitness