Ben Affleck Directing JUSTICE LEAGUE – Zack Snyder Is Out!

The face of pain.

When Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice received a savaging from critics last week, many claimed that director Zack Snyder would be booted off of Justice League, and the DC Universe itself, for good. He’d delivered Warner Bros. a polarizing, divisive comic book movie which split fans, as well as critics, and raised vitriol in the world of film and superheroes – twice. Perhaps even three times, depending on your view of Watchmen. Then the team-up movie made $166m domestically on its opening weekend and $420m globally, and those suggestions were rendered null.

However, something nobody considered regarding this situation was how Zack felt personally. In an interview last week with Yahoo! Movies, when asked about the film’s negative reviews, he sounded – and looked – pretty defeated, simply stating that “it is what it is,” in regards to the reviews.

That’s the sound of a broken man, folks!

Zack’s dedicated his life to DC since 2010, so it’s understandable that, after getting his movies ripped into twice in a row, the guy has had enough. Warner Bros. sent out a statement today confirming that Zack Snyder had decided to walk away from the Justice League director’s chair, and would instead act as a consultant on the wider DC Expanded Universe.

“It’s with a heavy heart that I’m stepping away from these wonderful characters,” said Snyder. “Mapping out the story of a modern Superman and bringing the rest of the Justice League to life has been a dream come true, and I’m incredibly grateful to Warners and the team there for giving me this opportunity.” However, Snyder couldn’t resist just a little joke. “That being said, I’m looking forward to getting some sleep!”

Production was set to begin on April 11, however WB have pushed the start date back to the summer to allow for the new director to get a full handle on the wheel of this grand ship. Who might that be…?

Oh, yeah, we put it in the headline.

Yeah, we know we’re two days late in covering this story. Downing a hot cup of coffee in three seconds and subsequently passing out at the computer wasn’t the best idea.

Regardless, Affleck does seem excited to be getting into the director’s chair for such a big movie (as evidenced by his irritating spacing errors). He’s a good fit, for obvious reasons. His performance as Batman in Batman v Superman was the one thing which everyone seemed to agree worked, and he’s also an award-winning filmmaker. A few years ago, rumour had it that Warner Bros. wanted him to direct Justice League, back when it was planned as a sequel to Man of Steel to be released Summer 2015. Looks like they finally got their wish.

What do you guys think? Are you happy that the DCEU is under new management? Do you think it’ll go in a lighter direction under Affleck or will it continue to be dark ‘n’ gritty? Sound off in the usual place.