The Age of Heroes Has Yet To Begin…
Joss Whedon-helmed re-shoots aim to fix the “unwatchable”.
Despite the critical and financial success of Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman, the DCEU is still treading water. Earlier this year Zack Snyder left the superhero team-ups director’s chair after a family tragedy. After being named director, Joss Whedon is in the process of completing the massive task at hand.
The man behind The Avengers first came on-set to do some rewrites at the behest and under the direction of Snyder. As the need to take care of his family grew, Snyder would entrust the completion of Justice League to Joss. The gesture for both parties is heartwarming. Joss was already going to work with DC, but to helm yet another epic team-up is an endeavor he’s been vocal about avoiding. However, he agreed and has since taken over as director.
Now, rumors abound as to the size and scope of those re-shoots. Batman-On-Film’s Bill Ramey reports that a source says the initial cut of Justice League was “unwatchable,” leading Joss to give the flick a major overhaul. Obviously, this is just a rumor with very little detail. In fact, the very same rumors have plagued almost every major studio release for years now. From Rogue One to Wonder Woman, critically lauded films have also undergone significant re-shoots. But given the chance, literally any film production would leap at the opportunity to conduct re-shoots. To tweak and fix minor issues that are only noticeable after compiling a first cut of the project. But there’s more to the story. Bounding into Comics has also heard that Joss Whedon has been doing “as much as he can” to ensure that Justice League becomes a good film.
A New Hero Is Born
The purpose of Whedon’s re-shoots have varied from publication to publication. The most recent trailer had plenty of Whedon’s humor from Jason Momoa’s “we’re all going to die” line to Ezra Miller’s trailer/scene-stealing vanishing act. To an extent, the filmmaker is already making the film his own.
But in a recent interview with IGN, Joe Morton who plays Cyborg’s father Dr. Silas Stone, has more. The actor says “adjustments” have been made to the Cyborg character to “lighten” him up. It would seem Victor Stone and the film itself were “too dark.” But one more perspective is being overlooked. Another rumor suggests Whedon is changing the ending of the film. Previously, there was a “cliffhanger” leading directly to the sequel. Now Joss is closing the open-ended conclusion for want of a finite finale.
But rumors are now reflected in Whedon’s own words. In 2013, he spoke with Entertainment Weekly about the relatively inconclusive ending to Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back. Despite its’ reputation Whedon takes major issue with the film, accusing it of “not actually ending.” He goes on to say, “It’s a come back next week. Or in three years. And that gets me.” Suddenly, it seems very plausible that Whedon would change an ending he sees as unfit for any film.
It’s Coming Together Now
There is a missing piece to all of these rumors. Well, the answer is right under our noses. Cyborg is surprisingly difficult for WB. Where once there was a release date now there’s nothing but a possible Flashpoint cameo. What this all means is that Cyborg is the ONLY Justice League member who isn’t busy after this Fall’s Justice League. Yes, we know that Whedon likes closure. But he also has a talent for killing characters.
What if the supposed cliffhanger had to do with Cyborg’s fate, and Whedon’s ending has sealed it? We know there are no long term plans for Cyborg as of this moment; we know Joss is getting a co-directing credit. This is no longer Whedon simply finishing a film for a friend, he’s rightfully making the film into a vision he can agree with. As Cyborg’s power is derived from his interaction with a motherbox he could easily have been the subject of the now-fixed cliffhanger. Somehow Darkseid tampers with a box, or attempts to call Steppenwolf back, but instead gets Victor. Like Han in his carbonite, Cyborg’s fate would be unsure until the film’s follow-up. But in his own words Joss prefers complete, conclusive endings.
If Victor Stone’s death occurs in Justice League, it may have been at the hands of Joss Whedon.