Even the most optimistic DC fan would admit that Justice League has issues.
Not as many as Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, but they’re there, from Henry Cavill’s vanishing mustache to Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince’s on-screen chemistry, or lack thereof. Justice League is a “Frankenstein” of a movie “made of the assembled parts favored by rotating executives and directors,” as an insider told The Wrap. (Director Zack Snyder left the project following the death of his daughter. Co-writer Joss Whedon, who’s no stranger to big superhero movies, filmed additional scenes.) It was reportedly rushed to meet its release date for the same reason Batman is a superhero: money.
In October of 2016, Warner Bros. announced plans to merge with AT&T, and the companies began sizing up each other’s assets and liabilities. Moving the date of a tentpole film like Justice League could have projected weakness. A hit would project strength. And Warner Bros. expected a hit.
One executive told The Wrap [Warner Bros. CEO Kevin] Tsujihara and [Warner Bros. Pictures president Toby] Emmerich “wanted to preserve their bonuses they would be paid before the merger,” and were worried that “if they pushed the movie, then their bonuses would have been pushed to the following year and they might not still be at the studio.” Another knowledgeable insider said that at the highest levels of Warner Bros., bonuses are awarded “for making good decisions.” If delaying a film is the right decision, an executive could be rewarded for it.
“I think Warner Bros. biggest misstep,” an executive added, “was not pushing the release of Justice League when Snyder had to step aside.” Instead of giving Whedon more time to connect his vision with Snyder’s, Warner Bros. rushed him into finishing something that wasn’t ready to be completed, at least according to The Wrap‘s report. Snyder will continue to work in the DC Extended Universe, including 2018’s Aquaman, as an executive producer.
(Via The Wrap)