Joss Whedon Takes Over 'Justice League' After Zack Snyder's Family Tragedy

Following the suicide of his 20-year-old daughter Autumn, director Zack Snyder and his wife/producer, Deborah, are pulling away from Justice League to be together with their seven children. Joss Whedon, whose experience making Marvel's first two Avengers led him to an intriguing gig on DC's upcoming Batgirl, will step in to take the reins. The Nov. 17–dated posse movie is already in postproduction, and Warner Bros. Pictures president Toby Emmerich tells The Hollywood Reporter not to expect a drastic new X factor in the equation:

“The directing is minimal and it has to adhere to the style and tone and the template that Zack set. We’re not introducing any new characters. It’s the same characters in some new scenes. He’s handing the baton to Joss, but the course has really been set by Zack. I still believe that despite this tragedy, we’ll still end up with a great movie.”

The death of Autumn, one of Snyder's four children with his first wife, Denise, occurred in March and was intended to remain a private matter. “When it became obvious that I need to take a break, I knew there would be narratives created on the internet," Snyder told THR. "They’ll do what they do. The truth is...I’m past caring about that kind of thing now."