Ben Affleck: Justice League has Zack Snyder's DNA in it

6 November 2017

Ben Affleck says 'Justice League' still contains Zack Snyder's "DNA".

Ben Affleck

Filmmaker Snyder, 51, was responsible for kick-starting the DC Extended Universe movie with 2013's 'Man of Steel' and he also directed 2016's 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' and was helming the upcoming superhero ensemble movie before he departed the project during the post-production phase in May just a few months after the death of his daughter, Autumn.

'Avengers' director-and-writer Joss Whedon then took over production and undertook some re-shoots for the final version.

Although Whedon, 53, finished off the DCEU film, Batman actor Affleck, 45, insists Snyder's style and ideas run throughout the story.

Speaking to Den of Geek, Affleck said: "The movie is Zack's DNA.

"He cast the movie, he designed the movie. There's something that people, I think, who don't work on movies don't actually understand, which is how much of the work is done in prep.

"You know the casting; the sets get built; the story is written; the ship is in essence sailing. I found as a director you can maybe change 10 per cent, 15 per cent or something on the day.

"So Zack's ship set sail for us, and we were fortunate that, when Zack was not able to continue, we got really lucky that we got a guy (Whedon) who was very accomplished in his own right, and particularly in this genre.

"He kind of sprinkled on some of his fairy dust on our movie and finished it."

Snyder admits it was hard to relinquish control on the film but it was the right thing to do for him and his family, which includes his wife Deborah and his seven children from different relationships, in the wake of Autumn tragically taking her own life.

Once Whedon had taken over post-production duties Snyder admits he was content to leave him and his team to it and is as excited as the DC fans to see the final version.

'The Watchmen' director said: "It would be unfair in a lot of ways for me to get involved in the film now. I'm at a place where I feel excited about it and I'm happy for my guys and I love these people that are working on it, and they're my family and I think they're doing an amazing job. But I've kind of just them do their thing."

Affleck as The Caped Crusader will be united with Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Ezra Miller as The Flash and Ray Fisher as Cyborg in 'Justice League' which hits cinemas later in November.