Justice League contained several thrilling moments for comic fans, one of which was the film's opening scene. Featuring a moment ripped straight out of The New 52, the scene had Batman hunting down a Parademon, which ended up exploding upon capture before the Caped Crusader could interrogate it properly.
In a new interview with Men's Fitness, actor Holt McCallany (Mindhunter) explained that the scene was conceived and filmed by Joss Whedon, who took over directorial duties when Zack Snyder stepped away from the film. McCallany, who plays a criminal hunted by Batman, revealed that the scene was originally supposed to be more comedic, but Warner Bros. didn't want the film opening on a funny note, so the shot was re-edited.
“I love Joss Whedon. My scene with Batman was originally conceived as a comedic scene. That’s how Joss wrote it, and that’s how we shot it. I thought it came out great, but the studio felt it would be a mistake to open the film with a completely comedic scene, so it was re-edited a little bit," he said.
McCallany admitted he was a little disappointed the scene lost its comedic flair, and apparently, so was Whedon. "I was disappointed, but when I got home to New York I found a bottle of my favorite Champagne and a note from Joss that said ‘To Battles Lost. Gratefully, Joss.’ I can’t tell you how much it meant to me that he took the time to write to me. Joss Whedon is a class act. I had the letter framed."
A lot of criticism levelled at Justice League has been aimed at how Whedon's reshoots and rewrites make the film appear uneven. Do you think Warner Bros. made the right call for this scene? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
About The Author:
Matt is a graduate of the Ryerson University School of Journalism, and has been a fan of superheroes since he picked up his first comic book issue as a child. While he works as a professional musician, Matt has a massive passion for comic books, films and heroes, along with participating in discussion and debate with the CBM community.