'Wonder Woman' Director Patty Jenkins Reveals Why She Turned Down A 'Justice League' Movie
When Wonder Woman hit theaters in 2017, it became a smash success, earning critical raves and making director Patty Jenkins the most successful female director working in Hollywood today. Jenkins' light touch and the film's sincere tone marked a turning point for Warner Bros.' DC films to brighter fare. So it's no wonder that the studio would offer Jenkins a chance to helm one of their biggest superhero properties. Jenkins revealed that Warner Bros. had offered her a Justice League movie, but she ultimately turned it down. However, it's not clear whether the Justice League project she was offered would have replaced or been a sequel to Zack Snyder's 2017 film, which was in the works at the same time as Jenkins' Wonder Woman.
In an interview with the French magazine Premiere (via Comic Book), Jenkins revealed that Warner Bros. gave her an offer to direct a Justice League movie. But the filmmaker turned it down, as she was not interested in directing a superhero team-up movie. Jenkins said:
"I love comics, but I've come to superheroes through films. There is in me this desire to emulate compared to the movies I saw as a child. A certain spirit that reigned in those times. Is that relevant when I shoot? I don't know. The point is, unlike other directors, I don't really care about shared universes, continuity, and that kind of detail. I've been contacted to make a Justice League movie in the past, and it doesn't connect to me. Too many characters."
It's unclear whether this Justice League movie would have been a direct sequel to Snyder's 2017 film, or whether she would have taken over directing instead of Joss Whedon, after Snyder had to depart from the project due to personal tragedy. Or it might have been an entirely new Justice League project entirely, like Guillermo del Toro's dead Justice League Dark.
From what Jenkins describes of having to juggle "shared universes, continuity, and that kind of detail," it sounds like it might've been a main saga Justice League movie and not a standalone film like Joker. But as nice as it would be for Jenkins to put her lighthearted touch on a Justice League movie, this is likely all for the better, as the director will give us the upcoming Wonder Woman 1984 and at least one more solo adventure for the Themysciran princess.
Jenkins seems to value having full control over her films, which explains her exit from Marvel's Thor: The Dark World, which she also addressed in the interview. "It shows immediately if a director cannot impose his/her vision. When this is the case, I get the impression that these people are doing a different job than me," Jenkins said. "But with Wonder Woman 1984, I think I did exactly what I wanted. And then, everything a superhero movie needs comes naturally to me: I love shooting great action scenes versus great sets. I really enjoy it."
Wonder Woman 1984 is set to hit theaters on August 14, 2020.