Patty Jenkins, the director of Wonder Woman and its upcoming sequel Wonder Woman 1984, says she turned down directing Justice League.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League will, at last, be making its way into the wild thanks to a passionate fan campaign. However, Snyder wasn’t always the choice for directing the film.
Wonder Woman director, Patty Jenkins, told magazine Premiere (via Heroic Hollywood) that she turned down the film due to the fact that she didn’t want to direct such a large ensemble. It just wasn’t something that interested in her.
Jenkins said that when it comes to shared universes, she really isn’t interested: “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.”
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She also commented on the lack of control some directors have on film’s like Justice League: “I really like the people who work there, but they want full control over their movies. The director is under control. Yes, it can happen. Furthermore, 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. 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.”
Luckily for Jenkins, it seems that DC films are moving away from the shared universe concept a little more these days and focusing on more contained stories. Hopefully, WB continues to let directors like Jenkins retain control and operate in the way in which she is comfortable going forward.
Wonder Woman 1984 reunites Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins with stars Gal Gadot (Diana Prince), Chris Pine (Steve Trevor), Ewen Bremner (Charlie), Said Taghmaoui (Sameer), Connie Nielsen (Queen Hippolyta), Robin Wright (General Antiope), Lisa Loven Kongsli (Menalippe), Doutzen Kroes (Venelia) and new additions Kristen Wiig (Ghostbusters) as Barbara Ann Minerva/Cheetah, Pedro Pascal (Game of Thrones) as Maxwell Lord, and Natasha Rothwell (Love, Simon), Ravi Patel (Master of None, Grandfathered) and Gabriella Wilde (Doctor Who, Poldark) in as-yet-unrevealed roles.
