The Real Reason Wonder Woman's Patty Jenkins Didn't Direct Justice League
The near-mythical Snyder Cut of Warner Bros.' Justice League may be coming to HBO Max, but that hasn't stopped fans from speculating about the other bizarro-world versions of the film that may be lurking out there in the multiverse.
In an interview with French magazine Premiere, Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins revealed that she was offered the opportunity to direct Justice League way back when, and had turned down the invitation. Since the article isn't available to read online (or in English), one enterprising Instagram user took the initiative to bring this information to light (via ComicBook.com). Jenkins has become one of the post popular directors to grace Warner's DC Extended Universe, and with two Wonder Woman films now under her belt, it's reasonable to speculate about the Justice League film that might have been. According to the fan-translated quote, Jenkins opined about the challenges of making a DC movie, and why Wonder Woman was always the better fit for her than Justice League.
"I really like the people who work [at Warner Bros.], but they want full control over their movies," she said. "Furthermore, it shows immediately if a director cannot impose [their] 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 [on] great sets. I really enjoy it."
How can Jenkins tell if a comic book project is going to be satisfying for her to take on? Apparently, it has everything to do with the characters.
The concept for Justice League wasn't a good fit for Jenkins' style of filmmaking
Jenkins readily admits that while she loves comics, she came to the superhero genre through film. That lack of background in the source material certainly impacts the way she approaches directing a film like Wonder Woman.
"There is in me this desire to emulate [...] the movies I saw as a child," Jenkins said. "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."
This preference certainly shines through in the film that Jenkins did decide to direct. Wonder Woman has a comparatively slim cast for a superhero movie, and it largely turns on the charisma of Gal Gadot in the central role. Can we really blame Jenkins for staying true to her passion and passing up the big ensemble movie? Probably not.
So, there's officially no need start a Twitter campaign to #ReleasetheJenkinsCut that might have been. Instead, we should all continue looking forward to Wonder Woman 1984, still due for theatrical release on August 12.