Zack Snyder will reportedly exit DC universe after Justice League

Zack Snyder is the godfather of the current DC movie universe. He kicked it all off with the Superman reboot known as Man of Steel which laid the groundwork for a cinematic universe that would rival Marvel's. He built off that foundation with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and opened it up to other DC characters and directors with movies like Wonder Woman and Suicide Squad, some of them have been good, some not. Snyder's vision will culminate this year with the ensemble film, Justice League, which will see DC's flagship heroes on screen at the same time, fighting for the greater good.

Snyder had to exit the project during post-production in May due to a family tragedy which led to Avengers director Joss Whedon stepping in at the request of Zack Snyder to help finish up reshoots and post-production. Due to the unexpected nature of this incident, it has left many wondering what road Snyder will follow after the release of Justice League.

Mashable is reporting that various sources with extensive knowledge of the inner workings of Warner Bros. are saying that Snyder will be taking a backseat to the DC universe at the very least – at worst, he will exit altogether. No, this isn't because Warner Bros. is forcing him out or something malicious, Zack and his wife Deborah (who serves as a producer on most of his films) will be taking time to themselves so they can be with their family and plan their next move.

If Snyder decides he wants to stay on board to some capacity, he'll likely remain an executive producer and won't be deeply involved in the creative process for future movies. Geoff Johns, acclaimed comic-book writer and Warner's Chief Creative Officer for the DC film division, has been rooting himself in the film division for the last year or two and it looks like he'll fill the shoes of Snyder as the DC "overseer". Johns will make sure that each film aligns with the vision of the universe and will be deeply involved with creating stories and working with various filmmakers to make iconic comic characters come to life.

Zack Snyder has a very rabid group of fans (which is both good and bad at times) who will likely be hurt by disappointed by this news but it's important to respect the wishes and privacy of the Snyder family during this time. We probably won't hear a public announcement regarding his departure until well after Justice League's release (if WB or Zack Snyder decides to acknowledge it at all) but we'll continue to keep you updated if this story develops.

Justice League will hit theaters on November 17th, 2017 and is reportedly going through some substantial reshoots to help the story flow better between the big, bombastic set-pieces that Snyder is known for. You can click here to view an all-new trailer for the film.