Filmmaker Zack Snyder has stepped away from finishing his Justice League to deal with a personal tragedy, with Avengers director Joss Whedon taking over.
The upcoming DC Comics movie will feature Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, the Flash and Cyborg.
Snyder's daughter Autumn died by suicide in March. She was 20.
The death has been kept private, but is now being revealed as the Sucker Punch filmmaker steps down.
Snyder tells The Hollywood Reporter he originally wanted to keep working, despite his grief.
"In my mind, I thought it was a cathartic thing to go back to work, to just bury myself and see if that was the way through it," he says.
"I've decided to take a step back from the movie to be with my family, be with my kids, who really need me. They are all having a hard time. I am having a hard time."
Joss Whedon wrote and directed Marvel's The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron, but was recently revealed to have switched to DC to helm Batgirl. He will oversee the remainder of the Justice League, which is currently in post-production.
"He's handing a baton to Joss but the course has really been set by Zack. I still believe that despite this tragedy, we'll still end up with a great movie," says Warner Bros boss Toby Emmerich
Snyder's wife Deborah, a Justice League producer, is also taking a break to be with her family.
Justice League remains set for a release in November.
Newshub.
