'Justice League' Actor Reveals Joss Whedon Written & Directed Batman Scene

One of the drawbacks of following the production of a film and learning that two directors helped bring the picture to life is an audience might question throughout the movie which scenes were directed by which filmmaker. In the case of Justice League, actor Holt McCallany revealed that the opening scene in which Batman beats a thug and is interrupted by a Parademon was directed by Joss Whedon.

"I love Joss Whedon. My scene with Batman was originally conceived as a comedic scene. That’s how Joss wrote it, and that’s how we shot it," the actor told Men's Fitness. "I thought it came out great, but the studio felt it would be a mistake to open the film with a completely comedic scene, so it was re-edited a little bit. I was disappointed, but when I got home to New York I found a bottle of my favorite Champagne and a note from Joss that said, 'To Battles Lost. Gratefully, Joss., I can’t tell you how much it meant to me that he took the time to write to me. Joss Whedon is a class act. I had the letter framed."

Director Zack Snyder has built a reputation for creating dark and moody films, so when he departed Justice League due to a family tragedy and Joss Whedon stepped in, fans were curious about how Whedon's well-known comedic tone would mesh with Snyder's scenes. As evidenced by McCallany's comments, it became quite a balancing act between tones.

The tone of the scene might have looked intense in the film, but the actor shared that shooting the sequence was much more lighthearted.

"It was a great experience, and a fun scene to shoot. Ben [Affleck] was very easygoing, we got it in just a few takes," the actor confessed. "My favorite fight scenes are usually ones that are choreographed with some style to them, and ones that are choreographed around a particular actor’s individual strengths. The old adage in the fight game is 'styles make fights.' I like to design my own fight choreography in conjunction with my director and stunt coordinator whenever possible, and here it was a great way to be a part of the film—even though I got beat by Batman."

The scene may have been brief, but McCallany isn't giving up hope about another DC Extended Universe appearance.

"It was a small part, but you never what can happen in these films," he pointed out. "My character doesn’t die, so who knows? He had some good rapport with Batman, so it could be laying some groundwork for another appearance down the line, that would be exciting."

Justice League is currently in theaters.