Zack Snyder steps away from 'Justice League' due to family tragedy

Zack Snyder is stepping away from his directing duties on the superhero epic Justice League to deal with the death of his 20-year-old daughter.

Warner Bros. confirmed to USA TODAY that Joss Whedon (The Avengers) will finish post-production on the upcoming DC Comics film starring Henry Cavill as Superman, Ben Affleck as Batman and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, as well as film additional scenes, so Justice League can hit its Nov. 17. release date. The news that Snyder and his wife Deborah, a Justice League producer, would be taking a break was first reported in a Hollywood Reporter story Monday.

Snyder, 51, initially kept the details of his daughter Autumn's suicide private in March, and the film took a two-week break while Snyder dealt with the tragedy.

Although he initially wanted to "bury myself" in work, “the demands of this job are pretty intense. It is all consuming," Snyder told THR. "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’m having a hard time.”

Whedon is also busy developing a Batgirl movie for Warner Bros.

Studio president Toby Emmerich told THR that while Snyder's "handing a baton to Joss ... the course has really been set by Zack. I still believe that despite this tragedy, we’ll still end up with a great movie.”

Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins tweeted Monday evening that "our hearts" are with the Snyders. "Truly good people and friends to so many."

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 director James Gunn and Aquaman director James Wan also shared their support on social media, as did filmmaker and longtime DC fan Kevin Smith: "My heart goes out to you, @ZackSnyder. I'm sorry for your family's loss. We all love you, sir."