Some sad news from the DC Universe: Justice League director Zack Snyder is stepping down from his post helming the superhero film to help his family recover in the wake of the death of their daughter, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The Batman v. Superman director’s 20-year-old daughter died by suicide in March, and while Snyder told THR that he was initially looking forward to going back to work, he has since decided it’s best to leave the film, which is now in postproduction. “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,†Snyder told THR. “The demands of this job are pretty intense. It is all consuming. And in the last two months I’ve come to the realization … 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.â€
Snyder added that while he never intended to make this family tragedy a public one, he preferred for fans to know the truth rather than have them speculate on the internet about why he left the film. Joss Whedon, who recently made the jump to the DC Universe to direct the upcoming Batgirl stand-alone film after spending time with Marvel for his stint directing The Avengers, will take over where Snyder left off, shepherding the film through postproduction and shooting some additional scenes.