Now that Justice League is officially out in the wild – and facing a crucial second weekend at the international box office, no less – we’ve finally gained a better understanding of Joss Whedon’s involvement.
Having earned a screenwriting credit for his contribution, it’s since been revealed that the two-time Avengers director was responsible for 15-20 percent of the final cut, including one key scene of the Caped Crusader. But if a new fan theory is to be believed, Joss Whedon actually included a jab at Justice League within the film’s opening credits.
Comic book fans are known for combing through each and every frame in search of Easter eggs and other cute references, but this one takes the biscuit. To put it kindly, it’s a stretch, but there are those who believe that Whedon intentionally made his and Chris Terrio’s (Star Wars: Episode IX) names appear on screen just as Justice League focuses on a world-weary homeless man holding a sign saying, “I tried.”
Now, does this represent Whedon’s own feelings toward Justice League? As you’ll no doubt remember, the director recently liked a Tweet criticizing the film’s villain, Steppenwolf, but we feel this theory is more antagonizing than anything else.
The more pressing topic for Warner Bros. is, of course, Justice League‘s box office haul, particularly after Forbes’ sobering projection put the final tally at $635 million. That would leave WB bracing for a sizeable loss ($50m-$100m) on what many considered to be its ace in the hole, which is all the more disheartening since Justice League was an undercooked, but not irredeemable, mess.
If for some reason you haven’t seen it yet, the film is now playing in theaters across the globe, while the online petition for a director’s cut recently blew past 100,000 signatures. Warner Bros., are you listening?