Production onJustice Leaguehas reportedly gotten underway today in London, but directorZack Snyderis working with a different cinematographer this time around. WhileMan of Steelwas shot byBad Boys IIDPAmir Mokri, Snyder went back to working with frequent collaboratorLarry FongonBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Fong has shot every Snyder film aside fromMan of Steel,Dawn of the Dead, andLegend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole, but now it appears that Fong is also sitting out the DC Superhero team-up filmJustice League.
PerThe Playlist,Fabian Wagnerhas been set as the cinematographer forJustice League, marking his biggest project yet. Wagner served as the director of photography on the second season ofSherlock, five episodes ofDa Vinci’s Demons, and various episodes ofGame of Thrones—including two for the upcoming season—but his most notable feature film credit is last year’sVictor Frankenstein. So yeah, this is a big job for Wagner and a curious move by Snyder.
Whatever you think of his films overall, Snyder is undeniably a brilliant visualist, and he’s proved consistently that he’s able to conjure some pretty iconic imagery throughout his career. However,Batman v Supermanfelt oddly ugly and messy at times, lacking some of the cohesiveness that made the visuals of Snyder’s previous films pop. So I’m not wholly opposed to Snyder switching things up behind the camera forJustice League, if only to potentially reinvigorate his approach to these superheroes.
And with screenwriterChris Terriopreviously saying this next film will be a bit lighter in tone thanBatman v Superman, perhaps Snyder’s just looking to conjure a different visual palette. But it also could simply boil down to scheduling, as Fong is the cinematographer onKong: Skull Island, which is in the midst of winding down a very lengthy shoot and likely wasn’t available to prep and shootJustice Leagueas well.
Whatever the case, I’m curious to see how the DC Extended Universe progresses from a visual standpoint, and Wagner marks an unexpected yet somewhat exciting choice.Justice LeaguestarsBen Affleck,Gal Gadot,Henry Cavill, andAmy Adamsopens in theaters on June 03, 2025.
