The Justice League that landed with a thud in theaters back in 2017 was a disaster. Despite the efforts of Warner Bros., the finished product was clearly two separate films crudely stitched together. The CGI was terrible, the plot was full of holes and the regraded, colour-tinted visuals were outright ugly. But probably the biggest casualty of the process was Ray Fisher’s Cyborg (aside from Henry Cavill’s upper lip, of course).
Zack Snyder had intended Cyborg to be at the heart of the movie, bringing Fisher into the creative process in order to help him understand the hero. Then came Joss Whedon, who drastically trimmed down the role of the team’s only African-American character, cut the majority of his scenes and tried to reduce him to a “booyah!” spouting caricature.
But Fisher’s treatment on-screen sounds like it pales in comparison to his treatment off-screen. Since the Snyder Cut was officially announced, Fisher has called out Joss Whedon for his behavior on the set of Justice League, which has since been backed up by numerous other people and led to further claims being made about the Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator’s conduct. It’s a bold position, especially as outspoken actors who call out directors tend to see a hit to their career. But Fisher will not back down.
In a recent tweet, he said:
I understand full well the personal and professional risks associated with my speaking out against the abhorrent behavior of Joss Whedon and his enablers—Geoff Johns and Jon Berg. I will not relent. This is “good trouble, necessary trouble.” Accountability>Entertainment.”
Fisher has every right to be confident, as there seems to be something going on behind-the-scenes with Whedon. He was supposed to appear during Comic-Con@Home for an online panel, only for it to be quietly pulled from the schedule. Lying in the background are a list of accusations by his ex-wife Kai Cole, who in 2017 claimed that he’d had multiple affairs over the years. She said: “I want to let women know that he is not who he pretends to be.”
Whedon doesn’t have any movies lined up at the moment, but does have an HBO series, The Nevers, scheduled for 2021. Meanwhile, Fisher’s Cyborg performance will be restored when Zack Snyder’s Justice League lands that same year.