Joss Whedon has finally broken his silence regarding claims made by Victor Stone/Cyborg actor Ray Fisher about their time on the set of Justice League.
In 2020, Fisher made numerous accusations against not just Whedon but former DC Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns, former DC Films executive Jon Berg, Warner Bros. Picture Group Chairman Toby Emmerich and DC Films President Walter Hamada. The primary claim against Whedon was that of racism and other inappropriate behavior on the set of Justice League after Zack Snyder stepped down and Whedon was brought in to oversee reshoots. Speaking to New York Magazine, Whedon explained that none of Fisher's claims were "either true or merited discussing. We’re talking about a malevolent force. We’re talking about a bad actor in both senses."
One of the specific claims Fisher made against Whedon was that he digitally lightened the skin tone of actors of color. Whedon's response was that he brightened the entire film during post-production, including faces, and not just specific characters. As for Cyborg's reduced role, which was restored in Zack Snyder's Justice League, Whedon said the role was scaled back because it "logically made no sense" and that Fisher's acting was subpar. An anonymous source reportedly noted that the character also tested poorly with audiences and was seen by many as one of the worst in the film. Despite this, Whedon further explained that his discussions with Fisher were all professional and friendly in nature.
Regarding what prompted Fisher's accusations nearly three full years after the release of Justice League, Whedon suggested it might have been done on behalf of Snyder, whom he replaced on the film after Snyder's daughter Autumn died by suicide. "I don’t know who started it," he said. "I just know in whose name it was done."
In June 2020, Fisher retracted the praise he'd previously given Whedon at Comic-Con International: San Diego, and days later, he tweeted that "[Whedon's] on-set treatment of the cast and crew of Justice League was gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable." He also noted, "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."
This eventually prompted an investigation by Warner Bros., but the studio reported that Fisher was not cooperating with the investigator it hired to look into the matter and that he failed to provide evidence to back up his claims. It also denied the actor's later allegation that Hamada asked Fisher to relent on Johns and focus solely on Berg and Whedon. In response, Fisher called for a third-party investigation, which concluded in early December 2020 with WarnerMedia stating that "remedial action" had been taken.
Fisher wasn't the only one to go public with accusations against Whedon. Wonder Woman actor Gal Gadot explained in April 2021 that Whedon threatened her career, and the following October, she said it was taken care of almost immediately. "Oh, I was shaking trees as soon as it happened. And I must say that the heads of Warner Brothers, they took care of it," she said. "Going back to the sense of righteousness that I have...you’re dizzy because you can’t believe this was just said to you. And if he says it to me, then obviously he says it to many other people. I just did what I felt like I had to do. And it was to tell people that it’s not okay."
Source: New York Magazine