While filming the 2017 superhero film Justice League, actor Ray Fisher accused writer and producer Joss Whedon of being “gross” and “abusive.”
(Since then, the Buffy creator has been the subject of new allegations.) The actor has often used social media to criticize Warner Bros. executives for having “racist discussions” and Whedon’s “unprofessional” conduct, but the Hollywood Reporter published a lengthy interview with Fisher on Tuesday, in which he discussed working with Whedon.
Fisher said he was told, “It feels like I’m taking notes right now, and I don’t like taking notes from anyone — not even Robert Downey Jr.” during a call with the filmmaker about most of Cyborg’s story being cut from the script. (In HBO Max’s revived Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Cyborg is arguably a main character.) Fisher was also forced to utter Cyborg’s catchphrase “booyah!” from the Teen Titans animated series by Whedon and then-DC Films chairman Jon Berg. “It seemed strange to have the only Black character say that,” Fisher told THR, despite the fact that no other character in the movie had a catchphrase. Before he had dinner with Berg, he believed the topic had been dropped after he raised his opposition.
“This is one of the most expensive movies Warners has ever made,” Fisher claims Berg told him. “What if the CEO of AT&T has a son or daughter, and that son or daughter wants Cyborg to say ‘booyah’ in the movie and we don’t have a take of that? I could lose my job.”
But he shot the take. As he arrived on set, he says, Whedon stretched out his arms and said a line from Hamlet in a mocking tone: “Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you.” Fisher replied, “Joss — don’t. I’m not in the mood.” As he left the set after saying just that one phrase for the cameras, he says, Whedon called out, “Nice work, Ray.”
Whedon also reportedly threatened to make Wonder Woman look “stupid” if Gal Gadot didn’t follow his orders:
According to a reliable source, Gadot had a number of issues with the updated version of the movie, including “issues with her character being more offensive than her character in Wonder Woman.” She wanted the role to carry on from one film to the next.” Whedon allegedly forced Gadot to record lines she didn’t like, threatened Gadot’s career, and disparaged Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins, according to reports.
While Fisher refuses to disclose what happened with Gadot, a production witness who later talked to investigators claims that after one altercation, “Joss was boasting that he’d had it out with Gal.” He told her that he was the writer and that she should shut up and say the lines so that he could make her look ridiculous in the movie.”
“I’m not so indebted to Hollywood that I haven’t been willing to put myself out there,” Fisher said to THR. “If I can’t get accountability, at least I can make people aware of who they’re dealing with.”
