The situation surrounding reshoots for Justice League has not gotten better, with a resolution to the situation not yet in sight.
Information has continued to come out, including that the release of the initial allegations were reportedly sparked by Ray Fisher being asked to appear in a cameo for The Flash.
Insiders told The Hollywood Reporter that the set was "filled with tension," also stating that there was a great deal of pressure on producers Geoff Johns and Jon Berg to "deliver a tentpole."
Cyborg actor Ray Fisher has been the most vocal about the abuse that occurred during the reshoots, even going on to claim that Warner Bros. leveraged news to silence him. Aquaman actor Jason Momoa came out in support for Fisher, condemning the company's supposed diversion tactics.
A new piece of evidence has been found that supports the narrative that there was a toxic culture of abuse and harassment that was created on the set of Justice League...
NEWS
In a recent livestream, YouTuber John Campea shared an email seemingly by mistake from a crew member that worked on the set of Justice League.
The email, titled 'WB Justice League Nightmare,' alleges that a "toxic set environment" was created and fueled by other parties besides director Joss Whedon and producer Jon Berg, comparing the production of Justice League unfavorably to the set of The Avengers.
The email reads:
What most people don't understand is that the entire JL experience was an absolute nightmare. [Joss Whedon] faced unreal expectations and deadlines from the execs almost immediately and a toxic set environment like you wouldn't imagine. You have to understand that [Zack Snyder] had a very good relationship with "almost" everyone on set, so his departure was jarring for several reasons. It was their posse and kind of a tight one. It was also a posse that [Whedon] was never really taken too.
Adding to the relentless pressure that everyone from [Whedon] to [Jon] Berg and _____ came something [Whedon] just wasn't expecting. See, The Avengers experience was tough on [Joss Whedon], but everyone there from the execs to the crew to all the cast were all on the same team. Everyone checked their egos at the door and were all dedicated to making the best movie possible for Kevin [Feige], Marvel and the fans. That was the top priority for everyone. Certainly not that everything was roses or that there weren't issues and problems like any production, but everyone was focused on the movie and doing what was best for it. [Justice League] was an entirely different experience.
With the exception of a couple of individuals, almost no one on that set cared about the movie. Maybe a better way to put it was that they only cared about the movie in as far as what it was going to do for them and their careers. Who was getting the better framing. Who was getting the choice lines. Who was getting their scenes cut. It was always about them. It just wasn't an environment [Whedon] is accustomed to working in. And frankly it doesn't help that [Whedon] isn't exactly a peacemaker either. It got contentious. _____ in theaters by deadline. On top of that a few specific people would never pass up the chance to remind Whedon that it wasn't his movie. This became a regular bargaining chip whenever certain parties weren't happy with what was [happening] with their characters or their scenes.
Starting at 58:44, Campea briefly shows the email in-question:
WHAT THIS MEANS
Whilst this information should be taken with a grain of salt, the sender seems to know a great deal about the intricacies of both the production of Whedon's The Avengers and the reshoots of Justice League. Therefore, if true, this supports the narrative that there were indeed many issues on the set of Justice League, but not everything stemmed from Whedon.
Whilst the email does not state it outright, it provides some context of other parties associated with the set of Justice League. It also reaffirms what was reported by The Hollywood Reporter previously, adding in additional context that cast and crew did not get along well with Whedon whatsoever.
Although it is not explicitly outlined, this email implies that some of the actors were also creating issues due to supposed 'inflated egos.' On the other hand, the THR article states that Whedon did "jettison many of [Ray] Fisher’s scenes," which may have contributed to the outcry from cast members during the reshoots.
While this does not exonerate Whedon or Berg of their behavior by any means, it does provide some explanation as to how the reshoots may have gotten as bad as they did.
