Although the film got a shot at redemption with the release of the Snyder Cut, Justice League's production is still looked upon as being marred by controversy and conflicting claims. Much of this centers around Ray Fisher's Cyborg, who made several allegations against director Joss Whedon and Warner Bros. concerning the on-set conditions and its handling by company executives.
Fisher specifically pointed out that multiple actors of color had their roles severely reduced or removed entirely, in addition to suggesting that his skin color was purposefully lightened in post-production. Several of Fisher's co-stars chimed in with support, with Aquaman actor Jason Momoa standing with the Cyborg actor and Wonder Woman 1984 actress Gal Gadot sharing similar stories of abusive comments from Joss Whedon.
Warner Bros. responded to the claims and opened an investigation, but the film's director kept quiet about the whole affair.
Now, Whedon has hit back at the allegations levied against him.
Joss Whedon Disputes Justice League Allegations
In an interview with Vulture, director Joss Whedon responded to claims that he made certain adjustments to Ray Fisher's Cyborg scenes for Justice League, as well as the accusations of a toxic and abusive atmosphere on set.
Whedon began by addressing the claim that the director had color-corrected Fisher's scenes to lighten his complexion as he didn't like the color of the Cyborg actor's skin, stating that the assertion was false.
The Justice League director continued by explaining the reasoning for cutting several of Cyborg's scenes, citing the narrative "logically [making] no sense" and bad acting. Test screenings reportedly supported this, according to a source close to Justice League, where audiences described Victor Stone as "the worst of all the characters in the film."
In contrast to the "threats" and "unsafe work conditions" described by Fisher, Whedon claimed that he talked to Fisher about the changes for several hours and held the discussions in a friendly and respectful manner.
Looking for an explanation for Fisher's actions against Whedon, the director believed that Ray Fisher was "a bad actor in both senses."
"We're talking about a malevolent force... We're talking about a bad actor in both senses."
Is Bad Acting to Blame for Cyborg?
Joss Whedon has finally opened up about his side of what occurred during the production of Justice League, denying that discrimination played a part in any of the decisions made for his version of the film.
Whether Fisher's acting is up to snuff is up for debate, particularly considering that Cyborg was many viewers' favorite aspect of Zack Snyder's Justice League. According to Whedon, though, it's clear that he believed that Fisher's performance wasn't working for his vision for Justice League.
Without hard evidence, it is difficult to definitively decide which version of events is the truth, as Whedon's claims directly contradict Fisher's recollections of the on-set environment. Many other actors, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Charisma Carpenter, have come out with stories about the Justice League director's behavior, so it is now in the hands of the court of public opinion as to who is in the right.
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