Highlights
- Joss Whedon removed writer Zak Penn from The Avengers without proper courtesy, sparking understandable anger and frustration.
- Penn attempted to end things amicably but was met with indifference from Whedon, solidifying Penn's negative opinion of him.
- Whedon's behavior, which included mishandling behind-the-scenes issues, exemplifies the toxic behavior present in the MCU and the industry as a whole.
As this story about The Avengers director Joss Whedon demonstrates, everybody's got a former boss for whom they've got some choice words. But when that boss happens to have been responsible for losing credit in one of the most acclaimed superhero movies of all time, those words may carry some entirely understandable vitriol.
That's apparently what happened when Whedon took the helm of 2012's The Avengers, ousting one particular writer from a position that would have been integral in launching the immensely popular Marvel Cinematic Universe. But it isn't about the money. It's about how Whedon removed writer Zak Penn from the project without the most basic courtesy. Given Whedon's abusive history on projects like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it might seem like a small thing to be angry about. But this was a potentially career-making movie.
In the new book MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios (via Heroic Hollywood) by authors Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, and Gavin Edwards, Penn spoke out about his experience with Whedon. "All the other directors we had been talking about, Joss wasn't on the list," he detailed. "I heard he was going to rewrite the script himself. He didn't even want to meet with me – which, by the way, I always call the writer I'm replacing. I feel like that's courtesy." It seems clear that Penn had good reason to be miffed at how things went.
Since Whedon enacted the firing without offering up an explanation, Penn decided to call the director up himself, hoping to at least end things amicably without any awkwardness between them. "He said to me, 'No, it's not awkward for me. I'm rewriting you,'" Penn said of the interaction. "It became pretty apparent that he had less than zero interest in, in any way, having me involved with the movie." At this point, it's not difficult to see why anyone would be angry in this situation, and Penn vented his frustration with some relatable language.
"I think he's a d–k," Penn added. "I think he's a bad person, and it was really surprising. Remember, my bonus is based on my credit. So literally millions and millions of dollars, which is not the issue here, but that just came out of my pocket and went into Joss's pocket." That's enough of a reason to call anyone any number of names. Even aside from Whedon misunderstanding Loki and other aspects of The Avengers, the way he reportedly handled things behind the scenes would incense the most chill of dudes.
There's been uncouth behavior throughout the MCU's existence, even making stars like Brie Larson want to quit due to toxic fans. But it's easy to forget that much of that toxicity can come from within, even with people like Whedon, who fans spent decades revering as a cool and progressive creator before allegations began to go public. It's a good thing that more people are calling out abusive, sexist, and otherwise toxic behavior from influential figures like Whedon more and more, but there's still a long way to go before things can feel safer for those involved. Here's hoping the MCU has, at least, become more aware of situations like this.
The Avengers is available on Disney Plus.
Source: MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios (via Heroic Hollywood)