In July 2020, Ray Fisher first accused director Joss Whedon of “gross, abusive, and unprofessional” behavior on the sets of Justice League. In the past eight months, the actor has posted several tweets and shared official statements regarding the case, but he has now opened up about the details of the racism and inappropriate conduct he faced on the sets of the film in an in-depth interview.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Fisher offered an account of his various allegations against Whedon and the handling of the issues by other studio executives, including co-chairman of DC Films Geoff Johns, DC Films President Walter Hamada, Warner Bros. studio chief Toby Emmerich, and the film’s producer Jon Berg. He even highlights the changes made to his character, Cyborg, after Zack Snyder’s departure from the project.
In several interviews, both Snyder and Fisher have referred to Cyborg as the “heart of the movie”, which was evident in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. However, in the theatrical cut of the film, Cyborg’s backstory was completely ignored and when Fisher tried to express his thoughts on the changes, he said Whedon did not welcome any feedback, stating he did not “like taking notes from anybody.” Fisher also accused Emmerich and Berg of having a conversation about how Cyborg should “smile more,” and not allowing “an angry Black man” to be the main character of the film, something he even reflected on in a recent tweet.
While Snyder wanted to make sure that the first Black superhero in the DC film universe was portrayed correctly, referring to Ray Fisher as a “partner in creating Victor,” Fisher's account makes it seem like Whedon was not as concerned. During the re-shoots, Fisher claims he had conversations with the director about things that could possibly be “offensive to the Black community.” Even before Whedon came on board, Fisher says he was exposed to racism by the studio executives and claims the Johns even threatened his career. The actor is convinced that a lot more was being said about actors of color behind closed doors. "I don't believe some of these people are fit for positions of leadership," Fisher states in the interview.
Another major issue highlighted by Ray Fisher was the “booyah” line, a catchphrase associated with Cyborg in the animated Teen Titans shows. According to the actor, Johns had initially asked Snyder to include the phrase into the film, a request that the director declined, instead using the word in the form of an Easter egg. But, with Snyder gone, the topic was brought up again, only this time Fisher seemed to have been cornered into filming the line. While the actor had no issue with the word itself, he wasn’t in favor of the only Black hero in the film using a catchphrase, as it seemed stereotypical. When he finally arrived on set to shoot the scene, he says he was patronized by Whedon, with the director quoting Shakespeare at him.
WarnerMedia has claimed to have looked into the allegations, stating that a detailed investigation was conducted and “remedial action” was taken. According to reports, over 80 witnesses were interviewed, but investigators found no evidence of racial discrimination. However, Fisher has repeatedly accused the studio of hiding the truth and his “Accountability>Entertainment” phrase on social media has now become his way of demanding change in the industry.
Since Fisher first spoke up, several other actors have shared their own accounts of alleged mistreatment by Whedon, including Gal Gadot. She was forced to film lines that she wasn’t very comfortable with, and Whedon allegedly threatened her career if she didn’t follow the new script. It has been reported that Gadot and Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins raised their concerns with Warner Bros., which were “handled in a timely manner”.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League is now streaming on HBO Max.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter