Joss Whedon Accused Of Being Abusive On Set
The Justice League movie may have come out three years ago, but it continues to generate news and scandal even up to now. The most recent news to come out of this three-year-old movie are allegations by one of its actors that its director Joss Whedon was abusive on set.
Variety reports that Ray Fisher, the actor who portrayed the superhero Cyborg in Justice League, has claimed that Whedon’s behavior on the set of the movie was “completely unacceptable” as well as unprofessional, abusive, and gross.
The declaration was a follow-up to a tweet Fisher sent out a couple of days ago, wherein he retracted a statement he made during the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con. During that Comic-Con, Fisher had called Whedon “a great guy” and the right individual to finish the movie after Zack Snyder had to withdraw for personal reasons.
Aside from calling out Whedon, Fisher also claimed that Jon Berg, former Warner Bros. co-president of production, and Geoff Johns, former DC Entertainment president and chief creative officer, “enabled” Whedon’s alleged unprofessional behavior.
While Fisher has not provided any proof to back up his allegations, Berg has come out to say that the accusation against him enabling unprofessional behavior was “categorically untrue.” Both Warner Bros., the film company behind Justice League, and Whedon have not offered their comment on the matter.
The Hollywood Reporter suspects that the friction between Fisher and Whedon may be rooted in speculations that Whedon drastically changed Fisher’s role in the film. According to the outlet, the storyline that involved Fisher’s character and his father Silas Stone was minimized by Whedon.
The fact that Fisher tweeted that Justice League screenwriter Chris Terrio and director Zack Snyder empowered him by providing him with “a seat at the creative table” also gives the minimized storyline speculation some credence.
Fisher’s allegations against Whedon follows the recent string of Black entertainers calling out the treatment they have received in the entertainment business. Earlier, founding Sugababes member Keisha Buchanan said that she was a victim of the “systemic racism” present in the media.
Former X Factor contestant Misha B also alleged that the talent show boxed her in the “angry black girl” narrative, depicting her as feisty and mean when placed alongside the show’s other contestants.
Even superstar Beyoncé herself revealed both the racism and sexism she encountered in the entertainment industry during her speech for YouTube’s Dear Class of 2020.