Entertainment

Joss Whedon’s treatment of Justice League cast and crew ‘abusive’

Actor Ray Fisher, who played the young superhero Cyborg in the DC Comics film, has criticised the director.
Actor Ray Fisher, who played the young superhero Cyborg in the DC Comics film, has criticised the director. Actor Ray Fisher, who played the young superhero Cyborg in the DC Comics film, has criticised the director.

Actor Ray Fisher has said director Joss Whedon’s behaviour was “abusive” on the set of the 2017 film Justice League.

“Joss Whedon’s on-set treatment of the cast and crew of Justice League was gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable,” Fisher, who played the young superhero Cyborg in the DC Comics film, tweeted on Wednesday.

Fisher added that Whedon was “enabled, in many ways, by Geoff Johns and Jon Berg”, two producers on the film who were Warner Bros Pictures executives at the time.

Whedon, known for his writing and directing on Marvel’s Avengers films and television’s Buffy The Vampire Slayer, was brought in during post-production to replace director Zack Snyder on Justice League. He oversaw extensive reshoots, editing and visual effects on the film.

At the time of his departure, Warner Bros said Snyder was stepping away to be with his family following the death of his 20-year-old daughter.

In May, Warner Bros announced that Snyder’s long director’s cut of Justice League would appear next year on the streaming service HBO Max, something fans had lobbied for since the film’s original release with the hashtag ReleaseTheSnyderCut.

Marvel Avengers: The Age Of Ultron UK Film Premiere – London
Marvel Avengers: The Age Of Ultron UK Film Premiere – London Joss Whedon was criticised for his treatment of the cast and crew (Ian West/PA)

Fisher showed a sign of his displeasure with Whedon earlier this week when he tweeted a video of himself praising the director as a “great guy” during a panel at San Diego Comic-Con in 2017, with the comment: “I’d like to take a moment to forcefully retract every bit of this statement.”