Joss Whedon has responded to claims of poor behavior lobbied against him by several “Justice League” stars.
The filmmaker took over production of the 2017 superhero flick when director Zack Snyder had to step away for a family emergency.
In the summer of 2020, Ray Fisher, who played the superhero Cyborg in the film, claimed that Whedon was “abusive” and “unprofessional” while working on the film.
The claims sparked an investigation by WarnerMedia into the matter that resulted in “remedial action,” though any additional specifications were not shared. Fisher was later removed from the cast of the upcoming “The Flash” movie.
‘JUSTICE LEAGUE’ STAR RAY FISHER CLAIMS DIRECTOR JOSS WHEDON WAS ‘ABUSIVE, UNPROFESSIONAL’ ON SET
Joss Whedon (center) has responded to claims of poor behavior on the set of “Justice League” made by stars Gal Gadot (left) and Ray Fisher (right). (Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Fisher’s “Justice League” co-star Gal Gadot had made her own claims against Whedon, alleging that he “threatened” her career. Jason Momoa, who also appeared in the film, also threw support behind Fisher, claiming they endured “s—ty” treatment on set.
Now, Whedon has maintained his innocence in the matter and denied wrongdoing. Additionally, the filmmaker said that he reduced Fisher’s role in the movie due to his poor acting and because the story “logically made no sense.”
“We’re talking about a malevolent force,” Whedon told New York magazine. “We’re talking about a bad actor in both senses.”
He also argued that he did not alter the tone of Fisher’s skin, but gave the entire movie a lighter look.
Ray Fisher played Cyborg in “Justice League,” though his role was reduced in the movie after Whedon took over production. (HBO Max)
Fisher, 33, took to Twitter on Monday to share his response: “Looks like Joss Whedon got to direct an endgame after all… Rather than address all of the lies and buffoonery today—I will be celebrating the legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Tomorrow the work continues.
JASON MOMOA SUPPORTS RAY FISHER AMID ‘JUSTICE LEAGUE’ CLAIMS
Whedon also denied Gadot’s claims that he threatened her career.
“English is not her first language, and I tend to be annoyingly flowery in my speech,” he said. Gadot, 36, is Israeli.
The director said that the two were talking about a scene that Gadot wanted to cut. Whedon recalled telling her she’d have to tie his body to a train track to cut the scene.
“Then I was told that I had said something about her dead body and tying her to the railroad track,” Whedon said. In an email to the outlet, Gadot responded: “I understood perfectly.”
Gal Gadot (center) and Ray Fisher (right) have both spoken out regarding Whedon’s on-set behavior. Jason Momoa (right) threw his support behind Fisher, saying they were treated “s—ty” on set. (HBO Max)
Also in the interview, Whedon addressed accusations from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” star Charisma Carpenter, who claimed the “Buffy” writer asked if she was “going to keep” her baby when she became pregnant and “manipulatively weaponized my womanhood and faith against me.”
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“I was not mannerly,” Whedon acknowledged. “Most of my experiences with Charisma were delightful and charming. She struggled sometimes with her lines, but nobody could hit a punch line harder than her.”
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Reps for Fisher, Gadot and Carpenter did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.
Source: www.foxnews.com