Entertainment
A timeline of Ray Fisher’s allegations against Warner Bros. and Joss Whedon as he makes fresh claims
Ray Fisher has made headlines over the past year for his shocking allegations against Warner Bros. and, particularly, director Joss Whedon.
The 33-year-old actor is best known for playing Cyborg in DC Extended Universe (DCEU) movies, such as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League.
His debut in the DCEU was actually historic as the character became the first Black superhero in the franchise.
However, Fisher’s role has been overshadowed by allegations he has levied against the Hollywood movie studio.
June and July 2020: Ray Fisher accuses Whedon of being ‘gross, abusive, unprofessional’ on Justice League set
Fisher spoke out against Whedon last June, when he tweeted a clip of himself at San Diego Comic Con in 2017 stating he no longer supported the filmmaker.
Sitting on a Justice League panel, the actor said: ‘Joss is a great guy and Zack picked a great person to come in and clean up – and finish up for him.’
Fisher later tweeted: ‘I’d like to take a moment to forcefully retract every bit of this statement’.
The following month, he claimed on Twitter: ‘Joss Whedon’s on-set treatment of the cast and crew of Justice League was gross, abusive, unprofessional and completely unacceptable. He was enabled, in many ways, by Geoff Johns and Jon Berg. Accountability>Entertainment.’
September 2020: Warner Bros. hits back at Ray Fisher’s allegations
WarnerMedia then launched an investigation into the claims and released a statement saying Fisher refused to provide specific evidence to back up his accusations.
‘In July, Ray Fisher’s representatives asked DC Films President Walter Hamada to talk to Mr. Fisher about his concerns during the production of Justice League,’ the statement read.
‘The two had previously spoken when Mr. Hamada asked him to reprise his role as Cyborg in Warner Bros.’ upcoming Flash movie, together with other members of the Justice League. In their July conversation, Mr. Fisher recounted disagreements he’d had with the film’s creative team regarding his portrayal of Cyborg, and complained that his suggested script revisions were not adopted.’
It continued: ‘Mr. Hamada explained that creative differences are a normal part of the production process and that a film’s writer/director ultimately has to be in charge of these matters. Notably, Mr. Hamada also told Mr. Fisher that he would elevate his concerns to WarnerMedia so they could conduct an investigation.’
They added: ‘Warner Bros. remains committed to accountability and to the well-being of every cast and crew member on each of its productions. It also remains committed to investigating any specific and credible allegation of misconduct, which thus far Mr. Fisher has failed to provide,’ they concluded.
That month, Game of Thrones actor Jason Momoa showed public support for Fisher and said he stood by him.
October 2020: Joss Whedon denies changing an actor’s skin tone on Justice League set
In an interview with Forbes, Fisher, 33, accused Whedon, 56, of digitally altering another actor’s skin complexion when he took over as Justice League director from Zack Snyder.
However, responding to Fisher’s claims about the skin tone alteration, a rep for Whedon told Forbes: ‘The individual who offered this statement acknowledged that this was just something that he had heard from someone else and accepted as truth, when in fact simple research would prove that it was false.
‘As is standard on almost all films, there were numerous people involved with mixing the final product, including the editor, special effects person, composer, etc. with the senior colourist responsible for the final version’s tone, colours, and mood.’
They continued: ‘This process was further complicated on this project by the fact that [original director] Zack [Snyder] shot on film, while Joss shot on digital, which required the team, led by the same senior colourist who has worked on previous films for Zack, to reconcile the two.’
January 2021: Ray Fisher claims he was ‘removed’ from The Flash
Fisher confirmed he would no longer be appearing in the DCEU blockbuster after allegedly being ‘removed’ from the project by Warner Bros.
In a lengthy statement shared on Twitter, Fisher said: ‘I have received official confirmation that Warner Bros. Pictures has decided to remove me from the cast of The Flash.
‘I strongly disagree with their decision, but it is one that is unsurprising.’
He added: ‘Despite the misconception, Cyborg’s involvement in The Flash was much larger than a cameo – and while I do mourn the lost opportunity to bring Victor Stone back to the screen, bringing awareness to the actions of Walter Hamada [DC Films president] will prove to be a much more important contribution to the world.’
February 2021: Ray Fisher demands apology from DC boss Walter Hamada
Buffy star Charisma Carpenter spoke out about the ‘toxic work behaviour’ she allegedly experienced from Whedon, prompting several other cast members, including Sarah Michelle Gellar, to follow suit.
Fisher then demanded an apology and said: ‘What makes Walter Hamada “the most dangerous kind of enabler” is his willingness to blindly cover for his colleagues.
‘Had he succeeded in discouraging the Justice League investigation, we would not be here.
‘He owes Charisma Carpenter and every other participant an apology.’
Also this month, Fisher hit out at Warner again to suggest that their new Superman movie led by a Black writer was a ‘distraction’ from his allegations.
Warner Media issued a statement in response, supporting Hamada.
It said: ‘Once again there are false statements being made about our executives and our company surrounding the recent Justice League investigation.
‘As we have stated before, an extensive and thorough third-party investigation was conducted. Our executives, including Walter Hamada, fully cooperated, no evidence was found of any interference whatsoever, and Warner Bros. did not lie in the press.
‘It’s time to stop saying otherwise and move forward productively.’
Metro.co.uk has contacted Warner Bros., Ray Fisher and Joss Whedon’s reps for further comment.
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