Nearly a year after Ray Fisher took aim at Joss Whedon for his “gross, abusive” behavior on set, a new report claims that the 56-year-old director “had it out” with Gal Gadot while filming the 2017 film.
On Tuesday, April 6, The Hollywood Reporter detailed additional allegations against Whedon, claiming that the Firefly creator “threatened to harm Gadot’s career and disparaged Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins.” Whedon was hired to succeed Zack Snyder, who stepped away from the project following his daughter’s death in March 2017. However, Gadot, 35, reportedly had “multiple reservations” about Whedon’s script additions.
According to the outlet, the Israel native felt her character was portrayed more aggressively in Justice League than she was in 2017’s Wonder Woman, making it more difficult for “the character [to] flow from one film to the next.” Whedon allegedly instructed the Critics’ Choice Award winner to “shut up and say the lines,” threatening to “make her look incredibly stupid in this film.”
When pressed about her relationship with Whedon, Gadot told THR, “I had my disagreements with [Whedon], and Warner Bros. handled them expeditiously.”
Whedon’s Justice League drama previously made headlines in June 2020, when Fisher, 33, called for “accountability” in Hollywood following a Twitter smear campaign against the screenwriter. “Joss Whedon’s treatment of the Justice League cast and crew on set was heinous, abusive, unprofessional, and wholly unacceptable,” Fisher wrote at the time.
Several months later, Fisher’s costar Jason Momoa defended Fisher’s allegations of misconduct. The Aquaman actor, 41, captioned an Instagram post in September 2020, “THIS S–T HAS TO STOP AND NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT.” “@ray8fisher AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO SAW WHAT HAPPENED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF @wbpictures REQUIRES PROPER INVESTIGATION. Serious events transpired. It must be investigated, and those responsible must be held accountable. I stand with Ray Fisher under the hashtag #IStandWithRayFisher.”
Fisher starred as Cyborg, the DC film universe’s first Black superhero, in the 2017 action film. When Whedon’s reshoots began, the Maryland native claimed he felt compelled to “explain some of the most basic points of what would be offensive to the Black community.” Fisher was also disappointed by the studio’s lack of action in investigating Whedon’s behavior.
“I’ve been underestimated at every turn throughout this process, which is how we got here,” he told the outlet. “Had they taken me as seriously as they should have from the start, they would not have made nearly as many foolish errors.”
The recent Justice League allegations follow Charisma Carpenter’s allegations that Whedon “abused his power” on the set of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
“Last summer, when Ray Fisher publicly accused Joss of being abusive and unprofessional to the cast and crew during Justice League reshoots in 2017, it gutted me,” the 50-year-old actress wrote on social media in February. “Joss has a history of being callous in his treatment of others. Since his early career, he has fostered hostile and toxic work environments. I know this because I witnessed it firsthand. Frequently.”
The Cast of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Discusses the Joss Whedon Scandal
Whedon has not publicly addressed the allegations about his behavior during the Buffy years, but several of the show’s biggest stars have spoken out in support of Carpenter following her outcry.
“While I am honored to have my name associated with Buffy Summers, I do not wish to be forever associated with the name Joss Whedon,” Sarah Michelle Gellar, who portrayed the show’s titular character, wrote at the time via Instagram. “At the moment, I am more concerned with raising my family and surviving a pandemic, and thus will refrain from making any further statements. At the moment, but I stand in solidarity with all abuse survivors and am proud of them for speaking out.”
