Source: CHRIS DELMAS / Getty
One of the few bright spots of DC’s incredibly struggle film known as Justice League was Ray Fisher’s iteration as comic book superhero Cyborg. Although many fans want to see more of the half-man, half-robot hero, don’t expect to see him again anytime soon.
Months after criticizing Justice League replacement director Joss Whedon and DC Films President, Walter Hamada, The Wrap is reporting that Ray Fisher’s Cyborg character has been written out of the highly anticipated The Flash solo film. The news comes after Fisher publicly announced that not only did he want nothing to do with the upcoming movie, but also that Walter Hamada was “the most dangerous kind of enabler” explaining that “His lies, and WB PR’s failed Sept. 4th hit-piece sought to undermine the very real issues of the Justice League investigation.”
Walter Hamada is the most dangerous kind of enabler.
His lies, and WB PR’s failed Sept 4th hit-piece, sought to undermine the very real issues of the Justice League investigation.
I will not participate in any production associated with him.
— Ray Fisher (@ray8fisher) December 30, 2020
That’s an incredibly bold move coming from somebody who’s only got a handful of acting roles under his name.
Naturally the studio obliged and wrote out his character’s cameo in The Flash and to date have no plans on re-casting the role for the upcoming film.
Fisher’s beef with DC began last July when out of nowhere the rookie actor decided to call out Justice League director Joss Whedon for “gross, abusive” and “unprofessional” behavior on the set of the flop of film. He also accused then-DC Entertainment president Geoff Johns and by Jon Berg, former co-president of production at WB, of enabling Whedon’s behavior during production. Accusations that Warner Bros. took very seriously.
Warner Bros. launched an independent investigation in mid-August, a move initially celebrated by Fisher. But on Sept. 4, he criticized the company on Twitter, saying, “After speaking out about Justice League, I received a phone call from the President of DC Films wherein he attempted to throw Joss Whedon and Jon Berg under the bus in hopes that I would relent on Geoff Johns. I will not.”
In a counter-statement later that day, Warner Bros. denied Fisher’s accusation against Hamada and said the actor had never actually accused anyone of “actionable conduct.” The company also said Fisher refused to speak to the investigator despite multiple attempts to reach him.
This past December Warner Bros. announced that they had concluded their investigation and said it had taken “remedial actions” but never explained what it meant.
The news just months before fans will finally get to see more of Cyborg’s storyline in the highly anticipated Snyder Cut to Justice League and days after director Zack Snyder announced that he no longer intended on making a sequel to the planned trilogy. Yeah, that’s not a good sign about the upcoming film at all.
Still, this shouldn’t surprise anyone as DC films have been the all kinds of struggle post Man of Steel. Though Aquaman and Wonder Woman have been a few bright spots (WW84 undid much of the good Wonder Woman had created), the truth is comic book fans don’t expect much whenever DC announces a new franchise is coming to the big screen.
We just hope Ray Fisher doesn’t end up getting blackballed in Hollywood for speaking truth to power. Maybe Marvel Studios can find a place for him in their ever expanding and very fulfilling universe they got going.
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