Warner on Trial

Guess I’m discussing The DCEU again, huh? *Sigh*

A few years ago I wrote a piece titled #ReleasetheTiredCut. In it, I mentioned that a director’s “true vision” being the only one that matters is exhausting and not true. And now, several controversies later, I’m discussing Justice League again. I should start charging people for slowly zapping my sanity…

I haven’t seen either cut of Justice League. I have no intention to subjugate myself to grim-dark filmmaking, irrespective of whether or not it’s a hack-job edit, or a full piece from a “visionary”. My time is precious, and while I’m not against grit or length, I don’t want to stress myself out like that. But this isn’t about either.

Joss Whedon was put under the ringer by Cyborg actor Ray Fisher on Twitter recently. Fisher called out his racism and abuse on the set, leading to him being blackballed for it. Since then, more of his co-stars have discussed their mistreatment, including Gal Gadot on how Ezra Miller was directed to gab her breasts without her consent, and Ben Affleck stating how Justice League turned him off from Batman. This is damning stuff.

It gets worse! In a recent interview, which you can find a link to here, Whedon clapped back at the criticism, calling it untrue and redirecting blame at the actors. It’s pretty revealing, but, among the other revelations, this part bugs me to no end:

“‘We’re talking about a malevolent force,’ Whedon said. ‘We’re talking about a bad actor in both senses.’”

…What?

I know Fisher’s decided to not address this further, but it speaks volumes that a director’s response to repeated claims of inappropriate behaviour by someone risking their job to share them is downplaying the talent of said person. I know Joss Whedon’s had his share of “less than savoury” moments, but I wouldn’t call him “talentless” for it. I don’t think he is! But that doesn’t excuse him abusing his power. It also doesn’t help to address criticism like this.

Obviously, Whedon’s behaviour drew plenty of ire from DCEU fans. In particular, Zack Snyder die-hards leveraged this as an opportunity to slam Warner Bros. for replacing him partway through filming of Justice League. This is despite Zack and Deborah Snyder leaving to grieve over their daughter’s suicide. The revelations about Whedon’s behaviour only fuelled the desire for a restored “Snyderverse”. And I’m sorry, but that ship has long sailed.

This incident has been eye-opening for many reasons. It’s been eye-opening for how Whedon’s reputation has shielded him from accountability. It’s been eye-opening for how Warner Bros. knew about this and didn’t care. And it’s been eye-opening for how, despite Me Too gaining traction, we have a long way to go with helping victims of abuse. Because that’s what this is.

It’s no surprise that other stories of Whedon’s behaviour have started surfacing. Stories about his time on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly have been making headlines, with cast members from both shows being comfortable sharing their stories. I wouldn’t be surprised if Dollhouse was next! Even Kevin Feige knew to part ways with Whedon following The Avengers: Age of Ultron!

I don’t think this should stop at Whedon. Geoff Johns, the creative head of The DCEU, clearly knew and either turned a blind eye, enabled this, or both. And Walter Hamada, the studio president, also probably knew. Whenever there’s a power imbalance, it doesn’t stop with one person. So while Whedon might be “gone”, they deserve blame too.

What now? It’s tough to say. Ray Fisher got the ball rolling on “A > E”, or “Accountability > Entertainment”, but I think more needs to be done. A full-on investigation, one that’s un-interfered with, has to happen from an outside, neutral source. Most-importantly, and this won’t happen without real pressure, anyone who was involved should resign. Because that’s how the healing starts.

I know some fans are demanding Warner Bros. be boycotted. Aside from what that entails being far-reaching (Time Warner controls a lot more than you’d think), it’s also best to take the cues from those harmed. I don’t believe Fisher and his colleagues want us to stop watching movies produced by Warner Bros., but they do want acknowledgement and rectification for the future. If this doesn’t happen, and this escalates further, then I’ll support a potential boycott. (It’s not like I’m watching many new movies these days...)

Regardless, this makes me embarrassed that I once wrote a piece defending Whedon. Like with Vic Mignogna, I was so concerned about not punishing everyone else that I never stopped to consider how bad the situation was. For that, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I downplayed what was going on, and I’m sorry I didn’t take it seriously. And while I won’t pretend Whedon was never talented, it’s unhelpful, I’m definitely sorry I turned a blind eye because I liked some of his work.

Ultimately, this needs addressing before we can move on. That comes in two ways: first, Warner Bros. and DC need to acknowledge they did something wrong, then prove they can do better. And second, the DCEU fandom needs to move on from Zack Snyder. Ignoring how several cast members don’t want to return, it’s clear that this is too toxic to return to. Besides, we’ll be happier when the path that’s forged in the wake of this is better-appreciated. That much I promise!