Joss Whedon, director of films including The Avengers and Justice League, has responded to multiple allegations of misconduct, denying claims from actors including Gal Gadot and Ray Fisher that he threatened them on set.
In an extensive New York magazine profile by Lila Shapiro, Whedon gave his first public responses to the allegations, which began in 2020 when Fisher shared his experiences on the set of Justice League. The actor had accused Whedon of “gross, abusive” behavior in July 2020. Whedon had overseen the reshoots, editing, and visual effects on Justice League for Snyder, who had stepped aside after the death of his daughter.
In April 2021, Fisher said, “I didn’t have any intention of playing him as a jovial, cathedral-cleaning individual. It was like he was assuming how Black people would respond rather than taking the advice from the only Black person – as far as I know – with any kind of creative impact on the project.”
In the New York profile that was published by Vulture on Monday, Whedon dismissed Fisher’s claims, saying he made the changes because the storyline featuring Cyborg didn’t work — and that he did not think Fisher had delivered a good performance. “We’re talking about a malevolent force.”
“We’re talking about a bad actor in both senses,” Whedon is quoted as saying in the New York article.
Responding to this, Fisher wrote on Twitter, “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.”
Whedon also denied Gadot’s allegations which stated that he “threatened” her career while working on Justice League.
“I don’t threaten people. Who does that?” Whedon told New York. “English is not her first language, and I tend to be annoyingly flowery in my speech.” Whedon said he told Gadot that she would have to tie his body to a railroad track before he would cut a scene she wanted to be removed and that Gadot misunderstood as Whedon threatening to tie her to a track instead.
However, in an email to New York, Gadot did not agree with Whedon’s version of events. “I understood perfectly,” she wrote.
In an earlier interview with Israel’s N 12 News, Gadot told Yuna Leibzon, “No. What I had with Joss basically is that he kind of threatened my career and said if I did something he would make my career miserable. I handled it on the spot,” when the journalist questioned her about reports of Whedon’s behaviour and if she was “going to let him get away with it”.
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Following Fisher’s allegations, actors Charisma Carpenter, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and three others from the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer accused Whedon of bullying and abuse of power. Carpenter’s allegations included the director calling her fat after she became pregnant and asking her if she was “going to keep it.”
Whedon told New York he was “not mannerly” with Carpenter when she told him she was pregnant, but he denied ever calling her fat. “Most of my experiences with Charisma were delightful and charming,” Whedon said. “She struggled sometimes with her lines, but nobody could hit a punch line harder than her.”
The New York profile also revealed several disturbing accounts by women who had relationships with Whedon and described it as manipulation. Whedon told the magazine, “Could I have done marriage better? Don’t get me started. Could I have been a better showrunner? Absolutely. Should I have been nicer?” In the end, the filmmaker said, “I think I’m one of the nicer showrunners that’s ever been.”