Justice League: Ray Fisher aka Cyborg Alleges Ben Afflecks’ Casting in Flash was a Publicity Stunt
Things just keep getting stranger between Warner Bros and former Justice League actor, Ray Fisher. Fisher, who played Cyborg in the film, has made some very public allegations against Warner Bros and some involved with the film. Now he’s alleging that Ben Affleck’s announcement to appear in The Flash is an intentional coverup for his dispute with Warner Bros.
In a Twitter post, Fisher stated, “Unfortunately, the fake Frosty news with Jason wasn’t the only PR tactic used to distract from the seriousness of the JL situation. Ben returning as Batman was clearly meant to be revealed at DC Fandome. I’ll give you one guess as to why @wbpictures likely jumped the gun.”
Fisher then posted side-by-side images of the day he made public his feud with Warner Bros. and the announcement of Affleck’s return, both of which were August 20, 2020.
Unfortunately, the fake Frosty news with Jason wasn’t the only PR tactic used to distract from the seriousness of the JL situation.
Ben returning as Batman was clearly meant to be revealed at DC Fandome.
I’ll give you one guess as to why @wbpictures likely jumped the gun.
A>E pic.twitter.com/IvmOOnN97s
— Ray Fisher (@ray8fisher) September 15, 2020
The studio has responded previously to Fisher’s claims regarding the conduct of several executives and an internal investigation.
Fisher’s claims that DC Films chief Walter Hamada attempted to play filmmakers off of one another to assuage the actor’s problems with the representation of his character, Cyborg. “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,” Fisher said. “I will not.”
Warner Bros publicly stated that Fisher has not cooperated with the investigation they launched because of his allegations.
Read the full response by a Warner Bros spokesperson:
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 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. 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. At no time did Mr. Hamada ever “throw anyone under the bus,” as Mr. Fisher has falsely claimed, or render any judgments about the “Justice League” production, in which Mr. Hamada had no involvement, since filming occurred before Mr. Hamada was elevated to his current position.
While Mr. Fisher never alleged any actionable misconduct against him, WarnerMedia nonetheless initiated an investigation into the concerns he’d raised about his character’s portrayal. Still not satisfied, Mr. Fisher insisted that WarnerMedia hire an independent third party investigator. This investigator has attempted multiple times to meet with Mr. Fisher to discuss his concerns but, to date, Mr. Fisher has declined to speak to the investigator. 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.
There are also simultaneous reports that Fisher is in negotiations to return as Cyborg in the upcoming standalone The Flash film. This is certainly curious, as it would be difficult to believe that Warner Bros would want to deal with Fisher on another film.
We’ll keep you posted on what comes of all of this. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
James Frazier, former INC 500 CEO and Founder, takes his creative abilities to Crooked Llama to create a new platform for entertainment news and content. The goal of Crooked Llama is to provide entertainment new but do it in a way that’s entertaining and from the perspective of a fan, not a critic.
