Joss Whedon threatened Gal Gadot’s career after she pushed back on the director’s revised dialogue for “Justice League,” according to a story in The Hollywood Reporter.
The new detail that Whedon feuded with Gadot and even disparaged “Wonder Woman” director Patty Jenkins came as part of a lengthy interview with Ray Fisher that goes into more detail about his ongoing criticisms of Warner Bros. executives and Whedon.
Fisher declined to comment to THR specifically on anything that transpired between Gadot and the “Justice League” director. But THR quoted a witness who later spoke with investigators as part of the studio’s look into the production who said, “Joss was bragging that he’s had it out with Gal. He told her he’s the writer and she’s going to shut up and say the lines and he can make her look incredibly stupid in this movie.”
Additional sources who spoke with THR said Whedon clashed with other stars of the film, including Jeremy Irons, and Gadot and Jenkins took her complaints about revisions to the film to the chairman of Warner Bros., Kevin Tsujihara. Another source told THR that Gadot had “issues about her character being more aggressive than her character in ‘Wonder Woman.’ She wanted to make the character flow from one movie to the next.”
Katherine B. Forrest, a former federal judge and the investigator for Warner Bros. on “Justice League,” responded to the full interview with Ray Fisher:
“I have been asked by Warner Media to provide a statement regarding whether my investigation revealed supported evidence as to racial animus or insensitivity as to race or disability, and with regard to such allegations specifically directed at Jon Berg, Geoff Johns and Toby Emmerich. My investigation involved more than 80 interviews, the review of thousands of pages of documents, and over 2000 hours of work by me and my colleagues. I and my staff reached out twice to every member of the cast and crew involved in the ‘Justice League’ reshoots (more than 600 people), as well all of the individuals Ray Fisher specifically requested we interview. We spoke with every individual who would speak with us and all of the people that Mr. Fisher asked us to speak with. I found no credible support for claims of racial animus or racial or disability insensitivity.
A representative for Whedon declined to comment. A rep for Gadot did not respond to a request for comment, but Gadot told THR in a statement, “I had my issues with [Whedon] and Warner Bros. handled it in a timely manner.” Warner Bros. did not have an additional comment beyond what was first shared with THR.
In the piece, Fisher, who first brought up his complaints about the “Justice League” production last June, shared other details about his disagreements with DC Films executive Geoff Johns over his character Cyborg’s appearance. Fisher said Johns told him to “play the character less like Frankenstein and more like the kindhearted Quasimodo.”
Fisher also spoke about his concern over saying the line “Booyah!” because he didn’t want the only Black character in the film to be the one with a catchphrase; he compared the gimmick to other Black characters in pop culture like Gary Coleman’s “Whatchoo talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” and Jimmie Walker’s “Dy-no-mite!” He said Johns dismissed his uneasiness and felt the line would be “a fun moment of synergy.”
See more from Fisher’s interview with THR here.