Joss Whedon Discusses Theory Zack Snyder Caused Justice League Controversy

Joss Whedon discusses the theory that Zack Snyder caused the various Justice League controversies following the release of the film. After years of hit work on the small screen, Whedon broke out into film in the 2010s by co-writing and producing the acclaimed horror comedy The Cabin in the Woods and being tapped by Marvel Studios to write and direct The Avengers for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film’s success would lead to him working with the studio for five more years to develop Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. for ABC and write and direct Avengers: Age of Ultron, though would depart from Marvel due to creative exhaustion from the latter.

Whedon would get another chance in the superhero genre by being brought on to rewrite and reshoot a large portion of Warner Bros.’ Justice League following original co-writer/director Zack Snyder stepping down in the wake of his daughter’s suicide. Striving to change the tone and look of Snyder’s original work, the theatrical cut of the film would receive largely divisive responses from critics and audiences alike, with a large portion of the latter building a movement to allow Snyder to utilize his excised footage to restore his original vision. Whedon’s Justice League would also come under fire for his behavior in the elongated production and he’s now opening up about his work.

In a recent interview with Vulture, Joss Whedon discussed the theory that Zack Snyder was the cause for the ongoing Justice League controversies. The theory states that Snyder and Fisher worked together to craft the claims of racism when the star’s scenes were largely cut in an effort to make the former look like a progressive ally and further direct negative attention towards the new cut of the film, which subsequently started the outpour of accusations from his past projects. Though Whedon was more cautious to give into this theory, he did share his thoughts on how it affected him and his career:

“I don’t know who started it. I just know in who’s name it was done. The beginning of the internet raised me up, and the modern internet pulled me down. The perfect symmetry is not lost on me.”

At the time of his allegations, many found themselves divided on whether or not to trust Ray Fisher’s claims of racism in regards to Joss Whedon’s work on Justice League. With the actor not providing any evidence of his accusations at the time, some were uncertain whether to believe the young star or not. However, as time went on and further stories from Gal Gadot and Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel stars Charisma Carpenter and James Marsters came out regarding Whedon’s toxic behavior, public opinion for Fisher shifted entirely towards supporting the actor, with the hashtag “#IStandWithRayFisher” quickly trending and remaining a popular topic on social media for the past few years.

Whedon’s discussion on the theory that Snyder caused the Justice League controversies is an appropriately cautious one, not quite agreeing the director was behind it but not disagreeing with it either. Snyder did take to utilizing social media to rally support to convince Warner Bros. to let him restore his original vision, albeit amidst some criticisms for the more toxic side of the fanbase for their more drastic comments. The movement would ultimately win as Zack Snyder’s Justice League is currently available to stream on HBO Max.