Whedon Reportedly Threatened Gadot's Career During Justice League Reshoots
Joss Whedon reportedly threatened Gal Gadot's career during Justice League reshoots. When original director Zack Snyder left the project during post-production in 2017, Whedon had already been brought in to oversee aspects of the film. This turned into lengthy and costly reshoots that saw Whedon change about 75% of the original film after Snyder's departure. Warner Bros. had hoped to change the film into something more akin to The Avengers, but when Justice League hit theaters it was clear to both fans and critics that those two worlds were separate for a reason.
During a lengthy fan campaign that saw Warner Bros. revive Snyder's version of the film, Cyborg actor Ray Fisher came forward in 2020 with allegations about Whedon's onset behavior during the initial reshoots. Fisher said that Whedon was "gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable" on set. Both Gadot and Aquaman actor Jason Momoa came out in support of Fisher. Warner Bros. investigated the claims last year and although they said remedial action was taken, they did not reveal the findings of the investigation.
In a new report from THR, more of what happened on set has reportedly been revealed. One instance involved Gadot. The actress was unhappy with the direction of her character in the reshoots and the lines she was given, leading Whedon to reportedly threaten her career if she did not comply. The director also reportedly disparaged Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins, with whom Gadot has a close relationship. A witness on the production revealed that Whedon even bragged about his confrontation with Gadot and that he was purposely giving her lines he knew she wouldn't like.
During Justice League, Gadot was still a relatively fresh face, but Whedon would have likely had little impact on her career if he had followed through on the reported threats. Wonder Woman had come out several months before Justice League and became the DCEU's most well-received film at the time. Warner Bros. announced a sequel to the film shortly after Wonder Woman's premiere at San Diego Comic Con and it was clear both the studios and the fans had taken a liking to the actress behind the Amazonian.
Whedon's behavior on various sets has been corroborated by several people, with Charisma Carpenter of Buffy the Vampire Slayer just the latest to speak up about the way Whedon treated her. Carpenter was inspired to come forward because of Fisher's own bravery in coming forward and various members of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer cast came out in support of Carpenter. These latest details reveal that what happened on the Justice League set is far from resolved despite the investigation's conclusion.
Source: THR