“Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are” -Benjamin Franklin.
For those reading this who are already familiar with Ray Fisher’s story you might find it ironic how one actor could go through so much injustice while filming a movie called “Justice League”. However for those who don’t, here’s a summary. A man was treated very poorly by very powerful people, all he asked for was an apology, all he got was getting fired. Ray Fisher, despite being the underdog in Justice League’s star-studded cast didn’t hesitate to call out and confront those who wronged him and his fellow cast members. His allegations led to an investigation that proved his story but didn’t deliver the justice he was due. Even though Joss Whedon, who participated in abusive and unprofessional behavior towards Ray doesn’t have anything to do with DC comics anymore, his enabler, Walter Hamada, according to Ray still roams free. A fact that pushed Fisher to halt participating in any production Hamada was involved in, a decision that eventually got him fired from the upcoming Flash solo film.
Here’s what’s outrageous about this situation. Cooperations know exactly how passionate fans can be, and how much they love to defend DC with it being the underdog in Marvel’s impressive box office domination. But how long can fans be used to hide behind, and how many moral obligations do fans have to live by to enjoy a simple movie. The answer is something I don’t have because if I did I would be telling people what to do. I know that I can’t find enjoyment watching the new flash movie knowing about the happenings behind the scenes, but others can. It is unfair to hold hundreds of people who work on a film accountable for one man’s inability to own up to his mistake. And it angers me that this is exactly what is used as protection. And we can’t hold fans accountable for not being outraged enough, not when DC comics holds so much importance for a lot of people. So I asked some fans for their much-needed opinions.
Amanda said that “dc stands for diversity in all terms of the word. Many different people of color, so many different types of storylines, it’s just a melting pot of everything you’d want in a universe.” And that’s true, DC has stood for diversity, off and on-screen, even when diversity wasn’t the standard for Hollywood films yet. When talking to fans I’ve met with people who really feel for Ray but they just love DC too much to stop watching upcoming projects, however, Sayruq1 on Twitter was not one of them. Sayruq1 said “ I would say wb's response has been malicious. they have released several hit articles towards ray, lied about transpired in an effort to protect some of the key players, one of the executives even responded with a, 'we can't be racist, one of us is asian,' statement which beyond insulting not just to ray but to dc fans of color.”. As for hope for DC in general, they continued with “No hope whatsoever for the dceu at this point. not only have these executives created a hostile environment for directors, actors and crew members (not to mention people working bts), they don't seem to have clear vision for the future. they're just throwing out ideas. it's kind of heartbreaking remembering how exciting the concept of the dceu was just 5 years ago.” While another fan, Michael has a slightly different point of view, “I'm mixed. Some of the choices have been very questionable already, and what happened with Ray made it worse. There is some part of me that is still curious about it but my anticipated for it has been soured quite a bit. I'm still somewhat interested in some of the upcoming movies, I'm sure it'll survive but I don't think it will be running well exactly.” However some fans seem to take things in stride, Laura for example has no problem supporting DC, “ We don’t know what happened between ray and the others, and it’s not our job to investigate and draw conclusions. I love dc, maybe not what they’re doing now but I believe they’ll get their sh*t together eventually. And I’ll be there watching the bad stuff and the good ones.”. Laura’s opinion is not rare, and it’s shared by a lot of DC’s fans, the question remains though… Are those fans enough to lift DC from its tainted past?
“Delay of justice is injustice.” Walter Savage Landor.
I am sure that a day will come where Ray Fisher will get his apology, but when it does will it truly mean anything? Will it fix the tainted mark of the situation left on DC? DC comics struggled a lot with creative freedoms and the inability to trust filmmakers and writers, even going as far as sabotaging their films chasing a good Rotten Tomato score. However, can these things compare to racially motivated bullying against cast members? And are we as fans considered accountable if we continue to support what we once considered our safe space? These questions can only be answered individually? I don’t have the moral answer for you, and I can’t tell you what to do or what to watch? But here’s what I know for sure, the people responsible are hiding behind our passion and love for a brand that once stood for diversity and change, and if that’s the DC you love. Then we should all fight for it to remain this way.