After publicly vowing that he would never work with DC Films president Walter Hamada, Ray Fisher confirmed that Warner Bros. has removed him from the cast of the upcoming DC film The Flash. In a lengthy social-media post on Wednesday, January 13, Fisher went into painstaking detail regarding his dismissal from the film, his months-long battle with WarnerMedia, and, most notably, his negative experiences with Hamada.
After revealing that he would no longer be appearing as Cyborg in the forthcoming film, Fisher said that while he “strongly disagreed with their decision,†it is ultimately “unsurprising.†Fisher has been involved in an investigation with DC’s parent company, WarnerMedia, after accusing director Joss Whedon of allegedly “abusive behavior†and racism on set of reshoots for Justice League. In his post, Fisher accuses Hamada of intentionally spreading lies and misinformation about Fisher and purposefully attempting “to undermine the Justice League investigation, in order to protect his friend, and former co-president Geoff Johns.â€
Fisher goes on to provide a detailed account of how Hamada tried to minimize the misconduct situation in order to protect his colleagues and himself, ultimately claiming that Hamada is not fit to serve as DC president. “I maintain that Walter Hamada is unfit for a position of leadership — and I am willing, at any point, to submit to a polygraph test to support my claims against him,†Fisher writes. “I don’t know how many instance of workplace abuse Walter has attempted to cover in the past, but hopefully the Justice League investigation will be the last.†Fisher ends his screed with the following quote from Emmet Till’s mother Mamie Till-Mobley, a small nod to his next artistic venture, where he will star as Gene Mobley in the ABC miniseries Women of the Movement: “You reach a point in life where you simply must take a stand.†You can read Fisher’s full statement below.
Update, Friday, January 15, at 12:30 p.m.: WarnerMedia has issued the following statement regarding Ray Fisher’s departure from The Flash:
As has been previously stated, an extensive investigation was conducted by an outside law firm, led by a former federal judge who has assured WarnerMedia that there were no impediments to the investigation. Last summer, Mr. Fisher was offered the opportunity to reprise his role as Cyborg in The Flash. Given his statement that he will not participate in any film associated with Mr. Hamada, our production is now moving on. Warner Bros. remains in business with Geoff Johns who continues to produce Stargirl, Batwoman, Doom Patrol, Superman & Lois, and Titans for the studio, among other projects.
Ann Sarnoff, Chair and CEO, WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group, also released a statement regarding Warner Bros investigation:
I believe in Walter Hamada and that he did not impede or interfere in the investigation. Furthermore, I have full confidence in the investigation’s process and findings. Walter is a well-respected leader, known by his colleagues, peers, and me as a man of great character and integrity. As I said in Walter’s recent deal extension announcement, I’m excited about where he’s taking DC Films and look forward to working with him and the rest of the team to build out the DC Multiverse.
Correction: This post previously misstated that Geoff Johns left Warner Bros. Johns stepped down as DC Entertainment President in 2018. He is currently the creator and showrunner of the CW series Stargirl, he co-wrote Wonder Woman 1984, and is an executive producer on several other DC-based series, including Batwoman, Doom Patrol, Titans, and the upcoming CW series, Superman & Lois.