It seems as though the specter of what went on behind the scenes ofJustice Leaguestill lingers in the air, haunting those who had to endure the troubled production. It may be easy to take for granted now that there are 2 different versions of the film for fans to pick and choose from thanks toZack Snyder’s Justice League. But folks didn’t always have the luxury of distancing themselves from certain toxic people if they wanted to enjoy a very specific “superheroes doing stuff” story. Unfortunately, it looks like some people still aren’t able to maintain that distance, as Gal Gadot’s stories about Joss Whedon demonstrate.
Wonder Womanstar Gadot has spoken in the past about the uncomfortable and downright abusive behavior of Whedon on set while filming the theatrical cut ofJustice League. According to her, not only were the previousallegations against Whedon by co-star Ray Fishercompletely true, but the director also treated her and other actors poorly on set. Now, Gadot has spoken out again, and she’s gone into more detail than ever about the sobering experience.
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In an interview with Elle, Gadot revealed how taken aback she was at the disrespectful and degrading ways Whedon spoke to her during production. “I was shocked by the way that he spoke to me,” she said. “You’re dizzy because you can’t believe this was just said to you. And if he says it to me, then obviously he says it to many other people.” This goes pretty well in line with stories shared by stars of Whedon’s otherpast projects likeBuffy the Vampire SlayerandAngel, which offered similar allegations regarding his unprofessional and toxic behavior on their respective sets.
“I was shaking trees as soon as it happened,” Gadot continued before praising the response of the studio. “And I must say that the heads of Warner Bros, they took care of it…Going back to the sense of righteousness that I have…I just did what I felt like I had to do. And it was to tell people that it’s not okay.” Her comments go along with her recently revealed claim thatWhedon even threatened her careerwhen she refused to buckle under his constant pressure.
It’s always extremely disheartening to hear stories like this, particularly when they involve somebody that many people spent much of their lives looking up to. Whedon became a bit of a geek culture icon in the late ’90s and early 2000s, particularly thanks to the aforementioned series as well as others like the cult classicFirefly. His direction of2012’s milestoneAvengersmovieonly seemed to cement that status. So it came as a bit of a shock to many to hear so many toxic stories about him.
Hopefully, however, audiences are willing to listen to those making the allegations. It’s important to listen to and believe victims so that those too afraid to admit what happened to them can feel safe enough to finally come out. Whedon may be a legend to many, but legends aren’t always noble.
