Warner Bros. Home Entertainment tweeted a Black History Month tribute today “spotlighting some of our favorite DC characters” including Will Smith’s Deadshot, Jurnee Smollett’s Black Canary and Idris Elba’s Bloodsport. Fans began responding with photos of Ray Fisher as Cyborg in Warner Bros. Justice League and sent #IStandWithRayFisher trending on Twitter.
It wasn’t long before Fisher himself chimed in, retweeting the Warners post with the message, “OR….you could try spotlighting an apology to the non-fictional Black people affected by your company’s racist and discriminatory practices.”
Warner Bros. declined comment on this latest social media post, but WarnerMedia Studios CEO Ann Sarnoff addressed the situation last March: “Our investigator, Judge Katherine Forrest, has issued statements specifically about Walter Hamada, saying that there was no evidence of interference by Walter in the investigation. She said that the cuts made in the Joss Whedon version of Justice League were not racially-motivated. We took it very seriously, so we hired one of the top investigators out there and gave her a tremendous amount of leeway.”
In the statement from former Federal Judge Forrest, she said: “I have been asked by Warner Media to provide a statement regarding whether my investigation revealed supported evidence as to racial animus or insensitivity as to race or disability, and with regard to such allegations specifically directed at Jon Berg, Geoff Johns and Toby Emmerich. My investigation involved more than 80 interviews, the review of thousands of pages of documents, and over 2000 hours of work by me and my colleagues. I and my staff reached out twice to every member of the cast and crew involved in the Justice League reshoots (more than 600 people), as well all of the individuals Ray Fisher specifically requested we interview. We spoke with every individual who would speak with us and all of the people that Mr. Fisher asked us to speak with. I found no credible support for claims of racial animus or racial or disability insensitivity.”
OR….you could try spotlighting an apology to the non-fictional Black people affected by your company’s racist and discriminatory practices 🤷🏽♂️ https://t.co/8XATzekxar
— Ray Fisher (@ray8fisher) February 19, 2022
Fisher has repeatedly called out the studio and director Joss Whedon, who replaced Zack Snyder on Justice League, tearing into the studio on social media for what he called Whedon’s “gross and abusive” behavior on the film and the support Whedon received from Warners’ Toby Emmerich, producers Geoff Johns and Jon Berg and D.C. Films boss Walter Hamada. WarnerMedia conducted an internal probe in late 2020 at Fisher’s urging and later announced that the “investigation into the Justice League movie has concluded and remedial action has been taken.”
It’s not the first time Fisher has ripped Warner Bros. on social media. When, in the wake of the Derek Chauvin trial verdict last year, the studio voiced its “commitment to be a part of the solution by using our platforms…to advance racial equity and social justice,” Fisher replied ““How f*cking DARE YOU @WarnerMedia?!?!?! Oh, now I’m pissed…”
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