Joss Whedon Exit's HBO's 'The Nevers' & Ray Fisher Alleges It's Because Of 'Justice League' Controversy

Joss Whedon is back in the news, but it isn’t related to the ongoing “Justice League” controversy. Or is it? You see, the filmmaker confirmed that he’s stepping away from showrunning duties on his upcoming HBO series, “The Nevers.” But according to Ray Fisher, this news has nothing to do with Whedon’s reasons for leaving and everything to do with “Justice League.” Confused yet? Keep reading.

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THR reports that HBO and Joss Whedon have agreed to part ways on the production of the upcoming Victorian-era supernatural series, “The Nevers,” which is currently being worked on and is expected to debut next summer on the premium network. The reasons for his departure seem to be where the real story lies, however. It appears that we have three statements about the departure, each painting a different picture.

The first comes from HBO, which said, “We have parted ways with Joss Whedon. We remain excited about the future of ‘The Nevers’ and look forward to its premiere in the summer of 2021.” This statement raises a few red flags due to the language used (“parted ways”), which implies the decision might not have been as mutual as Whedon would like you to believe. It’s just vague enough that it can be read as a firing, a mutual agreement, or almost a reprimand about his work on the forthcoming HBO series.

READ MORE: ‘Justice League’ Ray Fisher Says Only One Cyborg Scene Shot By Zack Snyder Made It To The Theatrical Cut

Whedon, on the other hand, would like fans to believe the decision to leave the show came 100% from him. In his statement, he said, “This year of unprecedented challenges has impacted my life and perspective in ways I could never have imagined, and while developing and producing ‘The Nevers’ has been a joyful experience, I realize that the level of commitment required moving forward, combined with the physical challenges of making such a huge show during a global pandemic, is more than I can handle without the work beginning to suffer. I am genuinely exhausted, and am stepping back to martial my energy towards my own life, which is also at the brink of exciting change. I am deeply proud of the work we have done; I’m grateful to all my extraordinary cast and collaborators, and to HBO for the opportunity to shape yet another strange world. ‘The Nevers’ is a true labor of love, but after two plus years of labor, love is about all I have to offer. It will never fade.”

Okay, so Whedon left because he’s tired and thought that the show would suffer if he wasn’t able to give it his all. It’s the integrity move, right? Well, “Justice League” actor Ray Fisher, who has been battling Whedon in a months-long investigation alleging the filmmaker was abusive on set, went to social media to claim that the departure of Whedon from “The Nevers” is the direct result of the “Justice League” investigation and is showing that WarnerMedia (the parent company of HBO) is beginning to distance itself from the filmmaker.

In a tweet, Fisher alleged, “I have no intention of allowing Joss Whedon to use the old Hollywood tactic of ‘exiting,’ ‘stepping down,’ or ‘walking away’ to cover for his terrible behavior. WarnerMedia’s [‘Justice League’] investigation has been in full swing for over 3 weeks now. This is undoubtedly a result of it.”

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So, which is it? Normally, you’d automatically throw out Whedon’s statement and Ray Fisher’s statement, because they basically cancel each other out. The seemingly unbiased reason should come from HBO/WarnerMedia, but that statement is vague and could back up the claims of both people. Basically, without a definitive word from WarnerMedia, you can either take Whedon’s word for it or Fisher’s. Either way, the “Justice League” controversy isn’t going away anytime soon, huh?