Joss Whedon‘s reputation has been on rocky ground for several years now, but recent allegations of on-set misconduct have pretty much destroyed all the goodwill that the writer/producer/director had amassed from being the man behind the likes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Avengers.
First, Justice League‘s Ray Fisher publicly blasted Whedon, kickstarting an internal investigation at Warner Bros., and then Buffy‘s Charisma Carpenter told her own troubling story of working for him. Fellow Buffyverse stars went on to chime in with their own experiences, too.
There doesn’t seem to be much chance of Whedon finding employment on another blockbuster again, then, but the filmmaker is reportedly trying to generate some new work for himself in Hollywood all the same. Tipster Daniel Richtman shared a rumor on his Patreon page that the Age of Ultron director is aiming to get himself “un-blacklisted” and is talking to producers and other close friends in the industry, though he notes that Whedon is unlikely to succeed.
The filmmaker has so far refused to comment on any of the allegations levelled against him in any capacity, including going silent on social media. He’s stepped away from HBO’s incoming series The Nevers as well, which he created and exec produced, but his statement to the press concerning the news claimed that it was his decision and he elected to exit due to exhaustion. Ray Fisher has argued that he was just attempting to save face, however, and he was removed as a result of WB’s internal investigation.
Joss Whedon‘s fall from grace looks set to serve as a warning to other major Hollywood figures who abuse their power that no matter their status in the industry, even if they’ve made one of the biggest movies and one of the most celebrated TV shows of all time, they’ll still be held accountable for their actions.
