The conflict between Warner Bros. and Ray Fisher have exiled his Cyborg from the DCEU, but the Snyder Cut of Justice League demands his return. While Fisher had been acting on the stage since 2008, it wasn't until 2017's Justice League that he got his first major big-screen role, after making a quick cameo in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. Unfortunately, what Zack Snyder and writer Chris Terrio had designed to be a large, complex journey for Fisher's Cyborg was heavily cut down and altered after Snyder was replaced by Joss Whedon.

Cyborg's characterization was badly damaged as a result, making him into a mere background player for much of Justice League's story. Following Justice League, Fisher landed his next big role as the son of Mahershala Ali's elderly investigator on the acclaimed season 3 of HBO's True Detective. Fisher seemed destined to hit further heights and eventually graduate to leading parts, that was until his 2020 decision to publicly call out Warner Bros. and DC brass over the allegedly abusive treatment he received from Whedon during Justice League's reshoots.

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Fisher's Cyborg was eventually removed from plans for The Flash solo movie after he publicly targeted DC Films executive Walter Hamada for allegedly enabling Whedon's inappropriate conduct. However, Fisher recently returned in a high-profile way with the Snyder Cut, and has received lots of praise for his work within it. With that in mind, the DCEU really needs to bring Cyborg back.

Without The Flash, Ray Fisher's Cyborg Has No Appearances Slated

the Flash ray fisher DCEU cyborg

As mentioned, Ray Fisher was originally planned to appear in The Flash movie, set for release on November 4, 2022. That film will properly introduce the multiverse concept to the DCEU, with two different versions of Batman set to appear, those being played by Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton. Interestingly, the Snyder Cut beat Flash to the punch a bit in that regard, making multiple mentions of and allusions to the multiverse already.

With Fisher's Cyborg appearance in The Flash canceled though, there's been no further indication that he'll be used in the DCEU. Instead of Cyborg having a large arc through Snyder's 5-part plan as well as spin-offs like The Flash and a solo Cyborg movie as originally planned, it now looks like Cyborg may be erased from the DCEU's future entirely. While Warner Bros. and DC Films could certainly try recasting the role, the media giants might be surprised to find that DC fans aren't keen on that idea being put into action, especially after the Snyder Cut of Justice League.

They Can't Recast Cyborg After That Performance

Cyborg Speaking With Wonder Woman - Zack Snyder's Justice League

While the accusations of abusive behavior by Joss Whedon and enabling by Warner Bros. executives are damning, the fact is, there's two sides to the story, and WB maintains that, while some issues were uncovered and "remedial actions" were taken, some of Fisher's claims weren't able to be confirmed by WarnerMedia's independent investigator. Still, it's definitely true that many find Fisher to be both credible and empathetic, and salute him for being brave enough to speak his truth to power, even while knowing it may well harm his young career in Hollywood. Most people love an underdog, and Fisher is definitely that against the behemoth known as Warner Media.

Related: Every Canceled DCEU Movie Set Up In Zack Snyder's Justice League

Now, after the Snyder Cut's release, the empathy factor can be coupled with Fisher's widely praised performance as Victor Stone/Cyborg in the film, finally allowed to spread his wings as a character. Fisher showed great range, turning in an emotional, engaging, and multi-faceted take on the Justice League's most tragic member. Attempting to recast Cyborg after that performance and in the face of his allegations against the studio would face intense backlash, as would Fisher never getting to play the character again.

His Development Was So Good Audiences Will Want To See More

Cyborg silas stone Snydercut

While the Snyder Cut is almost universally seen as better than the theatrical cut of Justice League, it's certainly not a hit with everyone. As with most Zack Snyder films, it's earned wide-ranging reactions. One thing most seem to agree on though is that Cyborg's story, and Fisher's performance telling it, is one of the Snyder Cut's biggest wins. Cyborg at times felt more like a plot device than a character in the Whedon Cut, and really got short-changed when it came to development and time to stand in the spotlight.

In the Snyder Cut, Cyborg is suddenly one of the most important characters, if not arguably the most important, and doesn't play second fiddle to his more famous teammates. It would an absolute shame to see the saga of Fisher's Cyborg end there, and it would be in the DCEU's best interests to bring him back for further adventures, and offer a chance to fully grieve the death of his father Silas onscreen as well. The original plan for the character was for him to become one of the most powerful characters in the DC universe, comparable to Doctor Manhattan. While Warner Bros. says they don't plan to continue with Snyder's plan, the future of this character still deserves to be explored.

Warner Bros. Owes Him a Role Back

Cyborg Digging Up Superman's Coffin - Zack Snyder's Justice League

As fans will recall, when Cyborg was written out of The Flash, Fisher made it known that he strongly disagreed with that decision, and many believed the move was retaliation against the actor for going after DC Films president Walter Hamada. While not everyone is on Fisher's side, many are, and they think it's highly unfair that he lost a role due to blowing the whistle on bad behavior, supporting him with hashtags like #IStandWithRayFisher. That's not how situations like that are supposed to work, at least in theory, although the reality of such outcomes is often disappointing.

Add to that Warner Bros.' steadfast refusal to actually disclose the results of its investigation in any kind of detail, or reveal what steps were taken to hold anyone possibly found guilty of misconduct to account, and the company has seen its image a bit tarnished since this whole issue began. The smartest things to do would be to mend fences with Fisher, reinstate him as Cyborg, be more upfront about what the investigation discovered, and keep Fisher and Hamada out of each other's way. That would be the preferred endgame for many DC devotees, and is by no means impossible to accomplish, even at this stage.

Next: The Snyder Cut Proves WB Killed Their Best Chance to Compete With Marvel

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