Joss Whedon's panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2020 has been mysteriously removed from the official schedule. Whedon is the prolific creator of such popular shows as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its direct spin-off Angel. He also created such cult favorites as Firefly and Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. Away from the screen, Whedon has had a number of acclaimed runs with Marvel Comics, primarily the X-Men series. In recent years, however, he has shifted primarily to movies. He wrote and directed the MCU's first major team-up in The Avengers. He would also return for its follow-up Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Most recently, Whedon was brought on by Warner Bros to complete production on 2017's DC team-up movie, Justice League. The move saw him helm extensive reshoots, that ultimately altered the film and certain character arcs dramatically. Unfortunately, the results proved less than favorable to fans and critics alike. As a result, the eventually successful "Release the Snyder Cut" campaign was born. In the wake of his cinematic offerings, Whedon pulled away from the spotlight for some time. However, he was set to make a return to the screen with his new HBO show: The Nevers. Though much of that show and its production has remained shrouded in mystery, fresh details were expected to emerge with Comic-Con@Home's scheduled event "A Zoom with Joss Whedon".
Unfortunately, it would appear that the event has been pulled from Comic-Con International's official line-up of events. It was previously set to go live on Youtube at 5 pm PT/8 pm EST, it now is merely not there. Where other canceled events are still listed but noted as no longer happening, Whedon's is simply gone. The link to the specific Youtube page still works, albeit remains private. However, other links that previously offered information on the talk now simply redirects to the main schedule for the day. Screen Rant has reached out to Comic-Con International for comment. As of yet, there has been no word on why Whedon's talk has been removed.
However, the most likely reason is the recent allegations that have emerged in recent weeks. Though Whedon was previously accused of abusive tendencies by his ex-wife, Kai Cole, further stories have come to light. The most recent charge was sparked by Ray Fisher. Having landed the role of Victor Stone (aka. Cyborg) on Zack Snyder's Justice League, his role was heavily reduced in Whedon's reshoots. Despite being firmly constrained by an NDA, Fisher expressed that he prioritized accountability over entertainment (and even his film career). As such, he went on record to discuss his time working with Whedon. After firstly retracting a previous statement of praise for the writer/director, he went on to label him as "gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable."
Some of Whedon's past collaborators - such as Alan Tudyk - have come out in Whedon's defense. Conversely, many others who worked on Justice League have come out to support Fisher and back up his statements. Members of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer stunt team also recounted their own negative experiences. Even cult director Kevin Smith shared what he had heard from the set. In the wake of such statements, Whedon has pulled significantly back on his social media presence. As such, his almost secretive stepping back from taking part in the panel likely follows that track. Then again, it could well be that the organizers pulled him out of solidarity. Either way, many will no doubt still check the San Diego Comic-Con 2020 Youtube channel when the scheduled time comes, just in case it was a mistake and still occurs.
Source: Comic-Con International