Joss Whedon talked about his failed DC Comic movie projects at the world premiere of Avengers: Infinity War of all places Monday night. The movie director discussed his thoughts on his controversial Wonder Woman script from 2007 and what led to his departure from the Batgirl film earlier this year.
Whedon’s Wonder Woman script leaked to the internet last June around the time the well-received Patty Jenkins directed and Allan Heinberg scripted film hit theaters. The same could not be said of Whedon’s treatment as it was lambasted on social media as being sexist with too much focus on Steve Trevor.
“I don’t know which parts people didn’t like but I went and re-read the script after I heard there was a backlash. I think it’s great,” Whedon told Variety in a red carpet interview at the Avengers: Infinity War premiere.
“It’s easy to take one phrase out of context,” he added while admitting he was not the most “woke” individual at the time.
“The movie has integrity and the characters have integrity and I stand by it,” he concluded.
Joss Whedon addresses the online criticism of his “Wonder Woman” script (Watch) https://t.co/8yElDD3WpG pic.twitter.com/EE7CzyYMy9
— Variety (@Variety) April 24, 2018
The Wonder Woman script leak caused concern among some in the DC Comics fandom with how Whedon would develop the Batgirl film. These concerns were further fueled just a couple of months later when ex-wife, Kai Cole, blasted Whedon’s claims of being a feminist while accusing him of having multiple affairs with women all the way back to the days he was producing the Buffy: The Vampire television show.
Whedon eventually stepped away from the Batgirl movie this past February and stating he didn’t have a story for the project. He clarified what he meant by that with Variety .
“I felt that it had been a year since I had first pitched the [ Batgirl ] story. A lot happened in that year and I felt some of the elements might not work as well. The story just kind of crumbled in my hands. There were elements that I hadn’t mastered and after a long time I felt I wasn’t going to.”
“I told people I didn’t have an idea, which isn’t the exact truth,” Whedon explained. “I had an idea and… it didn’t fit in the space that was left for it.”
Joss Whedon explains why he left the “Batgirl” movie (Watch) https://t.co/tIV7Qvsnen pic.twitter.com/yjJ2F7CqAj
— Variety (@Variety) April 24, 2018
The ideas Whedon had for the Batgirl script were reportedly based on “The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl!” storyline from the DC Comics books. Unforgettable and Bumblebee: The Movie screenwriter Christina Hodson has since been tapped to take up the screenwriting duties for Batgirl and it is unknown what direction she will take the superheroine. However, the movie is currently in development limbo as Warner Bros. focuses on churning out other DC Universe projects like stand-alone films for Justice League members Aquaman, Batman, Flash, and Cyborg plus extending the universe with The New Gods , Nightwing , Green Lantern Corps , and much more.