Approximately six years ago, a Cyborg movie was announced for an April 3, 2020 release. The film was announced alongside the rest of DCEU’s originally planned slate of films, and like many of those films, it fell by the wayside as the years went by.
No director or screenwriter was ever attached to the Cyborg film, and while Warner Brothers never officially canned the project, they’ve also never announced plans to bring the project back. After the disappointment of Justice League, many assumed that the film was dead before it even truly began development.
However, there may be hope for the Cyborg movie yet, but to understand why the film could be re-prioritized by Warner Brothers, we have to look at Ray Fisher’s journey as Victor Stone so far.
The Cyborg Saga Begins
Ray Fisher’s first ever film role was in Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice, getting his start in theatrical productions of To Kill A Mockingbird and Fetch Clay, Make Man before being brought on as Victor Stone, better known as Cyborg, in the DC Extended Universe.
His cameo appearance in Batman V Superman shed light on Cyborg’s origin story and his relationship with his father Silas Stone (Joe Morton). While I can’t say that the scene fit organically into the film, as a Cyborg fan, it did make me giddy with excitement. I grew up on the classic Teen Titans TV series, so seeing Ray Fisher bringing Vic Stone to life on the big screen for the first time was a genuine dream come true. Justice League was just around the corner, and anticipation for the continuation of the DCEU Cyborg story was sky high.
“And Ray’s story is in a lot of the ways the heart of the movie. Ray’s story is in a lot of the ways the heart of the movie.”
-Zack Snyder
The minds behind Batman V Superman and Justice League, Zack Snyder and Chris Terrio, kept Fisher involved in the creative direction of the Stone family story before a script for the team-up movie was even completed. The original story appears to have been very Cyborg-centric, with a lot of time and attention focused on Stone’s origin. That promised to be an emotionally rich tale of loss, both of identity and of loved ones, and the struggle towards self-acceptance and eventually heroism. That story was certainly not the one Cyborg fans witnessed when Justice League hit theaters in 2017.
RELATED: HEARTWARMING JUSTICE LEAGUE CAST REACTIONS TO THE SNYDER CUT ANNOUNCEMENT
Ray Fisher’s story was radically altered and cut down by Joss Whedon after he was brought on for reshoots. Victor Stone’s story was a tonally unbalanced and an underdeveloped mess that almost universally disappointed fans. The only consistently positive aspect of Cyborg’s story in Whedon’s theatrical cut of Justice League was his stunning design.
Fisher did the best with what he had, but what he had was a far cry from the original story he signed up for. As Fisher is both a friend of Snyder’s and longtime fan of the Cyborg character, I can only imagine how heartbreaking it must have been for him to watch his breakout role wither into the disappointment it eventually became.
The 2020 Cyborg Resurgence
There were practically no updates on the status of Cyborg’s future until the Arrowverse’s Crisis On Infinite Earths crossover this year. Ezra Miller’s Flash appeared and name dropped Victor, confirming that Fisher’s character was still an active part of the DCEU. A few months later, Zack Snyder’s Justice League was announced, confirming Fisher/Cyborg’s unique return to the DCEU. Personally, I am thrilled and extremely excited to see Cyborg’s original story debut on HBO Max in 2021.
Being part of such an impressive ensemble of heroes in an adaptation as important as the Flashpoint story line is notable. The upcoming Flash film is intended to serve as a soft reboot of the DCEU through it’s use of the multiverse, is guaranteed to boost Cyborg’s brand appeal.
RELATED: MARC GUGGENHEIM EXPLAINS HOW THE SHOCKING EZRA MILLER CRISIS CAMEO HAPPENED
Ray Fisher is a powerful actor who cares deeply about his character and the franchise as a whole. He more than deserves his time in the limelight, and while nothing’s set in stone (no pun intended), the future hasn’t been this bright for Cyborg in years.
Would you like to see a Cyborg solo movie? Are you excited to see him in Zack Snyder’s Justice League and The Flash? Let us know in the comments below or on our social media.
KEEP READING: THE SNYDER CUT IS OFFICIALLY COMING TO HBOMAX IN 2021: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
