January 15, 2021 by Daily Planet

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Volume 8 | Issue 2

January 15, 2021

FANS PLAN AN ONLINE CAMPAIGN IN SUPPORT OF AMY ADAMS

Warner removes Ray Fisher from future projects

By Zack Benz Daily Planet new trend seems to be emerging on social media faster than a speeding b u l l e t . H a s h t a g c a mpaigns are becoming a societal norm. These movements are created to reinstate icons into their deserved roles, urge studios into releasing director cuts and show all out support and love for characters and their respective portrayers. Last year, and earlier this month, the Daily Planet reported on such crusades as #HenryCavillSuperman, #ReleaseTheAyerCut and #RealeaseTheSnyderCut. Now we’re covering one very close to our hearts, #AmyAdamsLoisLane. Show runners also revealed that the shows premiere date has been pushed back to Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021. It was originally slated for mid-January. The series introductory episode, and every seasonal chapter after that, will be available to stream for free the follow. A group of podcasters, who maintain and produce Bitter Geeks Podcast, are looking to call attention to an otherwise under appreciated character in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) come

By Lois Lane Daily Planet

Academy Award nominee Amy Adams has played Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Lois Lane since See Lois Page 4 “Man of Steel” in 2013. She has since reprised her role two other times. Photo curtesy Warner

On Wednesday Cyborg actor ray sher shared a letter over Twitter stating he has been cut from ‘The Flash,’ along with other possible future projects. In a statement to Deadline, Warner con rmed his removal saying it was, in part, due to Fisher’s refusal to work with DC Films head Walter Hamada. Hamada became president of DC Films in 2018, after “Justice League” rst debuted in theaters to mixed reviews and low box of ce returns. His contract was renewed for another three years earlier this month. “Walter Hamada is the most dangerous kind of enabler,” Fisher tweeted on Dec. 30, 2020 in response to a New York T i m e s i n te r v i e w w i t h Hamada. “He lies, and WB PR’s failed Sept. 4th hitpiece, sought to undermine the very real issues of the ‘Justice League’ investigation. I will not participate in any production associated with him.” Fisher rst revealed his problems with the studio this past July when the actor accused Joss Whedon of exhibiting “gross,

abusive, unprofessional and completely unacceptable” behavior on set during reshoots for the 2017 op, Justice League. Warner Bros. followed with a third party investigation into the allegations which resulted in “remedial actions.” During said investigation, Fisher reportedly refused to take part and his new issues with Walter Hamada surfaced. In the letter, which is included on page 3, Fisher expressed his thoughts on Hamada has undermined investigations into condit i o n s o n t h e J u s t i c e League set, speci cally to protect creative head Geoff Johns. Previously, Fisher has stated Whedon was enabled by DC Creative Geoff Johns and Producer Jon Berg in “many ways.” Soon after sharing his letter, fans of the Cyborg actor had #IStandWithRayFisher trending. “As has been previously stated, an extensive investigation was conducted by an outside law rm, led by a former federal judge who has assured WarnerMedia that there were no impediments to the investigation,” a See Cyborg Page 3

Fans campaign for the Ayer Cut of ‘Suicide Squad’ By Brendan Rooney Daily Planet

theatrical release of the l m . T h e S n y d e r Cu t campaign proved to be a rousing success, culminating in the announcement on May 20, 2020 that the director’s cut of Justice League will be ofcially coming out, and it will arrive on the HBO Max streaming platform in March 2021. W h e n a s ke d a b o u t what the Ayer Cut or director’s vision from David Ayer truly means to fans, I received this response from the account behind

fan campaign to release the director’s cut of “Suicide Squad” is gaining major momentum, with a big trending event for the # R e l e a s eT h e A y e r C u t hashtag planned for Jan. 16, 2021 on Twitter. The movement has been ramping up since the momentous height of the Release the Snyder Cut campaign back on Nov. 17, 2019 for the twoyear anniversary of the

the movement (@CutAyer) on Twitter: “It means a lot, I enjoyed the theatrical cut for what it is but knew it was missing a lot of the original tone and many Joker scenes, in particular, Leto played the most comic accurate Joker to date in my opinion so it would be awesome to nally see his true performance.” Reportedly, Ayer was locked out of the editing booth and the trailer, and See Ayer Cut page 3

Task Force X, otherwise known as the Suicide Squad, is a team of villains and antiheroes recruited by the United States government. Photo curtesy Warner Media

Ben Af eck reveals why he donned the cowl By Brendan Rooney Daily Planet

retrospective of his career so far, and Af eck felt it was time to explain and reveal what was truly going on behind the scenes and why he chose the elusive role of the Dark Knight. Many fans felt con icted about the casting of Af eck to play the iconic character. However, Af eck has stirringly stated, “I did Batman because I wanted to do it for my kids”. It should also be noted that

Ben Af eck sat down with Scott Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter for an interview podcast s h ow c a l l e d “Awa rd s Chatter” as part of the promotional tour and awards campaign to get his most recently released lm A Way Back (2020) to be considered for lm award nominations. The conversation covered a

Af eck closed a picture deal with Warner Bros. to once again don the cape and cowl and play the character in The Flash which is currently slated for release in 2022. W h e n a s ke d a b o u t what the character truly meant to him, Af eck commented, “I wanted to do something that my son would dig, I mean, my kids didn’t see Argo.” Afeck then went on to explain that “[the director]

Zack [Synder] wanted to do a version of the Frank Miller Dark Knight graphic novel series, which is a really good version of that. Unfortunately, there are a lot of reasons why things go the way they do in the movie business, and just because your face is on the poster doesn’t mean that you’re dictating all of those things — and even if you were, that they

See Batman Page 3

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The Daily Planet is where heroes are born and the story continues. We are proud to report on the planet, daily. The Planet is a nonpro t news organization inspired by DC Comics. Our organization prides itself on journalistic integrity. We hope to help inform the world in order to make it a better place. All of our writers and content contributors are volunteers from across the globe with a passion for comics, writing, news and entertainment. The Daily Planet has always been a beacon of hope for our publisher, Zack Benz. It is his life’s mission to make it shine in a similar light to so many around the world. We’re a voice for the people by the people. Except as noted, all books, titles, characters, character names, slogans, logos, and related indicia are trademarks and copyright of DC Comics and/or WildStorm Productions, an imprint of DC Comics. We are not paid for, sponsored by, or af liated with DC Comics or Warner Brothers. The Daily Planet logo was originally designed by Jason Sweers. The DC logo is a trademark of DC Comics.

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January 15, 2021

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Cyborg continued from ed with Mr. Hamada, our production is now moving page 1 on. Warner Bros. remains s p o ke s p e r s o n s a i d to in business with Geoff Deadline. “Last summer, Johns who continues to Mr. Fisher was offered the produce Stargirl, Batopportunity to reprise his woman, Doom Patrol, Surole as Cyborg in The perman & Lois, and Titans Flash. Given his statement for the studio, among that he will not partici- other projects.” According to Fisher, his pate in any lm associatresponsibilities during

this investigation have always been about protecting “those who were brave enough to lend their voice to the ‘Justice League’ investigation.” Fisher stated that he wants to use what little power he has left to ensure workplace behavior exhibited by of cials during the Justice League

reshoots of 2017 never happens again. “I believe in Walter Hamada and that he did not impede or interfere in the investigation,” Ann Sarnoff, the Chair and CEO of WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group also said in a statement. “Furthermore, I have full con dence in the investi-

gation’s process and ndings. Walter is a well-respected leader, known by his colleagues, peers, and me as a man of great character and integrity. As I said in Walter’s recent d e a l e x t e n s i o n a nnouncement, I’m excited about where he’s taking DC Films and look forward to working with him

and the rest of the team to build out the DC Multiverse.” What the ongoing conict means for the entire DC Extended Universe remains unclear but reports suggest Warner is trying to move past the entire con ict.

Ray Fishers full letter in response to WarnerMedia’s decision to move on from the actor. Photo’s curtesy Ray Fishers social media Ayer Cut continued from the lm after it was abandoned, and expressed page 1 con dence in its quality in t h e c o m p a n y s u b s e- a tweet: “It’s re. It’s the quently recut the movie. tone of the ComicCon The Ayer Cut possesses an trailer 100 percent.” “David was forced to original music score play along with the studio rather than song soundtrack and there’s more and therefore had to b a c ks to r y w i t h J a r e d make out the lm we saw Leto’s Joker. Fans are cu- as his own,” those behind rious to see it because the movement stated. one of the biggest issues “We just need to keep infor many was the block- forming people about what really went down busters pacing. David Ayer, the director with ‘Suicide Squad.’” The fan campaign will of the “Suicide Squad” continue their strong lm, has stated that the stand in the pursuit of the cut is real and in existence lm, led by the Twitter and noted that he recently watched his version of accounts @RTAyerCutSS and @CutAyer.

The account @CutAyer reported: “For this trending event @Itssan17 @LadislavMalec & myself set it up but since then we have had a ton of supporters submit posters and help out to hopefully get the event trending on January 16. The movement would also like to mention @MelSiggy & @ColdBloodedJoke & @NERDXCORE1 aka Hero Bishop — they have been awesome supporters of the event since the beginning. So, stay tuned for Jan 16th, 2021, and use the hashtag #ReleaseTheAyerCut!”

–– Join the Daily Planet –– DailyPlanetDC.com is looking for talented collaborators and contributors to work with. Artists, writers, videographers, podcasters and every other creator on the planet is welcome to join an already amazing team and community. Publishing with the Daily Planet get’s your work recognized by a largely diverse audience and it’s an excellent way for creators to grow their portfolios for future career goals. The Daily Planet also offers the opportunity for collaboration. If you’re trying to create your own brand, podcast or news source we’d be happy to help. The Planet is bigger than just @DailyPlanetDC. Reporting on the planet, daily means sharing stories from everyone. Batman continued from clear to see that a variety of factors were causing a page 1 schism in Af eck regard, that they would go well.” ing his mental health and Af eck continued, “I wore professional career as an the suit to my son’s birth- actor. Reporter Luiz Fernando day par ty, which was commented on Twitter: worth every moment of s u f f e r i n g o n J u s t i c e “Both Ben & Gal got things sorted out taking League.” In addition to the rea- the issue to the highersoning as to why Af eck ups back then. Ben probdecided to take on the ably negotiated to end his major role. He also re- contract and was allowed vealed that during the to do other stuff. Gal & lming of Justice League Patty got full control over an alcohol addiction was WW. Ray took a different starting to return. “I start- approach. Maybe that’s ed drinking too much why he’s getting different around the time of Justice results.” Fernando also League, and it’s a hard added, “I think that he thing to confront and face [Ray Fisher] could have and deal with.” It was had a better outcome if

Ben Af eck as Bruce Wayne in Justice League. Photo curtesy Warner Media

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The campaign commences at the provided date and times above. Manager wish for participants to remain respectful while requesting the directors cut. Photo curtesy campaign heads twitter

he tried to speak with the WB higher-ups, instead of taking this case to the DCFilms leadership who were responsible for Joss coming in at the end of the day.” As of now, Jason Momoa, Gal Gadot, and Ray Fisher have commented on their harrowing experience of Justice League, which notoriously underwent radical reshoots as part of major studio notes and rewrites. Ben Af eck will appear in the director’s cut, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, which premieres on HBO Max in March 2021.

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Lois Lane continued from caster, Danielle, a DCEU fan from Minnesota, said page 1 her favorite overarching theme through the cineJan. 31, 2021 –– Lois Lane. The #AmyAdamsLois- matic universe is the foLane event is set for Jan. cus on love connections 31, to close out the rst and interpersonal relamonth of 2021 by cele- tionships. This is especialb ra t i n g s o m e o n e ex- ly true when it comes to tremely important to the Lois and Clark. “I nd Amy’s interpretaDCEU. On Feb. 14, Valention of the character really tine’s Day, the group plans to celebrate DC’s unique,” Danielle said rst couple with another about Lois Lane in the trending event, #Zack- DCEU. “She’s recognizable SnydersClois. According as Lois Lane but, because to organizers, this love she’s allowed to be so story is one of the pivotal much more contempoparts in Zack Snyder’s rary, she re ects a lot of Superman trilogy, in the the nuances of conteme n t i r e D C E U , a n d i t porary working women in should be celebrated as the way she embodies and uses femininity.” such. Danielle appreciates Bitter Geeks Podcast, originally called DC Films how Amy’s Lois can delivPodcast, was started by er lines like “if we’re done Californian, Nick. His pas- measuring dicks,” drinks sion for DC, and all things her liquor straight and nerdy, lead to his forma- demands equality with tion of the podcast of to- such strength. “She has these incrediday. ble soft edges that I relate “As time went on I brought on more people to,” Danielle said. “Like to the podcast who also most Lois Lane’s, she’s an shared that same level of expression of feminine love and interest in these strength, but Amy I feel characters,” Nick said. “A takes it further. Her Lois is common thing we all extremely tender and exshared was our apprecia- p r e s s e s h e r e m p a t h y tion and admiration of outwardly.” Fellow Bitter Geeks Lois Lane as a character.” P o dcaster Le-Ann, a Nick has been a fan of Canadian, bounced beLois Lane since he was 12 tween different fandoms years old. “Lois is as important to until nally settling in the me as Superman is,” Nick DCEU. “I’ve travelled – for lack said. “Both characters of a better word – behave always been a package deal for me. So no tween fandoms for nearly matter what project of 20 years and found myself Superman I’ve watched, with a reinvigorated pasor have been interested in sion for Lois and Clark over the years, I have al- when ‘Man of Steel’ and ways looked at how they ‘Batman v Superman’ bring in Lois and see if were released,” Le-Ann they properly treat her as stated. “It had been a while since I was deeply the equal.” Lois Lane is portrayed engaged with media, but by Academy Award nom- these DCEU lms really inee Amy Adams in the touched me in a way that DCEU. Adams has played previous Superman conthe character since “Man tent hadn’t done before. of Steel” in 2013 and many Although they are not the fans would like to see only characters that I more of her. Adams had adore, Lois and Clark have tried out for the role mul- always held a special tiple times over the past place in my heart.” According to Le-Ann, few years and was nally be ttingly chosen to play she has been a fan of Amy the reporter of steel by before she even was cast to portray Lois Lane. Zack Snyder. “I was already a huge Cohost of Bitter Geeks Podcast, Ar tyom, is a fan of Amy,” Le-Ann statRussian gamer, “weeb” ed. “I was absolutely ecand, what he deems most static when it was animportant, a passionate nounced that she was goZack Snyder fan. He’s the ing to be Lois Lane, howoriginal mastermind be- ever many years ago that hind the Amy Adams / announcement was, and I was very excited to see Lois Lane campaign. “Amy Adams’ version is what she was going to special in many ways, but bring to the role.” Le-Ann’s expectations I think what stands out to were already heightened me the most is that she b r e a k s f r e e o f s o m e when Amy’s casting was things that are outdated announced and, accordby today, primalry her re- ing to her, all of them lationship with Clark,” were met, if not exceeded. “Amy brought such a Artyom said. “I like that warmth to the role that I she is straightforward, she felt hadn’t quite been doesn’t take crap f rom achieved by others playanyone, even if you are a Kryptonian militant, and ing her,” Le-Ann said. “She she gures out Clark’s se- had a soft yet assertive presence that absolutely cret all on her own.” Artyom stated that the dominated every time she audience wasn’t forced to was on screen. Yes, it was suffer through the classic a Superman lm, but I love triangle between was captivated.” This is what led to LeLois, Clark and Superman. “I like that Man of Steel Ann calling for Amy’s regave a lot of information turn with #AmyAdamsabout what kind of per- LoisLane. “It’s a no brainer,” Leson Clark is through Lois’ investigation,” Artyom Ann said. “To me, there is said. “My favorite quote is no Superman story with‘The only way you could out Lois Lane. Amy’s Lois disappear is to stop help- is one of a kind. This was a ing people and I sense lightning strikes once sitthat’s not an option for uation, and I don’t think she gets enough attenyou.'” According to Artyom, tion for what she brings to this truly showed how this role and to the entire great a reporter Lois actu- DCEU universe.” Artyom feels similarly. ally is. He nds Amy’s interpretaArtyom’s fellow podtion extremely unique.

This is what pushed him to help create the movement. “DC Comics announced a series of love stories dedicated to various OTP (one true pairings) from that universe,” Artyom said. “Would it be a surprise for you learn that Superman and Lois Lane are not featured there? It wasn’t for me, but still pissed me off enough to make me want organise an event for #ZackSnydersClois to get trending on Valentine’s Day.” According to Artyom, #AmyAdamsLoisLane is meant to be a precursor to the main event scheduled for Valentines Day. “When I suggested [the Valentines event], a person replied to me with a suggestion that to lead to such an event it will be symbolic to get #AmyAdamsLoisLane trending, especially with #HenryCavillSuperman trending right before,” Ar tyom stated. “So it will be like

gether and show our support for Amy, I couldn’t say no,” Le-Ann said. “Like he said, there has never been an event for her in this fandom before. She is so crucial to this universe and, at least to me, it is so important that she gets the recognition.” Danielle feels like many fans seem to leave Lois, who is admittedly (by everyone involved in this interview) a superhero in her own right, gets left behind when it comes to fan movements. “Lots of people seem really intent on cutting her out of her own story and think that they can have Superman without Lois,” Danielle stated “And we all know that Lois works without Superman but Superman doesn’t work without Lois.” Danielle hopes that Warner Bros., executives, producers and everyone else involved recognizes this

we get both members of Clois (Clark and Lois’s ‘ship’ name) trending separately rst and then we celebrate their love story.” With utmost importance, Artyom said, “Amy Adams as Lois Lane never had an event in this fandom before. It was extremely important to remind about her importance with Zack Snyder’s Justice League coming.” “I think Lois Lane is a character that is constantly brought up in discussion within the members of the podcast, even if we aren’t speci cally talking about the DCEU,” Le-Ann said. “We’ve all seen how passionate the DCEU fandom is, especially when it comes to rallying behind their favorite characters, actors, lms, etc. And while it’s so immensely moving to see so much support, especially from fans wanting another Superman movie, it seemed like Lois Lane and Amy Adams were always getting left behind.” From the combined passions of these podcasters, these two movements were born. One to celebrate the illusive Lois Lane, and another to celebrate the love between DC Comics’ rst couple. “Admittedly, I was starting to take a bit of a break from fandom activity, as it tends to get a bit overwhelming at times, but when Artyom suggested that we should come to-

“[They need] to know that there are lots of fans who are not interested in Superman stories without her, especially considering what’s happening in the comics right now,” Danielle said. “And if source material doesn’t want to celebrate her, we will do the job, because we actually love Lois Lane,” Artyom included. “It often feels like, as a Lo i s L a n e fa n , yo u ’ re screaming at the top of your lungs to say how wonderful she is when you shouldn’t have to,” LeAnn said. “She’s an incredible character.” Artyom hopes this event helps people recognize Amy an d Lois Lane’s worth in the DCEU. “The DC Universe is not only about super powered characters and costume wearing ones,” Artyom said. “It is also about normal humans doing the right thing too. Besides, without Lois Lane there is no Superman. No Superman means no redemption for Batman and no redemption for Batman means no Justice League.” S u p e r m a n ’ s e m e rgence into the public eye is largely due to Lois Lane’s coverage of the alien. Hell, she even gave him his name. In a way, Lois Lane was the “key” to the foundations of the Justice League. “People have to recognise the actual source of

everything that is now happening,” Artyom said. “It’s thanks to Lois Lane and her pursuit for truth that led her to Clark. Clark, inspired by this incredible woman, became a better superhero known as Superman. She is the mother of the DCEU.” Danielle mentioned that many fans forget Snyder ’s love for Lois Lane. “I think it’s honestly quite an obvious thing that many DCEU fans overlook,” Danielle said. “Snyder has been really clear about both his love for Lois and the importance of Clois in the DC universe. We’ve seen a new level of sexual content in this lms, we’ve seen a fair amount of romance, and you would hope that the fanbase would follow suit but they often put their focus elsewhere.” Danielle stressed that people have been ghting for Lois and Clark for decades and stressed the importance of the couple both in comics and on the screen. “It is extremely frustrating for Lois to be put in the background when she was there [in the foref ront] f rom the beginning,” Le-Ann said. “Superman wasn’t the only character that made their debut in Action Comics no. 1. Lois is part of the foundation of the DC Universe.” Le-Ann believes a lot can be said about movements like #AmyAdamsLoisLane. “As we’ve said, we want to recognise Amy’s role and the character’s importance, but it’s so much more than that,” Le-Ann continued. “It’s an ongoing struggle to have to ght for Lois and to ght for how beautiful the relationship and romance is between Lois and Clark. Zack Snyder showed that he valued both of these characters, and their relationship, and they were so integral to his vision.” W h e n a s ke d a b o u t their thoughts on a possible HBO Max series featuring Lois Lane, all chimed in ecstatically. Even though no such p ro j e c t h a s b e e n a nnounced, HBO Max provides an excellent platform for possibilities. “The great thing is that with HBO Max we nally have a place to put a series worthy of an actress like Adams,” Danielle said. “There was no way we were going to pull someone like her on the CW, DC Streaming, or even ABC. They have a great opportunity here if only for a limited series.” All expressed their gratitude when it comes to Amy Adams’ representation, saying Warner was extremely lucky to land such a recognized talent. Le-Ann speci cally mentioned her appreciation for Amy, and Lois’, age in the universe. “This may come as a shock for some, and I know this comes across with a little bit of a bite to it, but women exist beyond their 20s and 30s,” Le-Ann continued. “Media isn’t very kind about that in general, and that’s just ridiculous.” According to Danielle, Amy’s age is one of the many things that make her a target. Danielle also stated that Warner needs

to step up and get their act together. “She deserved much better than she got from WB across the board and the burden is absolutely on them to keep her informed and engaged with the project on an ongoing basis,” Danielle stated. “The fact that she hasn’t heard a single thing about where this might go or what her role might be is ridiculous.” Artyom personally hopes for recognition when it comes to Amy’s Lois Lane. “[I want her] just as acknowledged as Justice League itself and never forgotten going forward,” Artyom said. When asked what he expects from this upcoming event, Artyom said he hopes people express their love for Amy through text, gifs, videos, edits, screenshots and more. “We de nitely don’t encourage harrasment,” Artyom said. “That’s not was neither Lois Lane nor Amy Adams are about.” Danielle wishes for the same. “The hope is always that people involved see it, but I think it’s also important for the fandom to be regularly reminded that Amy is out of the loop and that’s risky for th e wh ole f ran chise,” Danielle concluded. “I personally want people participating in this hashtag to express their appreciation for what we have received from Amy and our hopes for the future.” Danielle doesn’t think it’s unreasonable to express that Henry are a set package deal at this point in the franchise. “I think the rst step is actually rallying up the fans,” Le-Ann stated. “We didn’t want to bombard our social media feeds too early before the January 31 date, but we want people to know that we’re here and we’re going to do this.” Le -A n n , a l o n g w i t h everyone else involved, recognizes how powerful fan-based movements can be. “Will something come f rom it,” Le-Ann questioned. “Well, we sure can hope! It’s about showing the love for the character and for Amy that is well overdue. It’s about showing that continuing without Amy Adams in this franchise is a huge loss.” Danielle stressed that this event is not about the groups expectations of Amy. She’s already exceeded those and they just want to see her Lois Lane again. “I do think we should touch on the fact that this isn’t about our expectations for Amy as much as our expectations for the people in charge here,” Danielle said. “If they extend an offer that doesn’t work for her, or if after e v e r y t h i n g t h a t h a ppened she doesn’t end up wanting to come back, that’s entirely on the studio.” According to Danielle, if the studio failed to offer the role reprisal to Amy, fans will never know. No matter the outcome, all the fault now lays on Warner. “You can’t have #HenryCavillSuperman without #AmyAdamsLoisLane,” Danielle said.

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