In October 2024, Warner Bros. announced a slate of 11 films to be featured in the newest cinematic universe, the DCEU. The slate was a 6-year plan featuring Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Man of Steel, Aquaman, and a few other projects. Since the announcement, many of these films have since been released or repurposed into something new, but one project was abandoned altogether. Cyborg, starring Ray Fisher as the titular character, was scheduled for release in April 2020 but never came to fruition due to a number of different factors. From actor disputes to studio dysfunction, the story of Cyborg is particularly disheartening because if made, it could have been the greatest film the DCEU ever released.
Why Was Cyborg Scrapped?
In the grand scheme of the film industry, it truly seems like there’s an endless amount of unrealized projects. With dirt sheets running rampant, it’s increasingly difficult for development to be kept secret, which in turn has led to audiences being hyper-aware of Hollywood’s inner workings. Due to this, there’s no shock or surprise when a project is unceremoniously canned before production even begins. However, it is still a shock when fully announced, planned-out projects fail to materialize, and this was the case for numerous films in the DC Extended Universe.
The DCEU suffered from poor planning, and this problem extended far beyond Ray Fisher’s Cyborg film. Those present during the universe’s peak hype phase might remember the constant influx of announcements, reports, and leaks regarding the next steps for the cinematic universe. Everyone, from Deadshot to Plastic Man, to Deathstroke, to Lobo, to Metal Men, to New Gods, and beyond, all were rumored to be getting their very own feature film. With so much planning and so many announcements, the most important films of the saga were accidentally left by the wayside.
Scrapped DCEU Projects
Cyborg
Green Lantern Corps
Batgirl
Man of Steel Sequel
Ben Affleck’s The Batman
New Gods
Deathstroke
The Trench
Deadshot
Justice League Dark
Nightwing
The Cyborg solo venture was doomed from the beginning, as Joe Morton, who portrayed Silas Stone, shared that numerous scenes featuring Silas and Cyborg were cut from the theatrical version of Justice League. While this quote initially went under the radar, it was proven to be more than true upon the release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League. After the failure of the theatrical Justice League, Walter Hamada was brought in by Warner Bros. as president of DC-based film production, and this is where Cyborg‘s development truly broke down. Fisher was very vocal about his issues with Joss Whedon at the time, who was brought in for Justice League reshoots, and these issues extended to Hamada when he was brought aboard. Fisher stated that he would refuse to be a part of any film that had Walter Hamada’s involvement after “abusive, unprofessional, and tone-deaf treatment.” After this breakdown, reconciliation was thought to be impossible, and DC Films at one point even considered recasting Cyborg. Development eventually fizzled out, making Cyborg one of two original DCEU slated films to never be released.
What Would Cyborg Have Been About?
There has been endless speculation over the years regarding what a full on Snyderverse would look like. If the original DCEU vision was brought to audiences fully formed, would the universe still have failed? Not many details about the scrapped Cyborg solo film’s plot are known, but there are a few hints and leaks that can help fuel discussion. The oldest and most reliable piece of information regarding the solo film again comes from Joe Morton. In 2018, Morton was interviewed by ET Online and shared that the film would be an origin story.
“It will be about him and I, and about the family that he came from, how he becomes the Cyborg, etc.,” he said. “But from whence he came, as well.” – Joe Morton
Beyond this, not much else is known. There was never any announcement regarding an attached screenwriter, nor was there any casting beyond Silas and Victor Stone. Over the years, various names were floated for the directorial role in the film, most notably Zack Snyder and Rick Famuyima, but no director was ever confirmed beyond Fisher simply stating his preferences. While there aren’t many known facts about the film’s plot, there is plenty of concept art, footage, and source material that can be used to speculate.
Three actors have portrayed Victor Stone/Cyborg in live-action: Lee Thompson Young, Ray Fisher, and Jovian Wade.
In Zack Snyder’s Justice League, the relationship between Silas and Victor serves as the beating heart of the film. In a 4-hour epic filled with gods, monsters, speedsters, and billionaires, the relationship between a young man and his father trumps every other bit. Morton and Fisher play off each other flawlessly. They perfectly balance a down-to-earth tale about a young black family with severe trauma with the intensity of the “What does it mean to be human?” question. It is easy to assume that a DCEU Cyborg film if Snyder or Famuyima were granted control, would have followed a similar structure. It would explore the relationship between Silas and Victor while introducing a new technology-heavy villain for Cyborg to defeat in Detroit.
When compared to other DC Comics heroes, Cyborg has significantly less source material as a solo character. His appearances in Teen Titans, Justice League, and Doom Patrol are aplenty, but it is undeniably true that the Cyborg film would have required quite a bit of creative freedom. The most adaptable Cyborg book is likely either 2024’s Cyborg: Homecoming or volume 1 of his DC Rebirth run, both of which were released after the film entered development. It seems that the plot of Ray Fisher’s Cyborg will forever be a mystery, but in a world where Zack Snyder’s Justice League sees the light of day, anything is possible.
Will Cyborg Appear in James Gunn’s DCU?
James Gunn’s DCU is set to truly begin at the start of December with the release of Creature Commandos. The DCU’s first slate of films was announced on January 31st, 2023, and was titled “Chapter One: Gods and Monsters”. The slate features Superman, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, Swamp Thing, The Authority, and The Brave and the Bold, among other television projects. Following this announcement, a slew of other projects have trickled out of the famously loose lips of James Gunn. One of these casually announced projects was a live-action Teen Titans film penned by Ann Nogueira, which got fans riled up, to say the least.
The announcement of a Teen Titans film seems to imply that Cyborg is a shoo-in for the DCU, but that isn’t the case. While Cyborg is most known for his stint with the Titans, he isn’t present in every incarnation of the team. There is a strong chance that the DCU could follow in the DCEU’s footsteps and opt to adapt Cyborg in the style of the New 52, which would lead him to the Justice League. While no Justice League film for the DCU has been announced, it’s safe to assume that WB will work on one eventually. With a Teen Titans film seemingly on the horizon and a Justice League remake bound to hit the theaters one day, it’s safe to assume that Cyborg will make his triumphant return to the silver screen before fans can say boo-yah.
The turbulent history of the DCEU’s Cyborg film is a cautionary tale. The failures of the Cyborg film, among other things, provides James Gunn and the team behind the DCU with a list of what not to do. James Gunn’s DCU has ushered in a new era of promise and stability for fans to look forward to for the entire decade, but it’s inevitable that fans will wonder what could’ve been. Whether it’s as a part of the Justice League, the Teen Titans, or finally as a standalone hero, Victor Stone/Cyborg’s return feels absolutely inevitable, and fans can only hope that it lives up to the proposed DCEU storyline.
