Zak Penn, the writer originally tapped for 2012’s The Avengers, had some pointed remarks about Joss Whedon‘s attitude while taking over the Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s first major crossover film.
Per ComicBookMovie, Penn revisited his memories of being replaced by Whedon in the new book MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios. Penn said that although he and Whedon had known each other for a long time, Whedon didn’t pay him the courtesy of a call or a meeting after the latter took over on The Avengers. According to Penn, when he reached out to Whedon, “He said to me, ‘No, it’s not awkward for me. I’m rewriting you.’ It became pretty apparent that he had less than zero interest in, in any way, having me involved with the movie.”
The ups and downs of Zak Penn’s career in film
Penn’s credits include a range of superhero flicks, from flops like Elektra to hits such as X2: X-Men United and The Incredible Hulk — the latter of which introduced Bruce Banner to the MCU before star Edward Norton departed and was replaced by Mark Ruffalo.
Losing The Avengers was hard on Penn. “Remember, my bonus is based on my credit,” he said. “So literally millions and millions of dollars, which is not the issue here, but that just came out of my pocket and went into Joss’s pocket.” Whedon apparently showed little or no sympathy for the years that Penn had already spent working on the project, or for the disappointment that his children would feel when he was removed from it.
Joss Whedon’s reputation takes a dive
“I think he’s a dick,” Penn concluded. “I think he’s a bad person, and it was really surprising.”
Although Whedon’s work on The Avengers made him a major name in Hollywood, he has more recently been hit with similar accusations from cast members of DC’s Justice League — which he took over after director Zack Snyder departed due to a family tragedy. Cast and crew from Whedon’s cult favorite TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer have also spoken up about his alleged behavior behind the scenes.
