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Posted September 8, 2017 by GP Manalo in Spotlight
 
 

APCC 2017: Ray Fisher on Becoming Cyborg for Justice League!

Ray Fisher is about to make his mark in Hollywood by the end of the year as Victor Stone A.K.A. Cyborg in the much anticipated Justice League film next month. In this year’s Asia Pop Comic-Con, Flipgeeks was fortunate enough to be one of the media members present to sit down with the actor to discuss what it’s like to be the man in the grey pajamas among the Justice League members and other things.


DSC_0749 When he was first announced to play the part of the young leaguer, his name was the one who stuck out to most people as he was a new actor in a big budget film by the public eye. Ray Fisher made a name for himself in the theater circles playing famous roles on-stage in productions such as To Kill A Mockingbird’s Tom Robinson, the Off-Broadway Play’s Fetch Clay as Muhammad Ali, and various Shakespearean roles. When asked about his transition from stage to landing a role in a big budget superhero blockbuster while rubbing elbows with movie stars he said:

“I was in theater since High School, It’s much different in theater because for one you would try to project your voice to 5000 to people or 2000 people in the audience and you have a much different way of speaking on film. But you also get to study and define the parts of your character especially with a long history like Cyborg.”

“It’s still unbelievable to me, I feel like one day I’d tell myself to wake up from this dream. My favorite day in shooting the film – flat out – where the whole league is together and what they would call the first time and we would all be standing tall, standing proud in a way they had shot the sequence where the camera is moving around to see the sunset and everything would feel like my childhood dream come true. Y’know me and Ezra are on-set and we were humming the theme of the Justice League cartoon show from the early 2000s. We were just in costume trying not to let the camera pick it up and started going *by this point he ended up humming the 2002 Justice League theme* It was magical, man!”

But being surrounded by the likes of a director like Zack Snyder or stars like Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot and Jason Momoa what was it like for a super fan like Ray Fisher to be among these big names?

So far as other stories go, most of the funnier ones are more costume related. Y’know for Cyborg I’m in a mocap suit right? Wheareas the other crew members are in more practical costumes and often times those practical costumes can be pretty uncomfortable. So sometimes I just sit down kicking my feet up, having a good time, and be like “hey guys! Are you okay? See this hot chocolate I have over here? I’m good to go! For me though, I think they got back at me when we’d be outside where it’ll be cold and rainy and we’re shooting and I am freezing in my onesie pyjamas. Everybody would be like ‘Hey Borg what’s the matter? Are you cold? See these big warm costumes we’re wearing?” I wanna say though, all in all it has been the best experience I’ve ever had and everyone is always super super excited to be there and they made me really feel at home. “

DSC_0751In the newest Justice League films it gathers the most iconic names in the DC Universe’s pantheon of superheroes. You have your Bataman, you have Superman, you have Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash, and… Maybe Green Lantern? But to a casual viewer who has no background of the character or whatsoever they may ask “who’s this guy that looks like Iron Man?” (no joke I heard this in a cinema lobby before) as Cyborg is not as known as the names previously mentioned. Fisher is put to the task of making sure that the people will remember and know who Cyborg is when they watch this film.

To be honest with you, I feel proud to represent Cyborg in the film and the DCEU as a whole. For me, I owe a lot of the work for the beautiful guidance of Zack Snyder, Chris Terrio, and the whole crew. But for Cyborg specifically, I myself and fans of the cartoon version of Cyborg from the Teen Titans is where a lot  of people know him from and for establishing who this character is. In the film we have a lot to display as far as his individuality and in the world we live in today we are so tech heavy and Cyborg is absolutely relatable and I think he’ll be a pivotal superhero in our time in comic book films for sure.”

“I think what makes the strongest character is not his superpowers but the greatest asset that he has is his heart. He is a guy who has gone through A LOT of problems — a lot of issues. Instead of having those problems or those issues drag him down or be mad about it, he chooses to do good among others with his powers. Despite of it all, at the end of the day he has a different body, and he will not have a lot of things going on, and he is trying to understand how he will get over those obstacles. And hopefully, you do wind up seeing that in the film.”

“As Cyborg, he does not have an alias. That’s the big thing about his character is that he can’t take the suit off and he can’t live a normal life like the rest of the members can hang up the cape and the cowl and at the end of the day say ‘Y’know what? I’m done being a superhero’ but Cyborg is Cyborg 24/7 — he is who he is. Which ends up creating a lot of conflict for him because he’s not able to live how he necessarily chooses, or have a normal life. And one of the big points of this tension is what he has with his father is that the idea that he’s taken this choice to live his life how he wants away from him, by turning him into Cyborg. As far as duality goes, I think there is something different about his mindset in having to deal with or basically learning to deal with who he is now, who he once was – that the life he used to know is no more. He has to adjust, he has to adapt, he has to evolve into the person he is today – which is CYBORG.”

 

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For the past year we’ve seen the greatest match-ups between heroes and villains but much recently a gladiator match that pits two heroes to fight to the death. As asked by ABS-CBN, This movie is all about seeing superheroes we grew up with in the big screen and seeing them together. But a large chunk of that is the conversations are mainly “who could beat who?” one does wonder who could beat Cyborg in a match-up among the leaguers.

“Well! That’s a tough question, that’s a tricky question to answer! What I will say is this I think that every member of the Justice League could potentially take on every other member of the Justice League in any given day. They all have their strengths, they all have their weaknesses, they all have their advantages and disadvantages. For Cyborg specifically, he got this technology that’s ever evolving and ever adapting. It depends on where you’re fighting or who you’re fighting. Like I can’t fight on water so I ain’t touching Aquaman, The Flash can run circles around anyone and tap into the speed force, Diana is the best fighter around, Batman has all the strategies, Aquaman has everything at his disposal, while Superman… well Superman is Superman! What are you gonna do about it right?  I think there are so many ways to tell these different stories but what’s exciting to me is getting to hear how other people would say how ‘this person can beat that person! Because of his special attack and his special abilities!’ at any given day, anyone could be anybody’s game but it’s a testament as to how these characters have grown.”

Of course, with a high profile comic book role comes a lot of convention appearances as he has been through a lot of Comic-Cons but not far off as say The Philippines. And if you’re wondering what he thinks of the warm welcome by his fans this is what he has to say.

Honestly I heard a lot of the culture being here and I  think one of the greatest experiences of learning other people’s’ culture is immersing yourself to the culture as well. I have some friends from the Philippines offering me suggestions on what to do here. But I’m only here for two days and most of the days will be spent here in the convention center. So I plan on taking some time either this year or next year by making a trip back and actually immerse myself with the people this time. I’d go to the beaches but there’s a typhoon out there right now – but that’s okay! “

Host: have you eaten anything interesting?

Not just yet! I’m actually on a no-meat diet and you guys have been tempting me with all this food you guys have.”

See Ray Fisher as Cyborg in The Justice League: November 16, 2017! We’d also like to extend our sincerest gratitude to the team of Asia Pop Comic-Con for accommodating us throughout the entire convention.


GP Manalo

 
G.P. Manalo is a student by day, and a resident tortured writer by night. Writing to keep him sane from all the Business School papers and presentations piling up each week.