When Harry Lennix first signed up to appear in Zack Snyder’s 2013 Superman film “Man of Steel”, he thought he was playing General Swanwick, the US military’s primary point of contact with the Kryptonian superhero of Henry Cavill. Following Snyder’s 2016 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Lennix returned as Swanwick, who was promoted to Secretary of Defense.
It wasn’t until October 2019, however, that Lennix discovered that Snyder’s real intention was to reveal in the 2017 “Justice League” that Swanwick was actually J’onn J’onzz, also known as the favorite superhero of the DC fans – and eventual member of the Justice League – known as Martian Manhunter. In the comics, J’onn is the last surviving member of his species; his abilities to change his appearance (normally, he is green, bald and has red eyes) allowed him to live as a human on Earth.
In a series of social media posts, Snyder revealed storyboards of a scene between Martha Kent (Diane Lane) and Lois Lane (Amy Adams) that ended with Martha becoming J’onn – and then Swanwick. “I was able to film everything except on the Harry Lennix side,” wrote Snyder. “It was my intention to do that in LA.”
This footage, of course, never materialized: Snyder left the “Justice League” in the spring of 2017 and was replaced by Joss Whedon, and much of Snyder’s vision for the film – including Martian Manhunter – was cut. After a massive grassroots campaign for #ReleasetheSnyderCut, however, WarnerMedia announced last May that Snyder was rebuilding his version of the film in a four-hour epic. Over the summer, Lennix was finally able to film his side of the introduction of Martian Manhunter, using motion capture to incorporate J’onn’s huge green frame.
It is the first time that Martian Manhunter will appear in a live action film (David Harewood plays the role in the CW series “Supergirl”), and with “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” finally scheduled for release on HBO Max on March 18, Variety got in touch with Lennix to ask about his unusual journey to the role.
Lennix is a busy guy: he is currently filming the eighth season of NBC’s “The Blacklist” and, in December, announced plans to create the Lillian Marcie Center and the African American Museum of Performing Arts on Chicago’s South Side. He worked for over 30 years as an actor – he’s set to voice a role in Snyder’s upcoming Netflix animated series, “Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas” – including two seasons on Whedon’s Fox 2009-2010 TV series, “Dollhouse”.
So, when Variety asked the 56-year-old to comment on Ray Fisher’s claims that Whedon engaged in “abusive” and “unprofessional” behavior while working in the “Justice League”, Lennix had a few things to say.
Did you first learn that Zack Snyder wanted to make Swanwick become Martian Manhunter when he posted the character’s storyboard in October 2019?
I’m sure that’s exactly what I found out. I don’t think there was any kind of advanced word. There are many people who intuited this in some way, like fans spreading the word. So, I don’t know if anyone knew about it outside of Zack before that. But I didn’t know until I saw that storyboard.
So Zack didn’t give any indication before he broke the news?
No he didn’t. Every now and then, you know, Zack sends me text messages or things by e-mail. I certainly did projects with him, like “Army of the Dead”, and I knew it was going to happen. But he likes to surprise me, and I don’t think I’m the only one in that regard. But, you know, there was no time when I could have found out about it that it would have been a happier time.
After he broke the news, did he call you to say, “Oh, hey, by the way, I was going to do this”?
No. The next call I got from Zack was, “Hey, when can you come in and shoot?” So that was great. I found out it was a possibility, or at least that Martian Manhunter would be in it, when he revealed through the storyboard that Martha Kent is coming to visit Lois, and after she leaves, she reveals that she is, in fact, Calvin Swanwick, or the Mars Hunter. That’s how I heard about it.
There is a moment in “Man of Steel” where Swanwick asks Superman why he doesn’t reveal his identity as an alien who now looks very pointed in a way that you obviously didn’t intend.
Yes it is true. And I think, to some extent, that’s what started to speculate [about Martian Manhunter], who Swanwick did not cringe after Superman, somewhat indifferent, takes off his handcuffs and walks to the window. This has been going on for about nine years now that we shot that scene. I think I asked Zack the question: “Am I going to shrink here?” Since I am a general, I obviously faced danger.
And he said, “No, actually, you stand your ground, maybe even go a little further.” Perhaps this is what made those wheels spin, which at least gave the suggestion that this could be a plausible revelation.
How much did you know about Martian Manhunter’s character before it came true?
Not really. I just knew there was such a character. I had heard from DCEU fans that there were some members of the Justice League who were not represented in the film, and vaguely that one of those people was Martian Manhunter, J’onn J’onzz. I didn’t know much about him.
How much do you think he will be in the film?
I don’t know what will be left on the floor, if any, but I didn’t shoot too much. My work is not central, so to speak, for the film. It can be a turning point. But I don’t think you’re going to start talking about this character any more than, say, Superman.
You said elsewhere that you would love to have a Martian Manhunter movie. Did you hear anything from Warner Bros. about this subject?
Not a thing. I didn’t hear anything move that needle towards reality. But why not?!
The reason there is a Snyder cut is because Zack was replaced by Joss Whedon in the film. As you know, Ray Fisher claimed that Joss committed misconduct while filming. You worked with Joss on two seasons of “Dollhouse”, so I wanted to ask if you have any thoughts on the matter.
I was not there during the time in question. I am sorry that someone had to experience what has been described. Obviously, there is a side to the story that we hear. I don’t know if Joss made any comments. As you pointed out, I worked with Joss quite closely for a few years there. I didn’t see this behavior and, at the same time, as an actor, my heart goes out to anyone who has had to endure this type of treatment. We are often treated as second-class citizens. But I didn’t see it and I’m curious to know what [Joss’s] the answer to that was.
I just hope that everyone can move on with their lives, to be honest with you. As a former seminarian and as someone who made mistakes, I have been on both sides of that equation. Directors are sometimes insensitive to the needs or feelings of the actors, sometimes the actors are needy and sometimes they are oversensitive. I know I can be. That said, I hope that whatever has happened, that people can move on and – outside of something unforgivable – that people can forgive, not just each other, but forgive themselves. Saying: “Look, I may have made this mistake in the past, now I know better and I will do better”. This was a different time. What was tolerable, five years ago, a year ago, is no longer, and we have to adapt to that. I think there is something of this happening, that it is generational in some way. I know that Ray has the ability to be better because of that, to be stronger, to have survived. And I also hope that Joss can also survive, be the writer and creator that he is and that we can all be better because of it.
You are looking at this with more empathy than I would say that many observers have in the light of what Ray claimed, and what the actors in “Angel” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” claimed about Joss on Wednesday. Have you had purely professional experiences with Joss?
yea. Totally professional. I didn’t see any of that kind of behavior that I’m hearing. But I am in a different place. It is unlikely that this kind of thing will happen to me, just because I am a big black man on the South Side of Chicago, that people are a little more circumspect in the way they think about treating me or talking to me. I think maybe we should give [Joss] another chance to respond, to see your side of the story. Not minimizing anyone’s story, not minimizing the experiences of others in any way. But I believe that we must learn to reconcile. And we must learn to move on.
We couldn’t take that to court, by itself, not really. What I have learned over the years is that two people may be telling the absolute truth from your point of view and disagree about what those important points are. Whatever those salient points are, I think everything I’ve heard so far – and that’s not all – is recoverable. And then, insofar as it is recoverable, we will recover and move on.
Joss did not comment, Ray did not disclose nearly every detail about what he says happened in the “Justice League” and WarnerMedia did not disclose what the company discovered in its investigation. So figuring out how to move on is complicated in the absence of details.
I agree, 100%. What I managed to extract from the stories and the comings and goings, as it is – especially those that appear – is that unpleasant things were said, mean and insensitive were said, which made certain people uncomfortable. This is certainly something that I am familiar with the actors who have to endure. This is actually part of the process. People say “no” to us for a variety of reasons, or tell us to lose or gain weight, or to become taller, shorter or younger. That’s the nature of the business – it’s a staff the business. I believe that this can be resolved entirely and that what really needs to happen is a dialogue. That is, the old pattern of American jurisprudence is that you have the right to face your accuser and respond. I think people have the right to raise both sides of the issue. In fact, it is not just a right, I think it is an obligation. I wonder what will happen.
This interview was edited and condensed.