Known for steering the last decade of DC films with Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and his director’s cut of Justice League, Zack Snyder is renowned for his grand visual storytelling. Upon the first use of slow motion, one instantly knows it’s a Zack Snyder film. Rebel Moon, his original two-part sci-fi epic for Netflix, is no different. Bringing together a bright ensemble cast from all corners of the world, Rebel Moon reunites Snyder with actor Ray Fisher, who previously portrayed Victor Stone/Cyborg in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). This time, though, Snyder is pushing Fisher’s physical acting talents to the limits as he takes on the role of rebel freedom fighter Darrian Bloodaxe.
The story for Rebel Moon has been stewing away in the back of Zack Snyder’s mind for twenty years now, with it at one point being a Star Wars pitch he presented to Lucasfilm in the early 2010s. However, after the long and complicated “Release the Snyder Cut” saga that successfully realized his version of Justice League but also ended his involvement with DC, it was perhaps best for this filmmaker to build a new original universe of his own. It looks like Snyder has now found an ideal creative partner in Netflix, with the streamer giving him complete creative control in fulfilling his vision for Rebel Moon.
In addition to Netflix making Rebel Moon a two-part movie, a variety of spin-offs in different mediums – including comics, video games, and animation – have already been confirmed to further build out the franchise and its world-building. In true Snyder fashion, both Rebel Moon films are getting their own Rated-R director’s cuts too. Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver is set to release on the streaming service in April 2024. Considering that Part One: A Child of Fire gained 24 million views in just its first three days on the platform, it’s safe to assume that this Netflix franchise is here to stay for now.
Written by Kurt Johnstad (300), Shay Hatten (John Wick: Chapter 4), and Snyder himself, Rebel Moon is set in a universe controlled by the corrupt Motherworld and the evil Regent Balisarius (Fra Fee) who uses his Imperium army to rule over the galaxy with a tight grip. We follow a retired warrior named Kora (Sofia Boutella) who seeks to liberate her peaceful settlement on the moon Veldt. With the help of fellow farmer Gunnar (Michiel Huisman), Kora recruits noble warriors from across the galaxy to protect Veldt from Imperium forces led by the cruel Admiral Noble (Ed Skrein), who acts as Regent Balisarius’ right-hand man.
Kora’s rag-tag team of fierce fighters includes the mercenary pilot Kai (Charlie Hunnam), a nobleman who can bond with animals named Tarak (Staz Nair), the cyborg swordsman simply known as Nemesis (Doona Bae), the great General Titus (Djimon Hounsou), and insurgent leaders Darrian and Devra Bloodaxe (played by Ray Fisher and Cleopatra Coleman, respectively). There’s also a robot knight named Jimmy (voiced by Anthony Hopkins) who is teased to have a more prominent role on the team in Part Two: The Scargiver.
If it wasn’t already obvious, Rebel Moon blends Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai with some notable elements from George Lucas and Star Wars. And as Ray Fisher tells us in our exclusive interview, some of these Seven Samurai inspirations, in particular, can be seen in his portrayal of Darrian Bloodaxe as well. We sat down with actor Ray Fisher to talk about his experience reuniting with director Zack Snyder after his stint as Cyborg in the DCEU, the challenges of acting out his own stunts for the very first time on Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire, and what he hopes audiences will take away from his character. In addition to discussing the rebel leader, Darrian Bloodaxe, Fisher touches upon his future in film and television.
Exclusive Interview with Ray Fisher for Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire
When you got the call from Zack to join a new original project of his, what was your first reaction?
Ray Fisher: I was like, “Bro tell me everything!” It’s one of those crazy things where this has been near and dear to Zack for decades. Once you get him talking about it, he’s all over the place. He’s literally got stories upon stories in his head about what this universe is. And I think he, Kurt [Johnstad], and Shay [Hatten] did a phenomenal job fleshing everything out so that fans can enjoy the rich history and culture of each of these worlds.
You’ve had key collaborations with Zack Snyder in the past, what was it like jumping into this massive project based on a whole new original idea?
Ray Fisher: It’s exciting to be able to sit back and watch Zack do what he does best – in this, sort of, unbridled and untethered Zack Snyder fashion. It’s a brand-new IP, I think folks are really going to dig it. Zack has created so many massive worlds for this universe and each of them is more different than the last. And there are characters in this that I think folks are just going to love.
Can you talk about immersing yourself in the stunt work and action that it took to create Rebel Moon?
Ray Fisher: Well, this is my first time doing my own stunts. Luckily, we had a great stunt team that helped us get ready for everything that we were going to encounter. We have a battle sequence in this film that took close to three weeks to film. So, outside of needing the stamina and endurance of shooting a regular film, shooting these levels of action on top of that where you’re having to make sure that your body is physically maintained simultaneously – it took a lot of discipline. But it was something that I really found myself enjoying by the end.
Talking about the rich world that Zack has created, what was it like being on the large sets of Rebel Moon?
Ray Fisher: There was definitely a lot of green screen but also a lot of practical sets, and a lot of shooting on location as well. They built this massive village, and what I loved doing was going in on my days off just to see what people were doing and where they were doing it.
There’s a planet called Daggus in the film – where you get to encounter Nemesis for the first time – and they created this entire underground market situation that they built inside of a soundstage. That blew my mind and because I’ve worked with a ton of green screen, I was like, “I’m sure it’s going to look good.” But when you’re on a practical set, you’re also like, “Man, it looks good and feels good!” It just adds a whole other layer to the piece for you.
You’ve been quoted recently saying that Seven Samurai was a big inspiration for the way you play Darrian Bloodaxe in Rebel Moon, can you talk a bit about how that helped your performance?
Ray Fisher: Well, these characters are so different than the characters in Seven Samurai. But Toshirô Mifune, I took a little bit of inspiration from him with how I carried Darrian Bloodaxe’s posture, particularly in the way that Darrian carries his weapon. You’ll see Toshirô Mifune in Seven Samurai slinging his katana over his shoulder in kind of a more cavalier fashion. So, I adopted that posture as a sort of homage to him.
When going into Rebel Moon, did you take anything from your experience playing Cyborg in the DCEU?
Ray Fisher: It’s a completely different film, but the greatest thing was knowing that I had a familiarity with Zack, Deborah [Snyder], Wesley [Coller], and a bunch of the crew. Zack works with a lot of the same folks time and again because they do great work. He trusts them and it creates a shorthand that makes the work that much more efficient.
I was one of the few actors in our immediate cast that have worked with Zack before. So, one of the biggest things for me was getting on set and letting the newer folks know, “Look, this is going to be a kick-ass time, you guys are going to have some fun, and just enjoy the ride.”
You’ve received tons of support on social media over the years, what are you hoping to deliver to those fans with your performance as Darrian Bloodaxe in Rebel Moon?
Ray Fisher: I want them to take the spirit of rebellion out of it. The idea that, together, we can stand up against a greater power that is seeking to stop us from receiving justice, freedom, and equality. I think that people have more power, especially these days than they believe, and by coming together, we can accomplish just about anything.
Final question, you already do impressive work in theatre but what do you see in your future in terms of film or TV?
Ray Fisher: I don’t think that far ahead. Usually, when I do a project, I like to wait a bit and see how it sits on me once the piece comes out. I’ve given it some time to deeply review the process that I went through. The big thing that I tell everybody is… I’ll know the next thing when I see it. I’ll know when I feel it. I move with my heart and my intuition when it comes to this. Thankfully, it has not steered me in the wrong direction so far.
It gets a little bit frustrating for the reps sometimes because I don’t audition for a ton of things. I only go after the things I feel passionate about. So, it’s a blessing to have found a home and collaborators like Zack and some of the other folks I’ve been blessed to work with throughout my career. And if those are the folks I’m fortunate enough to work with for the remainder of my career, I would be in heaven!
