WB Commits To Flash Theatrical Release Despite Ezra Miller Controversy
Though the film’s star continues to be embroiled in controversy, Warner Bros. is remaining committed to The Flash‘s theatrical release. A big-screen adaptation of the iconic DC Comics hero has languished in development hell for nearly 40 years, having begun long before the launch of the DC Extended Universe, where Miller would make their debut as the Scarlet Speedster in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. A solo Flash film set in the comic book universe would begin in 2014 with a variety of writers and directors coming and going due to creative differences, namely Game Night duo John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein.
The Flash would finally get on track in mid-2019 when Warner Bros. brought on IT director Andy Muschietti to helm and Birds of Prey scribe Christina Hodson to write the film, which would be influenced by the Flashpoint comic storyline in which Barry Allen travels to the past to save his mother from being murdered, only to radically change the universe. Alongside Miller, the cast for the film will see the DCEU returns of Kiersey Clemons as Iris West, Michael Shannon as General Zod, Antje Traue as Faora-Ul and Ben Affleck as Batman, alongside the franchise debuts of Michael Keaton reprising his Batman, Sasha Calle as Supergirl, Ron Livingston taking over as Henry Allen from Billy Crudup and Maribel Verdú as Nora Allen. Production on The Flash wrapped this past October, but the film has found itself in the middle of a troublesome spotlight due to one star’s behavior.
A new report from Variety has offered further details on Ezra Miller’s ongoing controversies and their abusive interactions with two women in Europe. The report also offered an update on The Flash movie, confirming Warner Bros. is still committed to an exclusive theatrical release for the DCEU installment in spite of Miller’s legal troubles. Sources close to the project indicate that the main reason the studio is keeping to its big-screen plans is the doubt they will recoup its $200 million production budget with an HBO Max release.
Miller has been the center of controversy for the past two years since a video surfaced of The Flash star choking out a woman at an Iceland bar, while this year has seen them encounter harassment allegations in Hawaii and being accused of grooming a young Standing Rock Sioux activist and having a temporary order of protection brought against them by her parents. Warner Bros. has remained largely quiet on the situation, with a previous report confirming that the studio isn’t looking to recast Miller for The Flash movie, noting it would be too expensive to reshoot the entire film as Miller is in nearly every scene. A recent report did indicate, however, that WB has adjusted future DCEU plans without Miller while new studio CEO David Zaslav determines how best to move forward with the actor.
Unlike previous reports, the latest update on Miller’s status as The Flash does indicate that the star is taking the time to start focusing on their mental health and will address the allegations after the fact. Miller isn’t the only major star Warner Bros. is currently having to court controversies around as Amber Heard’s recent defamation trial loss against ex-husband Johnny Depp has resulted in many calling for her removal from Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and conflicting reports of her role being minimized by the studio in response. With just under a year remaining until The Flash‘s release, only time will tell how WB moves forward with Miller and whether the actor takes steps to fix their public image.