Warner Bros. The Flash starring Ezra Miller was supposed to be a pivotal film for the DCU. In tapping into the DC Multiverse, The Flash could've helped the studio reset its own superhero universe in the wake of director drama, Zack Snyder's DC Universe, and bad press. But now, it appears The Flash may be on the verge of a reset of its own, following Ezra Miller's recent arrest and legal woes.
Directed by Andy Muschietti, The Flash wasn't only set to star Miller as the Scarlet Speedster. It also also introduces Sasha Calle as Supergirl and features the reprisals of Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton as their respective Batmen.
While fans were both surprised and discouraged over the film having been rescheduled from November 4, 2022, to June 23, 2023, Miller's recent arrest has only led to additional questions and uncertainty.
Following rumors of an emergency meeting at Warner Bros. where Miller's future at the studio was reportedly discussed, there were reports that a comic book tie-in for the film had been canceled due to the use of Miller's likeness. But now, one of the comic's writers has provided a revealing update.
DC Delayed The Flash Comic Book Prequel
In response to reports that The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive has been canceled, the comic's author Juan Ferreyra confirmed that the comic tie-in for Ezra Miller's The Flash has only been delayed to "later this year:"
"Nope, it will be printed later this year, so there won't be such a gap between the comic and the movie."
Originally scheduled to release later this month on April 26, The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive is now expected to hit store shelves in October and ahead of the film's current June 2023 theatrical debut.
This three-issue comic book is intended to be canon and to serve as a sort of prequel to Miller's film. Between its pages, readers can expect The Flash to be working with Batman and confronting a new baddie called the Girder.
While fans speculated the delay was likely due to the need to change the comic to match changes to the film, Ferreyra denied such claims on Twitter, saying,
"They Haven't asked me to change anything in the comic.."
No Fast or Flashy Decisions From Warner Bros.
Despite the drama surrounding The Flash's leading star, it appears that this comic book delay was due to the film's delay as opposed to recent news. And, at the moment, it would seem that Warner Bros. is intending to move forward with its Multiversal film with Miller at the helm.
It's possible that the studio feels that time is on its side as general audiences are likely to forget the current news cycle by 2023. If so, it will still be interesting to see how Warner Bros. handles the film's marketing and whether more emphasis will be placed on Keaton's return to the cowl and the film's additional supporting cast.
Still, that's not to say that change isn't on the horizon. The recent merger between Warner Bros. and Discovery has led to a change in leadership and the resolve to pause any decision-making concerning its tentpole blockbusters.
So, even though it appears The Flash is moving forward, that's not to say that the new heads of Warner Bros. will have a different plan in mind later on.
Despite being a film about speed, any answers or changes concerning this now problematic epic are likely to be slow in coming.
The Flash is currently set for a June 23, 2023 release.
