For the better part of a decade, Warner Bros. has tried its hardest to bring The Flash to the big screen, finally giving DC's Scarlet Speedster his first ever solo movie. Unfortunately, after countless delays and personnel changes, the movie now appears to be in more trouble than ever before thanks to lead star Ezra Miller's off-screen issues.
Miller has been at the center of one unfortunate controversy after another over the past few months, which has all happened since filming for The Flash wrapped in October 2021. Most recently, the film's leading star mysteriously deleted their Instagram page after sharing a barrage of memes in reaction to accusations of grooming, and the situation grows more troublesome seemingly by the day.
For the time being, The Flash's release has been delayed until June 23, 2023, still leaving another full year until the highly-anticipated solo movie finally premieres for the DCEU faithful. Unfortunately, once that blockbuster does make its way into the public eye, it may be the end for the actor playing the leading role of Barry Allen.
Ezra Miller’s Days as The Flash Numbered
According to Deadline, Warner Bros has decided to call it quits with Ezra Miller's Flash in the DCEU following the release of The Flash next year.
An insider told the outlet that new Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav simply hopes the scandal surrounding Miller stays under the radar until The Flash premieres in theaters in June 2023. In his attempts to make the company's DC division as successful as competitors like Marvel Studios, Miller may not be a part of future plans under any circumstances. According to the insider source:
“There is no winning in this for Warner Bros. This is an inherited problem for Zaslav. The hope is that the scandal will remain at a low level before the movie is released, and hope for the best to turn out.”
It's unclear whether this means the company will replace Miller, put any Flash-related projects on hold, or restart the entire DCEU altogether.
So What's Next for Ezra Miller?
To put it in the simplest of terms, the controversy surrounding Ezra Miller could reach a breaking point in the not-too-distant future.
The Flash's leading actor has been arrested twice within the last three months, which comes on top of the accusations of him grooming a 12-year-old actress a few years ago. This led to rumors that Warner Bros. was looking at their options concerning Miller as Barry Allen, although the company firmly denied that there was any substance to those reports that same week.
Fans will pay close attention to Warner Bros.' public statements over the next few weeks, should the company decide to comment on the situation in any way whatsoever. Regardless of whether that happens, there's no denying that both the studio and Miller are in some serious trouble, particularly with such a significant movie on the table.
Seeing as The Flash is still such a long time from its theatrical debut, the studio will need to have some serious talks about how to proceed with this particular movie and the Flash character as a whole.
Even though The Flash is Miller's first solo movie after supporting roles in three other films (not counting Zack Snyder's Justice League), the actor's off-camera actions may leave the company no choice about exploring other avenues. Although Miller has some support from coworkers in the industry, there are some potentially dark days ahead with regard to the actor's future and that of Warner Bros.' DC division.
Currently, The Flash is scheduled to release in theaters on June 23, 2023.
