Ezra Miller has had a great thing going at Warner Bros. for over half a decade now. In addition to playing The Flash in the DC Extended Universe, with the Scarlet Speedster finally set to lead his own solo movie next year, they have also been starring as Credence Barebone in the Fantastic Beasts movies. However, following Miller’s arrest in Hawaii late last month after a karaoke incident, news has come in about Miller allegedly having meltdowns on the set of The Flash and Warner Bros. now reevaluating its future with the actor.
According to a report from Rolling Stone, Warner Bros. and DC executives met on March 30 (two days after the 94th Academy Awards, which occurred the same night as Ezra Miller was arrested), and the consensus from the room was reportedly to “hit pause” on any future projects involving Miller, including the actor reprising Barry Allen in more upcoming DC movies. As far as The Flash movie itself goes, an insider also told the outlet that Miller had “frequent meltdowns” during production. There was nothing in the way of “yelling or violent outbursts,” but the actor was described as “losing it.” For instance, they would get a thought in their head and then say, “I don’t know what I’m doing.”
After the news of Ezra Miller’s arrest in Hawaii reached the public, it was revealed that The Flash actor was hit with a restraining order by a couple over a separate incident. The two residents alleged that not only had the actor been harassing and threatening them, but they also stole belongings like a wallet, passport and social security card. But Miller’s legal troubles don’t end with these two things, as apparently 10 police calls have been made about the actor in Hawaii since March 7. Miller was also filmed choking a woman at a bar in Iceland back in April 2020.
With The Flash having been pushed back to summer 2023, Warner Bros. has a long time to reach a decision about what to do with a potential sequel. Ezra Miller first cameoed as Barry Allen/The Flash in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and following another quick appearance in Suicide Squad, the character was seen helping Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Cyborg save the world in Justice League. Miller’s Flash also has more time to shine in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, particularly through the director’s cut’s Speed Force scene, which was voted the #1 Oscars Cheer Moment at the most recent Oscars ceremony. Will Warner Bros. opt to keep Miller as the DCEU’s Flash despite the controversy surrounding him, or will the studio end up recasting the role? We’ll just have to wait and see.
Regarding The Flash, which was originally announced back in late 2014, the movie is a loose adaptation of the Flashpoint storyline, with Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen causing unintended consequences when he travels back in time to stop his mother from being murdered, forcing him to travel to other realities in the multiverse. This DCEU movie will see both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton reprising their versions of Batman, and other familiar Kiersey Clemons’ Iris West, Michael Shannon’s General Zod and Antje Traue’s Faora-Ul. The Flash’s cast also includes Ron Livingston taking over as Henry Allen from Billy Crudup, Maribel Verdú as Nora Allen and Sasha Calle as Supergirl, among others. IT’s Andy Muschietti directed the feature and Christina Hodson, who penned Birds of Prey and fellow upcoming DC movie Batgirl, wrote the screenplay.
For now, The Flash is still on track to arrive in theaters on June 23, 2023, but if that changes, we’ll let you know. Ezra Miller can next be seen for his third Credence Barebone outing in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, which opens on April 15.
