DC bosses address future of The Flash and Ezra Miller – and it’s a far cry from what fans want
The Flash star Ezra Miller has been hit by scandal after scandal. (Getty/YouTube/PinkNews)
DC Studios bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran are hyping up the release of The Flash after lead star Ezra Miller was found guilty of unlawful trespassing.
During their announcement of the new slate of films for the DC universe, Gunn and Safran addressed speculation around Miller’s future in the franchise.
Despite backlash from fans that the film was going ahead in light of a string of criminal accusations, it is confirmed talks will happen about bringing them back into the DC fold.
“Ezra is completely committed to their recovery,” Safran said per Variety, “And we are fully supportive of that journey that they’re on right now.
“When the time is right, when they feel like they’re ready to have the discussion, we’ll all figure out what the best path forward is.
“But right now, they are completely focused on their recovery. And in our conversations with them over the last couple of months, it feels like they’re making enormous progress.”
This echoes the statement released by Miller’s representatives in August last year which stated: “Having recently gone through a time of intense crisis, I now understand that I am suffering complex mental health issues and have begun ongoing treatment.”
“I want to apologise to everyone that I have alarmed and upset with my past behaviour. I am committed to doing the necessary work to get back to a healthy, safe and productive stage in my life.”
Despite DC Studios saying they will wait until after Miller’s recovery to enter discussions, they concluded on an interesting note.
Speaking about the four major upcoming films – The Flash, Blue Beetle, Aquaman 2, and Superman: Legacy – Safran said: “There’s no reason why any of the characters and the actors playing those characters are not part of the DCU. There’s nothing that prohibits that from happening.”
This would contradict reports in Deadline last year in which sources said that Miller was likely to be “dropped” as The Flash “even if no more allegations surface”.
And as The Flash gets ready to hit screens on 16 June, Gunn doubled down on support for the plagued film, saying it “is probably one of the greatest superhero movies ever made”.
Miller’s other major franchise, Fantastic Beasts was quietly binned last year, with no plans to make further instalments currently on the cards.
As well as their charge of trespassing in Vermont, a damning exposé in Vanity Fair shared testimony from several people who have raised concerns about Miller’s violent behaviour in the past.
They were arrested in Hawaii, once for disorderly conduct and harassment and the second time for second-degree assault. They paid a fine for the assault charge whilst the harassment charge was later dropped.
Time will tell if Ezra Miller will return to The Flash franchise.
