After months of speculation and anticipation, DC finally released a full-scaled trailer for its upcoming blockbuster The Flash. And, while most fans watched with bated breath, hoping to spot their favourite superhero or villain, anguishing over the cinematic effects and celebrating when OG Batman Michael Keaton appeared on screen, others felt a twinge of internal friction and discord. Because how can we be so excited about a film which, at its very core, is platforming and promoting the very controversial and highly problematic Ezra Miller?
Now, before we dive into the most recent updates surrounding the celebrity, it’s important to briefly recap some of the most significant aspects of Miller’s dicey history. The actor has been arrested on numerous occasions and for countless different reasons, spanning from burglary and public nuisance charges to serious assault allegations—including an incident in 2020 where Miller allegedly choked a woman after an altercation at a bar.
Following this, the The Perks of Being a Wallflower actor also faced accusations of grooming and mistreating a young environmentalist named Tokata Iron Eyes. The young activist was only 12 years old when they first met Miller (who was 23 at the time) and the two struck up a friendship. Over the past few years, rumours have surfaced that Miller repeatedly gave Iron Eyes alcohol, drugs, and also kept the activist isolated from friends and family.
While people might assume that the combination of all of these behaviours would have resulted in Miller facing a swift exile from the film industry, they’d be wrong. Having first secured the role of Barry Allen / The Flash in 2014, and having featured in DC film Justice League, it was officially confirmed that the actor would indeed reprise their role in the 2023 eponymous film The Flash.
Fans have had very mixed opinions on Miller’s continuing involvement in the DC Universe. Some are far too enamoured with their portrayal of The Flash to be majorly concerned, while others have stated that they’ll be boycotting the film in protest.
#TheFlash is fantastic. I know Ezra Miller has made a lot of mistakes but they are soooooo good in this movie. Loved Keaton, the action, humor and emotion. Andy Muschietti has crafted something special. Thumbs way up.
— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) April 26, 2023
WB didn’t show the after the credits scenes. pic.twitter.com/J8KsdrKVwz
I don’t care how many people try to hype up the Flash, I am not watching a movie with Ezra Miller. pic.twitter.com/mA37EN5RlA
— 💛❤️💙🤍treystar679 (FNAF MOVIE HYPE) (@treystar679) April 25, 2023
The top dogs behind the upcoming movie have also now made a public statement regarding Miller. According to Entertainment Weekly, director Andy Muschietti and producer Barbara Muschietti spoke to press on the Warner Bros. lot in Los Angeles on Monday 24 April to screen the current cut of the film in its entirety and participate in a Q&A.
When asked about Miller’s current state of mind, the two responded: “We’re all hoping that they get better… They’re taking the steps to recovery. They’re dealing with mental health issues, but they’re well. We talked to them not too long ago, and they’re very committed to getting better.”
The producer concluded: “And, I have to say, during our shoot, during principal photography, their commitment to the role was something we’ve never seen. And the discipline to the work, the willingness—physical, mental, and just wanting to go beyond the pale—is just amazing.”
Some netizens have been comparing the treatment of Miller with that of Marvel actor Jonathan Majors, who, after being charged with assault on 25 March 2023 and being faced with a myriad of abuse allegations, was dropped by his management. It’s still unknown as to whether or not Majors will be allowed to keep his current spot as villain Kang in future Marvel films, but it’s highly probable that the actor will also be dropped from those projects.
The overall consensus is that Majors has been rightfully ousted, however, some individuals are definitely keen to address the hypocrisy of Miller seemingly still welcomed and protected within DC’s arms.
Happy to see abusers being held accountable, but Hollywood remains hypocritical when they (rightfully) drop Majors after his abuse is reported yet still allowed Ezra Miller to film THE FLASH after a crime spree that lasted over a year and have kept the door open for their return. https://t.co/mlqNPJIoxh
— Zoë Rose Bryant (@ZoeRoseBryant) April 18, 2023
The Flash is set to hit our screens on 16 June, and whichever side you sit on within this debate, it’s sure to be an interesting opening weekend.
In a surprising twist of events, Warner Bros. will no longer be releasing Batgirl, the DC film which had finished shooting months ago and was expected to arrive on HBO Max this year.
Starring Leslie Grace as Batgirl, Michael Keaton as Batman, JK Simmons as Commissioner Gordon and featuring Brendan Fraser’s return to Hollywood as the villain, Firefly, the much-anticipated film was in test screenings as directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah reportedly worked through its post-production phase. So why did Warner Bros. suddenly decide to scrap the movie which was nearly completed and gaining traction among fans for its star-studded cast and crew?
According to sources obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, the unusual move comes after a change in leadership at Warner Bros., with new Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav “prioritising cost-cutting measures and refocusing Warners on creating theatrical films rather than projects for streaming.”
The publication went on to note how Batgirl was budgeted at around $80 million, while costs rose to nearly $90 million due to COVID-19 protocols. Though this is a huge sum, it’s significantly lower than other DC theatrical releases. Thus the film in question was claimed to not have the “spectacle” that audiences typically expect from DC fare.
The New York Post further mentioned how the test screenings were said to be so poorly received by moviegoers that the studio decided to “cut its losses and run,” for the sake of its future. “It’s a DC disaster,” the publication wrote, with a source stating: “They think an unspeakable Batgirl is going to be irredeemable.”
While Warner Bros. has also decided to axe the animated feature Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, which had a budget somewhere in the $40 million range, several DC fans have taken to Twitter and voiced their frustration with the studio. Some users equated the film’s status to the fact that DC and Sony Entertainment went ahead with Ezra Miller’s The Flash (set to be released in 2023) and Jared Leto’s Morbius (embarrassingly released twice across theatres) respectively, despite blatant evidence of problematic and predatory behaviour displayed by both the main leads. Meanwhile, others were quick to admit how the entire cast and crew of Batgirl were robbed and deserved better.
Here are 15 noteworthy internet reactions to the announcement, ultimately urging DC to #ReleaseBatgirl:
Warner Brothers Discovery after spending $90 million dollars on #Batgirl pic.twitter.com/9EpAPkxZ77
— BLURAYANGEL 🦇 (@blurayangel) August 3, 2022
Leaked footage of WB executives discussing what to do about Batgirl pic.twitter.com/DZMTLkpmlk
— Max (@EPM106) August 3, 2022
batgirl got canned so i blocked jared leto pic.twitter.com/s7l3HiyEQ5
— leslie (@lesbobomb) August 2, 2022
Folks who are like “Batgirl was shelved because it was bad” acting as if that has ever stopped WB from releasing something before, lol.
— Richard Newby (@RICHARDLNEWBY) August 2, 2022
WB not cancelling The Flash after all the Ezra Miller bullshit but they cancel Batgirl????? HUH?????
— yehu🕎 (@comicyehu) August 2, 2022
We are living in a society where Morbius was in theaters not once, but TWICE, and Batgirl can’t even get an HBO Max debut.
— The Green Kasey (@RawbertBeef) August 3, 2022
Rock got booed at SDCC, Super Pets underperformed, Ben Affleck came back as Batman and now Batgirl got cancelled. All this happened in last 10 days.
— Armughan Ahmad (@armughan03) August 2, 2022
If it wasn't cancelled, Batgirl would have been:
— Toganium (@toganium) August 3, 2022
-One of the first, if not the first, superhero movies with a latina actress as the lead
-One of the first superhero movies with a trans person playing a trans person
-BRENDAN FRASER'S RETURN TO THE BIG SCREEN!
If any disgruntled WB employee *wink wink* has the .mp4 for the Batgirl movie *wink wink* do us all a favor and “accidentally” post it *wink wink*
— yehu🕎 (@comicyehu) August 2, 2022
Me leaving Warner Bros Studios with ‘Batgirl’ in a hard drive up my ass https://t.co/kdmoNRr3A1
— Edgewalker (@edgewalker81) August 3, 2022
Can't wait for Batgirl.2023.1080p.WEBrip.X265
— HiTop Alex (@HiTopFilms) August 3, 2022
to be the best superhero flick of the year.
Batgirl is going to just become an incredibly rare piece of lost media that will show up with incomplete VFX on YouTube or Vimeo in like 5 years.
— Cade Onder (@Cade_Onder) August 2, 2022
She was so excited for Batgirl… pic.twitter.com/HKKfw7hiN1
— PattyNest (@PattyNest) August 2, 2022
It’s so horrible seeing people commenting a lot of awful stuff to Leslie about the Batgirl cancelation on her last Instagram post pic.twitter.com/vYTkKHvMRJ
— Skyknight-El (@SkyknightLCG) August 3, 2022
Marvel Studios: Buckle up because we’re releasing SEVENTY-THREE MOVIES next year!
— The Green Kasey (@RawbertBeef) August 3, 2022
Sony: Go see Morbius. Go see Morbius again.
WB: Batgirl’s cancelled btw.