Credit: Warner Bros.Co-CEO of DC Studios, James Gunn, has finally revealed a portion of his and Peter Safran’s projected 8-10-year slate of new projects coming to the newly-rebranded DC Universe, or simply, the DCU.
The franchise, based on DC Comics, has been a huge sticking point for Warner Bros. Discovery and Chief David Zaslav and the appointment of Gunn and Safran was met with apprehension, resentment, and excitement. And with a new list of movies, including The Flash (2023) starring Ezra Miller, fans have taken to social media to blast the corporation for continuing its involvement with the controversial star.
The turbulence of the DCU has kept the entertainment industry on its toes for the last few years. Marred by controversies and lackluster movies, DC Studios needs a lot to keep the franchise alive. This year will see multiple projects like Jason Momoa’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023) and The Flash debut exclusively in movie theaters — the latter has been pulled forward and will go neck and neck with Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios’ Elemental (2023) this June.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom from director James Wan was, of course, a focus in the infamous domestic abuse court battle between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard last summer with Heard’s role as Mera being a major talking point in her own defamation case against her ex-husband. Then, Ezra Miller’s tirade in Hawaii, their arrests, harassment allegations, the alleged kidnapping of Tokata Iron Eyes, and their dodging of the authorities, left The Flash‘s future up in the air.
Miller did meet with Warner Bros. and the studio revealed they were considering three options when it came to the release of the solo DC Studios movie, including the scrapping of the film altogether. However, early screenings proved to be successful and received well by test audiences so that outcome always seemed unlikely even with the serious claims made against its star.
Related: Twelve-Year-Old Receives Protection Order Against DC Star After Actor Threatens Family
So with the DC in a state of freefall, the world’s eyes and ears were listening closely when Gunn revealed the partial slate for “Chapter 1” of the DCU on January 31, 2023. The director shared a video on Twitter in which he detailed the new cohesive DCU with an interconnected universe of stories across television, animation, movies, and gaming with little to no recast characters in between. The projects included Gunn’s own Superman: Legacy (2025), which is coming in the Summer of 2025 (and without Henry Cavill), a new Batman project based on “The Brave and the Bold” comic book run, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, The Authority, and TV shows like Lanterns, Waller, and Paradise Lost.
What Gunn and Safran also commented on was Ezra Miller’s controversies and the future of The Flash. In an unsettling announcement, that goes no way in reprimanding the actor in the way some fans wish, Safran said (via Variety):
“Ezra is completely committed to their recovery, 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 came as Gunn stated The Flash was “one of the greatest superhero movies ever made,” with Andy Muschietti’s DC film “resetting everything” in the shared universe. The biggest tell of Miller’s future at DC Studios will be how well The Flash fares at the box office from June 16, 2023. But, as the pair failed to make any decisive decision over Miller, the actor soon became a top trend online. Many called out the DC and Fantastic Beasts actor for their violent and erratic behavior as well as DC’s decision to not fire them.
Actress Charisma Carpenter, best known for her role as Cordelia in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, said:
The “trust and patience” being afforded Ezra Miller who committed at least 1 heinous act of violence against a woman that I’ve read about is affirming, one more time, that men in power do not value women if they are profitable.
The “trust and patience” being afforded Ezra Miller who committed at least 1 heinous act of violence against a woman that I’ve read about is affirming, one more time, that men in power do not value women if they are profitable.
— charisma carpenter (@AllCharisma) January 31, 2023
Another tweet from Mary (@sapphicgeek) harked to Zaslav’s controversial cancelation of Batgirl last year. They said:
Batgirl would have hurt DC, but keeping Ezra Miller as Flash is fine?
I need a nap.
Batgirl would have hurt DC, but keeping Ezra Miller as Flash is fine?
I need a nap.
— 🏳️🌈Mary🏳️🌈 (@sapphicgeek) January 31, 2023
@AzorInfo claimed:
Ezra Miller continues to fail upward because their father is a media executive.
Ezra has committed a number of criminal acts, including violent assaults. Ezra has a history of targeting women and minors. This person belongs in a psychiatric institution or prison, not Hollywood.
Ezra Miller continues to fail upward because their father is a media executive.
Ezra has committed a number of criminal acts, including violent assaults. Ezra has a history of targeting women and minors. This person belongs in a psychiatric institution or prison, not Hollywood.
— Azor (@AzorInfo) February 1, 2023
Jaycee (@Booky230) said:
I’m sorry but James Gunn going to bat for the Flash movie and the heads reiterating their support for Ezra Miller AND continuing to kick Batgirl while it’s down puts a stake through the heart of me investing in any DC movies going forward. The core is rancid.
I’m sorry but James Gunn going to bat for the Flash movie and the heads reiterating their support for Ezra Miller AND continuing to kick Batgirl while it’s down puts a stake through the heart of me investing in any DC movies going forward. The core is rancid.
— Jaycee (@Booky230) January 31, 2023
Related: New ‘Wonder Woman’ Prequel Series Might Not Include Gal Gadot
Currently, Ezra Miller is trending with over 18,000 tweets while James Gunn is also blowing up social media with almost 120,000 tweets discussing the filmmaker and CEO.
The Flash now releases on June 16 and stars Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/The Flash, Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Ron Livingston as Harry Allen, Kiersey Clemons as Iris West, Michael Shannon as General Zod, Sasha Calle as Supergirl, Antje Traue as Faora-Ul, and Maribel Verdú as Nora Allen.
What do you think of the recent DCU and Ezra Miller comments? Let us know in the comments down below!