DC Studios Buries Ezra Miller's The Flash - Inside the Magic

Next month, fans of the DC Extended Universe will finally get to see the long-time lauded Ezra Miller-led movie, The Flash (2023). But it seems Warner Bros. just buried the leading actor for all to see.

The Flash will be the next chapter in the lethargic DC Extended Universe. At once a promising franchise with the likes of Man of Steel (2013), Wonder Woman (2017), and Aquaman (2018), the Warner Bros. property has slowly lost all of its steam. Recent entries like Black Adam (2022) and Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023) fell drastically short at the global box office, which only added to the overall lackluster presentation of the DCEU after movies like Justice League (2017) and Wonder Woman 1984 (2020).

At the end of 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery, led by CEO David Zaslav, revealed that James Gunn and Peter Safran would be granted the keys to the DC kingdom by both becoming co-CEOs of DC Studios. The announcement both shocked and excited fans, especially as Gunn delivered a fan-favorite with The Suicide Squad (2021) just a year previous. The pair later announced part of their upcoming slate — Chapter 1, Gods and Monsters — in January 2023.

Pitching the DC Universe (the pair have scrapped the “Extended” element) as a cohesive, intertwined franchise spanning film, live-action TV, animated TV, and gaming, Gunn shared a number of projects with eagerly-awaiting fans. From Superman: Legacy (2025), the first feature film in Chapter 1 written and directed by Gunn (but without Henry Cavill), to a TV show based on Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller to the animated effort Creature Commandos, the DCU looks set to completely revitalize the franchise and pull in much more DC Comics lore.

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That said, the announcement and retcon of what has come before have left many wondering just what is going to happen to characters like Black Adam and Shazam. It seems those that existed in the DCEU will be left out of the future Universe — at least for now.

This year sees The Flash, Blue Beetle (2023), and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023) all drop as part of the DCEU. The former has been coined one of the “greatest movies of all time,” with many early-viewers corroborating the comments. Director Andy Muschietti’s The Flash is also tapped to “reset” the entire universe.

But, The Flash, for all of its praise and hype, still has an Achilles Heel. Its actor Ezra Miller.

The actor, known for their work as Barry Allen/The Flash in the DCEU (Grant Gustin plays the character in the DC’s Arrowverse) and as Credence Barebone/Aurelius Dumbledore in Warner Bros. Wizarding World series, Fantastic Beasts, has been entangled in controversy for years.

Miller’s Hawaii tirade and disorderly conduct last year made international news, with the actor getting arrested multiple times. Then there was the grooming and kidnapping case relating to Tokata Iron Eyes and Miller’s subsequent baiting of authorities on social media, in addition to the Vermont farm situation where there was reportedly a safety concern regarding Miller and a young mother and her three children.

Two years prior to this, in April 2020, a video appeared online in a now-deleted tweet that shows Miller strangling a woman and throwing her to the ground. Despite their actions, Miller has been allowed to continue to work in Warner Bros.’s movies.

Last year, at the height of Miller’s aggressive and illegal activities, Warner Bros. stated they had met with the actor and aimed to move forward with production while Miller sought help for their behavior. Miller said in August 2022, “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 apologize to everyone that I have alarmed and upset with my past behavior. I am committed to doing the necessary work to get back to a healthy, safe and productive stage in my life,” according to Rolling Stone.

Now, it looks as though Warner Bros. is continuing to err on the side of caution by reducing Miller’s presence in the promo for their own movie. It may be titled The Flash, but DC Studios is hammering home the return of Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne, AKA Batman, and newcomer Sasha Calle as Kara Zor-El, AKA Supergirl.

In a new teaser on The Flash‘s Twitter page, Michael Keaton’s Batman takes centerstage in the 18-second clip of the DC film:

You want to get nuts? THE FLASH — only in theaters June 16. #TheFlashMovie

You want to get nuts? THE FLASH – only in theaters June 16. #TheFlashMovie pic.twitter.com/beLAjfYlsb

— The Flash (@theFlash) May 7, 2023

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Just three days previous, The Flash shared another promo clip of footage from Muschietti’s movie, and out of the 58-second clip, Ezra Miller features in not even 10 seconds. It’s clear that DC and Warner Bros are enticing fans to the movie, not to see the problematic Ezra Miller but to see the return of people like Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck and Michael Shannon (who returns as General Zod), and the visually impressive settings and CGI.

DC Studios have buried Ezra Miller in their own character’s self-titled movie — just how well this does to bring people into theaters is still to be decided.

The Flash releases in movie theaters on June 16, 2023.

Will you be seeing The Flash this summer? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!