As the many controversies and legal cases involving The Flash actor Ezra Miller continue to evolve, Warner Bros. Discovery management is believed to be far from making a final decision on what to do with them. Instead, the studio is currently contemplating several scenarios, including one that would see the DC blockbuster canceled.
It was nearly two months ago when the first news broke that Miller would never play The Flash again after the actor’s reputation suffered almost irreparable damage due to the series of incidents they've been involved in over the past two years. However, after Warner Bros Discovery's latest earning call, where CEO David Zaslav ratified the company’s faith in upcoming movies like The Flash, Black Adam, and Shazam! Fury of the Gods, discarding the $200 million film starring Miller did not seem like an option.
Contrary to those statements, sources close to The Hollywood Reporter claim that, as of now, shelving The Flash is still very much on the table, regardless of that being a measure of last resort, depending on how Miller's situation develops. This is just one of three alternatives being considered, with the first one being that Miller would seek professional help and address his erratic behavior publicly, with the movie premiering normally and them doing very limited press for The Flash. On the other hand, even if Miller never tries to atone for his alleged crimes, Warner Bros. Discovery could still release The Flash with the actor completely removed from any marketing efforts related to it.
The cancellation scenario would only come into play if Miller's public image deteriorates even more. An example would be if the actor were to be found guilty or given a jail sentence for any of the incidents covered by the media, such as the burglary charges Miller face's in Vermont. Since The Flash features a multiverse-type of story and Miller is featured playing several characters, reshooting the film is not an option and thus would force Warner to take the $200 million loss in what would be an unprecedented failure in the industry.
For the past few years, The Flash has been described by die-hard fans and insiders as the single event that would reset the DCEU and its story path moving forward. Nevertheless, some rumors have also pointed at Zaslav and company choosing the Snyderverse reality, only without its namesake creator, Zack Snyder. Besides the ongoing questions around Miller, DC also has to replace Superman somehow if Henry Cavill ends up retiring from the role, although most fans would prefer it if The Witcher continued playing Clark Kent.
The Flash is currently scheduled to release in theaters on June 23, 2023.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter