Notably, Warner Bros. Discovery showed nothing of The Flash during its big San Diego Comic-Con presentation. It’s easy to see why. That whole Ezra Miller problem. They’ve been a nightmare of bad press all year as the actor has been hit with allegations of abuse, kidnapping, running a cult, and more. Kinda makes it tough promoting their big superhero movie. CEO David Zaslav has said the film is safe, but could that change if circumstances get worse?
According to a source speaking with THR, Warner Bros. Discovery is preparing for three possible scenarios for the future of The Flash, and yes, one of them is shelving the $200M film.
So here we go, the first scenario has Miller seeking treatment when they return home to Vermont. Assuming that goes well, Miller will do a public interview explaining their recent actions. They’ll continue to be part of the movie’s press campaign, albeit in a limited basis, and everything proceeds as planned including the June 2023 release date.
The second scenario would be if Miller refuses to seek help. The Flash would still be released, but Warner Bros. keeps Miller’s involvement to a minimum, then removes him from all future plans. The role of Flash will be recast with another actor for any sequels or other appearances the character makes.
And finally, there’s just canceling The Flash altogether, which is the most extreme scenario. This one happens if the Miller situation gets worse, and considering they were arrested just days ago, that is a distinct possibility. Plus, we’ve already seen that the new regime is willing to drop a nearly-completed $90M film like Batgirl, so would it be that much of a stretch to do the same for a problematic film like The Flash?
I think there’s another factor here. WB is starting to take a lot of heat for moving forward with The Flash, despite the many allegations against Miller, while dropping the Batgirl movie with a Latina actress with no legal problems whatsoever. It’s simply not a good look, and if people continue to talk about this questionable decision, Zaslav might be forced to put Flash on ice.