The DC Universe has had plenty of ups and downs since its inception, including a number of major behind the scenes shakeups. While James Gunn and Peter Safran were named co-CEOs, a few projects are being released from before their time at the head of the table. That includes Andy Muschietti’s The Flash, which is one of the most highly anticipated upcoming DC movies. That blockbuster looks like a wild multiversal ride, featuring new and returning faces. Case in point: Michael Shannon’s return as Zod, and the Oscar-nominated actor recently addressed Ezra Miller’s controversies.
Despite The Flash wrapping photography in October of 2021, fans were unsure if the movie would ever actually hit theaters. Namely due to various arrests and controversies surrounding its star Ezra Miller, who plays multiple version of Barry Allen throughout its runtime. Michael Shannon recently spoke to Variety about that very sensitive situation, saying:
If you’re talking about Ezra [Miller], I thought Ezra was lovely—very kind to me when I was there. It’s difficult to talk about, but I always give people a lot of slack in this business, because there’s a lot of people in this business that have issues. And some people have more privacy than others. Any time somebody is out in the spotlight getting picked on, I feel for them. Even if it’s warranted, it’s still a horrible situation.
There you have it. While the Knives Out actor was careful with his words, it sounds like working with Ezra Miller was a positive experience for him. And although he didn’t take Miller’s side regarding their controversies, Shannon doesn’t like to see a public pile on. We’ll just have to see if The Flash movie manages to separate itself from its stars’ issues.
Last year Ezra Miller’s name made countless headlines thanks to arrests and legal issues– many of which happened while they were staying in Hawaii. In August Miller issued an apology for their actions, and revealed they were seeking treatment for complex mental health issues. Since then Miller hasn’t had any new issues, so things certainly seem to be looking up. Although it’s unclear if they’ll end up participating in press and premieres for The Flash, which had a number of delays over the years.
Director: Andy Muschietti
Writer: Christina Hodson
Cast: Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton, Ben Affleck, Michael Shannon, Sasha Calle, Kiersey Clemons.
Release Date/Platform: June 16th in theaters.
There were rumors that the release of The Flash was partly depending on the behavior of Ezra Miller, who has seemingly cleared up their act in recent months. Indeed, they’ve been staying out of the spot light, apart from Miller’s court appearances. And the marketing campaign for Andy Muschietti’s blockbuster is really picking up lately, helping to buoy excitement until it hits theaters later this summer.
Given the new leadership at DC, there are countless questions about the future of the shared universe. This includes whether or not Ezra Miller will continue to play the Scarlet Speedster in future projects. The Flash is expected to course-correct the DC timeline, so it would make sense. But with Miller’s controversies still inspiring an active discourse, they could choose to part ways.
The Flash will hit theaters on June 16th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
