The superhero genre is showing no signs of slowing down, and fans who watched the DC Movies in order will recall how Andy Muschietti's The Flash (which is streaming with an HBO Max subscription) was one of the final installments in the DCEU. The IT director recently responded to the hate the movie got, saying people "like to talk shit". He also spoke about how the PR surrounding star Ezra Miller might have influenced the movie's performance.

While co-CEO James Gunn is crafting a new DCU, many fans are still unpacking what went down with the previous shared universe. Case in point: Muschietti's conversation with The Playlist, where he addressed what went down with The Flash's box office and critical performance. He offered:

I mean, he's not wrong. The internet is a relentless place, and there are plenty of moviegoers who enjoy talking smack about various projects. The Flash's CGI has gotten a ton of criticism, including viral clips that might have dissuaded people from giving the DC flick a chance. Add in the fact that the new DC Universe has already been announced, and some folks simply didn't bother to see Muschietti's blockbuster.

There is another big factor that might have influenced so few people seeing The Flash in theaters: various controversies surrounding star Ezra Miller at the time. They had a number of legal shakeups leading up to The Flash's release in theaters. And while Miller eventually apologized and sought treatment for mental health issues, their personal life did feel like a cloud surrounding the DC movie. Muschietti briefly touched on this, saying:

When I finally saw The Flash, I didn't understand why it got so much hate. I thought it had a unique, fun multiversal story that featured both comedy and some epic crossovers. And while Andy Muschietti has theories about why it didn't perform at the box office, he stands by the movie itself. As he went on:

Suddenly I'm feeling the urge to give The Flash a re-watch. While it's not a perfect movie, I thought it looked and felt like it jumped right off of the comic book page. Plus who doesn't want to see Michael Keaton return as Batman?

The Flash is streaming now on HBO Max, which will also be the home of Andy Muschietti's forthcoming IT prequel Welcome to Derry. That series will debut October 26th as part of the 2025 TV schedule.

I gotta say, of all the wrestling-related news to come out in 2025, I did not expect the names “Macho Man Randy Savage” and “Kenan Thompson” to pop up in the same news announcement, and for a potentially bonkers wrestling biopic to stem from that announcement. We’re living in wild and unpredictable times, though, and you’ll get no complaints out of me on this one, as a “Macho Man” movie sounds way more interesting to me than any other upcoming sports biopics. (The acclaim-garnering Smashing Machine can be the exception here.)

Kenan Thompson and his producing partner Johnny Ryan Jr. are developing the new project, currently titled Macho, through their company Artists for Artists, which is also working on reimagining an ‘80s horror that’s actually deserving of a remake, Sleepaway Camp. The biopic’s script is one that was co-written by Savage’s real-life brother Lanny Poffo (a.k.a. The Genius), who passed away in February 2023, and screenwriter Eric Shapiro.

Already, Macho seems like it could be destined for greatness, but given that Savage is one of the most unique and singular WWE and WCW Hall of Famers to ever enter the squared circle, I think we can all agree the quality of this movie will depend entirely on the actor cast to play him. So lets go through a shortlist of talents that I think could feasibly do a fantastic job in the role, regardless of where their careers have gone before.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Though Aaron Taylor-Johnson is purportedly a few inches shorter than Macho Man, and hails from England and not Ohio, the actor has proven himself capable of delivering one physical performance after another in projects such as The Fall Guy, Fuze, and 28 Years Later (not to mention Kraven the Hunter), and can clearly pack the muscle on when it’s asked of him. Taylor-Johnson also has a masterful facial hair game that would no doubt be utilized, given the wrestling legend’s ever-present mustache and beard. And the dude also looks good in wacky costumes, which is necessary, given Macho Man rocked one of wrestling’s most consistently ridiculous looks for his whole career.

Jared Leto

I am 100% aware of how ridiculous it sounds to say “I think Jared Leto would make a good Macho Man,” but I don’t even feel slightly inauthentic saying it. In large part because Leto is known to lean harder into method-acting preparation for certain roles, and I think he could (and would) go as over the top as required to bring Randy Savage’s energetic athleticism and his quieter moments to life believably. As such, I’d fully expect Leto to get a six-month NXT contract ahead of the production, and for him to consist on a diet of just Slim Jims throughout filming. Is Macho Man really that far away from The Joker? Wait, don’t answer that.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman

Despite not (yet) having a presence within the WWE itself, Maxwell Jacob Friedman has nonetheless become a headline-worthy wrestling superstar for his years atop AEW's ranks, where he's earned a lot of love from fans and analysts for both his in-ring moves and his believable heel persona, to say nothign of how well-spoken he is outside of wrestling events. Given Friedman has leaned more into acting in recent years, from The Iron Claw to Happy Gilmore 2 to the upcoming 2026 movie Violent Night 2, he could indeed have the interest and dedication to put into portraying Macho Man on the big-screen. Meaningful to note as well, Savage and Friedman are two of the most impactful wrestlers of Jewish descent, which gives this casting choice a bit more authenticity.

Tyler Posey

Perhaps best known for the role of Scott McCall in MTV's Teen Wolf and its Paramount+ follow-up movie, Tyler Posey entered the world of big-screen wrestling biopics with 2024's Queen of the Ring portraying a love interest for the legednary Mildred Burke. He also competed on The Masked Singer Season 10 as "Hawk," which is perhaps closer to coming out in full wrestling attire than many would think. Combined with Posey's killer mustache game (and his genuine acting skills), I think he'd be an interesting non-obvious choice to portray Randy Savage, and he'd likely nail the romantic side of the story involving his ringside manager and real-life wife Miss Elizabeth, to whom he was married from 1984-1992.

Ezra Miller

Similar to having Jared Leto as a pick, I've thrown Ezra Miller into the mix based solely on the actor's potential to deliver a truly nutty and off-kilter performance. Sure The Flash vet hasn't worked as often in recent years due to certain their off-screen controversies and issues, but the future looks brighter on that front, with Miller reuniting with We Need To Talk About Kevin's Lynne Ramsay for her upcoming vampire movie. I think Miller might be able to pull off Randy Savage's outrageously colorful outfits better than anyone, if nothing else.

Jeremy Allen White

Having already portrayed one of pro wrestling's most tragic figures in Kerry Von Erich for The Iron Claw, Jeremy Allen White already has a leg up on the training that would be needed to take on another musclebound brawler. The one thing working against him the most is that so many of his performances are of a subdued variety, which is antithetical to how Macho Man came across onscreen. But I think he could absolutely still pull it off,

Dan Soder

All of the suggestions above are based largely on the actors' physical abilities, as well as their ability to deliver big performances. But when it comes to throwing stand-up comedian Dan Soder into the running, it's all about the voice. Macho Man's vocal stylings are arguably what fans remember about him the most, since it's easier to imitate a classic promo quote in real life than it is to pull off a diving elbow drop. Soder is as good as it gets and sounds enough like Savage that I could see a reality where the biopic uses his dubbed vocal performance instead of the on-screen actor's. I can't speak to whether or not Soder could realistically develop a pro wrestling physique to secure the role all around, but I'm not super confident.

The only thing I don't want to see from a Randy Savage biopic is an A.I. program taking on the role of the Hall of Famer. Macho Man was too human for any of that, dig it?

It's an interesting time in the comic book genre, as the DCU is still in its infancy. Created by co-CEO James Gunn, the first slate of projects is titled Gods and Monsters and includes both movie and TV projects. Following Superman's time in theaters, the new season of Peacemaker has begun for those with an HBO Max subscription. Sorry, Henry Cavill fans but the Justice League (and entire DCEU) was retconned in the first episode.

Peacemaker Season 2 is finally here, and the first episode set the internet ablaze. Fans who spent years watching the DC movies in order were surprised by how Gunn decided to tell fans what was canon in the new DCU. That includes the Peacemaker finale's cameos, which featured a brief appearance by the Justice League, including dialogue from Ezra Miller's Flash and Jason Momoa's Aquaman. Instead we saw the Justice Gang from Superman (Kal-El and Milly Alcock's Supergirl). And just like that, it's like the previous shared universe was never there at all.

The scene itself played out almost identically to what went down in Season 1. During the "previously in the DCU" sequence that started the episode (and clarified what was being kept from the DCEU), we once again saw the Justice Gang (not League) arriving after the final battle. They are mostly silhouettes, with the exception being Isabela Merced's Hawkgirl and Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner, who replaced Miller and Momoa. You can check out the group assembled below, this time with figures from the growing DCU.

Seeing this ensemble together, albeit briefly, is pretty exciting. But it might hurt for fans of Cavill and the original cast, who have seemingly ended their tenures as those characters. It's interesting that Supergirl was included as a member of the team, as her Superman cameo made it seem like she was more interested in partying than saving people. Plus Metamorpho was noticeably absent after seemingly joining the group in David Corenswet's movie.

While this is the final nail in the coffin for the DCEU, I thought this was a really effective way for Gunn to clarify what is and isn't canon in this new shared universe. He even shot a scene with Peacemaker and Harcourt to explain his antagonistic relationship with Green Lantern Guy Gardner. As we saw in the Peacemaker Season 2 trailer, both he and Hawkgirl are there during his interview to join the Justice Gang.

There's no telling what surprises and cameos might be coming our way with Season 2 of John Cena's DC series. The first season showed the multiverse being in use, so the sky's the limit here.

New episodes of Peacemaker air Thursdays on HBO Max as part of the 2025 TV premiere list. Although I'm not going to hold out hope that he actually joins the Justice Gang.

Ezra Miller has had a long, successful career, including playing The Flash in the DCEU (which is streaming with a Max subscription). But following co-CEO James Gunn making a new shared universe, as well as Miller's controversies and legal issues, they're not expected to reprise that role in upcoming DC movies. Although the 32 year-old film actor recently addressed the possibility of returning to the mainstream.

In August of 2022, Ezra Miller issued an apology over various controversies, and pledged to seek help for mental health issues. That includes Miller's arrests in Hawaii, as well as accusations of grooming. While doing an interview in Canes (via Deadline) they spoke about why they returned to the public eye for Cannes this year. As the DC alum put it:

Interesting. It sounds like Miller is mostly attending the festival because Lynne Ramsay's new film Polaris is premiering at Cannes. Although if sounds like they're cooking up another project with the filmmaker, which could very well be their first big return to Hollywood after a public mental health (and legal) struggle.

Miller's last movie project was Andy Muschietti's The Flash, which was released in the midst of their controversies. They've got nothing else currently coming down the pipeline, save for the mysterious project they're writing with Ramsay. Later in the same interview, the Fantastic Beasts actor addressed how they've reflected on their various controversies. Miller said:

That's some perspective. While acknowledging that they made some mistakes, it sounds like Ezra Miller has been able to learn quite a bit since their very public mental health breakdown. As for their future in the entertainment indsutry, that remains to be seen.

Miller had an impressive resume when their issues began, and quickly took over the public's image of the actor. That includes acclaimed indie projects, as well as ongoing roles in both the DCEU and the Fantastic Beasts franchise. Unfortunately both of those properties are now DOA, with Warner Bros. seemingly having no signs of producing the final two Harry Potter prequels.

Only time will tell if/when Ezra Miller returns to the mainstream, but they don't currently have any upcoming projects on the 2025 move release list or beyond. But their appearances as Cannes definitely turned heads.

2023 was a momentous year for the DC Comics superhero The Flash. First, the same-named, Grant Gustin-led TV series ended after nine seasons, and then a month later, Ezra Miller finally got to take center stage as Barry Allen in the also-same-named movie following his appearances in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad and both cuts of Justice League (you can stream those DC movies in order with a Max subscription). It’s now been a little over a year and a half since The Flash movie played in theaters, and Tom Cavanagh, who played Eobard Thawne, a.k.a. Reverse-Flash, on the TV series, shared what he thought was a “good call” for making Miller’s Barry stand out from Gustin’s.

During a Q&A and FAN Expo Portland (via MrHistorican), Cavanagh, who also played multiple versions of Harrison Wells over the course of nine seasons, shared that he’s seen The Flash movie, unlike his former co-star Danielle Panabaker, who was seated next to him. He had mostly positive things to say about the flick, particularly concerning Miller’s performance, starting with the following:

While saying that Ezra Miller’s Barry isn’t as intelligent as Grant Gustin’s Barry might sound like a criticism at first, Tom Cavanagh found it a refreshing creative choice. Although frankly, Gustin’s Barry wasn’t all that different when he started out as the Scarlet Speedster in the early Arrowverse days. While Miller’s Barry has also been fighting crime for a long time when The Flash movie begins, he’s not nearly as experienced as his TV counterpart. (Side note, let’s not forget that these two briefly spent some time with each other during the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover in early 2020.)

So ultimately, Cavanagh saw this characterization tweak as the right move for the DCEU’s Barry Allen. He continued to share his thoughts about The Flash movie thusly:

Although he didn’t outright state it, it sounds like he didn’t find the second half of The Flash nearly as strong as the first half. That includes his indirect mention of the climactic multiverse sequence packed with DC cameos, which was one of the reasons the movie’s CGI was criticized. Tom Cavanagh’s also correct that The Flash’s marketing leaned heavily on Michael Keaton’s Batman, which was surely a combination of Batman’s inherent popularity, how big a deal Keaton’s return to the cape and cowl was, and to draw attention away from the numerous controversies surrounding Miller, who didn’t participate in the movie’s press tour. In any case, Cavanagh largely enjoyed watching The Flash movie, though he’s obviously going to be biased when it comes to his all-time favorite adaptation of the Scarlet Speedster’s lore.

There are no plans for Ezra Miller to reprise The Flash in upcoming DC movies, but given how popular this character is, I find it hard to believe that another actor won’t be selected to inhabit the role in this new DC Universe franchise. As for Tom Cavanagh, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that he got to leave one final mark on the Arrowverse when he played Gordon Godfrey in Superman & Lois’ final season, which can now be streamed on Max.

There was a time when Ezra Miller was on the rise in Hollywood, as following their early roles in movies like We Need to Talk About Kevin and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, their profile got a significant boost thanks to playing The Flash in the DC Extended Universe and Credence Barebone in the Fantastic Beasts film series. However, at the beginning of this decade, Miller’s personal life became tainted by numerous controversies, leading to them withdrawing from Hollywood. However, one of the big complaints against the actor is no longer an issue, as the parents of Tokata Iron Iron Eyes are no longer accusing Miller of having groomed their daughter.

Back in 2022, Tokota’s parents filed legal documents alleging that after their then-12-year-old daughter became friends with Miller in 2016, when the actor was 23, Tokota dropped out of school to travel around with Miller. The parents also claimed in the documents that Miller “uses violence, intimidation, threat of violence, fear, paranoia, delusions, and drugs to hold sway over a young adolescent Tokata.”

Two years later, though, her parents have withdrawn these accusations and court filings against Miller, with her father, Chase Iron Eyes, writing on Instagram that this assessment had been made “based on information from a witness who then recanted and said nothing happened that they could infer anything inappropriate from.” He also wrote:

As detailed in a report from The New York Post, Ezra Miller and Tokata Iron Eyes are now touring around the country in their band Hundred in the Hand, Where the former plays drums and the latter is the lead singer. Miller’s representative also told the publication that things between Miller and Toccata’s parents smoothed out after her parents “realized everything Tokata was saying about him being her friend was true,” adding that they are “best friends” and not romantically involved. This update follows a little over a year after the temporary protective order that was filed against Miller over their alleged harassment expired.

Ezra Miller was last seen on the big screen in The Flash, the third-to-last of the DC movies in order from the DCEU era, although they did not do any press for it. In fact, the actor has largely stayed out of the limelight as a result of these various controversies, which included them choking a woman at a bar in Iceland, being arrested multiple times in Hawaii and being charged with felony burglary. In August 2022, Miller released a statement saying they were seeking treatment for their “complex mental health issues,” and the following January, they pleaded guilty to trespassing and was ordered to pay a $500 fine and serve one year of probation.

The last acting-related update concerning Ezra Miller came in March when they were recast in the Prime Video series Invincible, with showrunner Robert Kirkman indicating that Eric Bauza took over the role of D.A. Sinclair due to “availabilities” shifting. There’s been no word about Miller acting again in the foreseeable future, but if a new project for the actor is announced, we’ll let you know. Until then, revisit his DC and Fantastic Beasts work with a Max subscription.

Invincible Season 2 is finished, and since it’s hard to say when Season 3 will premiere to Amazon Prime Video subscribers, we’ll have to keep ourselves entertained by thinking about what happened in this last batch of episodes. For example, the Season 2 finale included a fun Spider-Man homage and Batman easter egg, and in the penultimate episode, it was revealed that Eric Bauza had taken over Ezra Miller’s role of D.A. Sinclair. Invincible showrunner Robert Kirkman, who also wrote the original comic book series, has now opened up about this recasting, as well as admitted that splitting Season 2 in half was not the best, though there was a good reason for doing so.

Let’s start with Miller, who’s best known in the superhero space for playing The Flash in the DCEU era of the DC movies in order. The actor was tapped to take part in the Invincible Season 1 episode “You Look Kinda Dead” as D.A. Sinclair, the young mad scientist who created the Reanimen, and among the people harmed in his twisted experiments was Rick Sheridan, William Francis Clockwell’s boyfriend. On the subject of why Bauza is now voicing the character instead of Miller, Kirkman told Variety the following:

Invincible Season 1 aired back in spring 2021, and in between then and Season 2’s run, Ezra Miller, who goes by they/them pronouns, faced numerous controversies in their personal life. However, from what Robert Kirkman said, this Invincible recasting doesn’t stem from playing damage control in response to said controversies, but is merely due to Miller being unavailable to reprise D.A. Sinclair. Miller has largely stayed out of the public spotlight after releasing a public apology, pleading guilty to trespassing and responding to the protective order against them expiring, so maybe that had something to do with them not playing Sinclair again. In any case, Kirkman sounds content with Bauza taking over as the character, who appeared in “I’m Not Going Anywhere” when Cecil checked in to see if the Reanimen could be sent in to help Mark Grayson fight Anissa. Alas, they were nowhere field-ready.

As for the way Invincible Season 2 was released, the first four episodes were released in November 2023, and the second half followed in mid-March. When asked about what the fan reaction has been to the sophomore season being split up, Kirkman responded:

So this was prompted by a production necessity rather than Amazon just wanting to shake things up with how it delivered new episodes of Invincible. As Robert Kirkman pointed out, apparently this strategy, while unpopular, didn’t deter from Invincible remaining one of the best Prime Video shows. Still, it sounds like if possible, he’ll want to avoid splitting Season 3 up too, so let’s cross our fingers that production goes smoothly enough that the next batch of episodes can be released week after week uninterrupted.

We’ll keep you apprised on what Invincible Season 3 has in store once the updates start coming in, but you can keep yourself entertained until then by seeing what shows are currently airing or arriving soon with the 2024 TV schedule.

When it comes to the world of superhero stories, Ezra Miller is, of course, best known playing Barry Allen, a.k.a. The Flash, in the DCEU era of the DC movies in order. However, the actor, who uses they/them pronouns, also has their foot over in the Image Comics realm as the voice of D.A. Sinclair in the TV series Invincible, which can be streamed by Amazon Prime Video subscribers. Or rather, he did voice D.A. Sinclair, because in the show’s penultimate Season 2 episode, it was revealed that the role has been recast.

Following Miller’s outing as Sinclair in the Season 1 episode “You Look Kinda Dead,” the character resurfaced in this week’s episode, “I’m Not Going Anywhere,” through both flashbacks and seeing what he’s up to in the present day. Now it’s Looney Tunes actor Eric Bauza who’s voicing the mad scientist. Granted, we’ve known for months that Bauza was part of Invincible Season 2’s cast, but it turns out he came aboard to take over an existing role rather than play a new one.

This recasting follows after Ezra Miller has been the subject of various controversies over the last several years, including choking a woman at a bar in Iceland, being arrested multiple times in Hawaii, housing a mother and her three children at their Vermont farm while guns were laying around, and being charged for felony burglary. By August 2022, Miller released a public apology saying were seeking treatment for their “complex mental health issues,” and by January 2023, the actor pleaded guilty to trespassing and was ordered to pay a $500 fine and serve one year of probation.

All this being said, there’s no confirmation that these controversies are the reason behind why Amazon recast Miller with Eric Bauza in Invincible, as the company had not responded to EW’s request for comment at the time of publication. Whatever reasons for the change in actors is, this is the second superhero TV show that Bauza’s been part in recent weeks, as he’s also voiced various characters in X-Men ’97, which can be streamed with a Disney+ subscription.

Warning: SPOILERS for the Invincible episode “I’m Not Going Anywhere” are ahead!

D.A. Sinclair was first seen in “I’m Not Going Anywhere” through Rick Sheridan having a PTSD dream about when the villain kidnapped him and turned him into one of his Reanimen. Later on, in the midst of Mark Grayson’s battle with the Viltrumite Anissa, Cecil contacted Sinclair and asked if the Reanimen he was making for the Global Defense Agency could be deployed to help Mark, but none of them were ready. Since there’s only one episode left in Season 2, it’s seems unlikely we’ll see Sinclair again next week, but there’s a good chance he could return in Season 3.

If you’re current on Invincible, look over the other best Prime Video shows that can be watched now. You’re also to welcome to plan ahead by seeing what’s coming up on the 2024 TV schedule.

Marvel and DC fans have been debating one another for decades now, whether it’s about these companies’ original comics or the many media projects that spin out of their respective source material. With each new entry on the upcoming Marvel movies and upcoming DC movies slates, along with plenty of TV shows being released between the two, there’s more for both camps to argue about. For example, one of the debates currently doing the rounds on social media was prompted by a side-by-side video of Grant Gustin and Ezra Miller’s Flashes, and in this instance, I can’t help but rooting for the MCU.

2023 was a big year for DC Comics’ Scarlet Speedster, because along with The Flash movie finally hitting theaters nearly a decade after it was announced, The Flash TV series from The CW concluded after nine seasons. With the former now being streamable with a Max subscription and the latter being available for Netflix subscribers to watch, it’s easier than ever to compare Miller and Gustin’s versions of Flash. The Twitter account @HeroesUnbound opted to showcase the differing final runs between the movie and Season 9, as seen below.

Naturally this ignited a debate over which final run was better, and this is more than enough to keep DC fans arguing amongst themselves over whether The Flash movie or TV show is better. But then things kicked up a notch, as various people started critiquing for both these versions of Flash and steered attention towards Eternals, the 26th MCU movie which introduced the speedster Makkari, played by Lauren Ridloff. A lot of people prefer the way her super speed looks compared to Flash, as evidenced below:

Let me be clear about something: I’ve been a fan of The Flash for a long time, so if you’re asking me to pick between him and Marraki overall, he’s easily winning out every time. In this instance though, I find myself preferring the way Makkari’s super speed is presented. Maybe that’s because I’m so used to the lightning effect from Flash that it’s lost its uniqueness a little bit in my eyes, although to be fair, the lighting is certainly called for given that the Fastest Man Alive channels his power from the Speed Force. In any case, I find myself in good company.

Makkari isn’t the first speedster to be seen in the MCU, as Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Quicksilver had some time to shine in Avengers: Age of Ultron. However, Wanda Maximoff’s brother died in that same movie, whereas Makkari made it out of Eternals alive, meaning we could see more of her. Let’s hope so, as watching her run at such a rapid pace is mesmerizing.

Right now, it’s unclear if Eternals 2 is moving forward, with director Chloé Zhao saying “No comment” when asked about the sequel back in March. Of course, with two more Avengers movies on the way, it’s possible Makkari could reappear in one of those movies, as her super speed would certainly come in handy against Kang the Conqueror or whatever other threat has emerged. As for The Flash, it’s unclear what the character’s live-action future holds in store. Grant Gustin’s tenure as DC’s Fastest Man Alive is obviously over, and it hasn’t been clarified yet if Ezra Miller will continue playing the character in the new DC Universe franchise or if someone else will be recast in the role.

As always, continue checking in with CinemaBlend for all the biggest updates concerning Marvel and DC in film and television. For details on the wider cinematic landscape, consult our 2023 movie release schedule and 2024 movie release schedule.

What would it take for Batman to retire? Several versions of the Caped Crusader see the Batman fighting until old, old age. But in the Christopher Nolan trilogy of films, we did see Christian Bale “retire” his Batman gig between The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises as he mourned the loss of Rachel (Maggie Gyllenhaal). If you tried to watch the DC Batman movies in order, you would get to Ben Affleck’s older Bruce Wayne introduced in Zack Snyder’s universe. And finally, the once-again retired Bruce Wayne played by Michael Keaton in this past summer’s The Flash. But WHY did that Wayne hang up his cape and cowl? 

Reaction to The Flash now that it’s available with a Max subscription has been mixed. Nicolas Cage gently ribbed his all-too-brief Superman cameo in the movie. But our own Corey Chichizola still feels like The Flash didn’t get a fair shake. Personally, I think it’s an excellent Flash movie, and I liked Michael Keaton’s return as Batman from his two Tim Burton movies. But when we meet Keaton’s Bruce Wayne, he’s been out of commission for several years. And while appearing on CinemaBlend’s official ReelBlend podcast, director Andy Muschietti explained that there will be a deleted scene that eventually clears up the mystery of Bruce Wayne, and what forced him out of playing Batman. 

Muschietti told the ReelBlend guys:

The scene in question that Andy Muschietti is referring to takes place in the Wayne kitchen, where Bruce (Michael Keaton) uses spaghetti to explain the structure of the multiverse. It played out like this:

So wait, does this mean that Michael Keaton’s Batman successfully traveled back through time the way that Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen did in the movie? And if he does figure out time travel, did Keaton’s Batman possibly try and prevent his parents from being murdered in Crime Alley, the way that Barry tries to do? Andy Muschietti stopped short of that, telling ReelBlend:

Muschietti has talked about such mistakes in the past. And the deleted scene he discussed will be part of the physical media for The Flash when it reaches stores on August 29. Listen to our full conversation with Andy and Barbara Muschietti here:

From the sound of everything, though, we won’t see any more from this Flash universe in any upcoming DC movies. While James Gunn says that The Blue Beetle will continue on in the rebooted DC Universe, the box office failures of The Flash likely confirm that this interpretation of the character is over… and might swallow Jason Momoa’s Aquaman in the process. 

The DC Universe has had plenty of peaks and valleys since it started with Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. The past few movies have been box office disappointments, including Black Adam, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and The Flash. The latter was the most recent release, and has been dunked on countless times online. I was traveling when the movie first hit theaters, and therefore didn’t get the chance to see it. But I finally watched The Flash, and I don’t understand why it got so much hate.

Andy Muschietti’s The Flash was a long time coming, as the movie was delayed countless times throughout the years and went through a number of directors. By the time it hit theaters this summer, DC had gotten new leadership with James Gunn and Peter Safran, and star Ezra Miller was the subject of legal issues and controversies. The cards were stacked against the blockbuster, and unfortunately The Flash was a box office failure. But putting aside all of that baggage, I had a fun time renting and watching the movie from the comfort of my couch. And it might be one of my favorite DCU movies to be honest.

First and foremost, The Flash looks and feels like a true comic book. It’s funny, colorful, and contains a number of beloved returning characters including Alfred, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman. Even if some of these are mere cameos, the DCU feels like a living, breathing place. Considering crossovers were largely scrapped after the theatrical release of Justice League, this was a welcomed change.

The Flash’s tone and penchant for comedy is also why I was so instantly sold on Ezra Miller’s DC blockbuster. Despite The Flash’s cast of heroes and the multiversal stakes involved, the movie doesn’t take itself too seriously. It's similar to Birds of Prey in that way, which I still think is my favorite movie from the shared universe. In a time where gritty superhero movies are so common, this brighter take helped The Flash’s 144-minute runtime fly by. 

Some of the online criticism aimed at the latest DC movie has been aimed at The Flash’s visual effects. And indeed, there were some moments of the movie where the CGI simply looked unfinished– specifically when Barry Allen is traveling through the Speed Force. But even though this was noticeable at moments, the visual language of the movie itself is so unique and intriguing that it didn’t even ruin those sequences for me. 

Given Andy Muschietti’s acclaimed work on the IT franchise, perhaps I should have always expected to enjoy what he’d bring to the table with The Flash. He applied that same level of care to the DCU, creating a movie that’s shot beautifully. And while there were the aforementioned comedic beats, there were still emotional beats that hit me in the feels, especially related to Barry and his mother.

Overall, I had a blast watching The Flash, and am psyched for a re-watch once it’s available with a Max subscription. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

A temporary protective order that was issued against The Flash star Ezra Miller for the alleged harassment of a 12-year-old, as accused by the child’s mother, was lifted on Friday during a court hearing in which Miller appeared. The order was filed last summer after Shannon Guin alleged the actor acted inappropriately toward her child. Following the latest development, Miller has released a statement. 

Ezra Miller, who has greatly left social media, took to Instagram following the court hearing to share their thoughts on the protective order expiring. In Miller’s words: 

During the hearing at Greenfield District Court (via Deadline) the judge ruled the order, set to expire on July 1, will be lifted. Miller’s statement continued as follows: 

Ezra Miller’s attorney Marissa Elkins said in court that the order was “based on untrue allegations” along with detailing that at the time of it originally being issued The Flash actor was “struggling with significant mental health issues, and was unable to come to court to defend themself.” Elkins claimed that if Miller had been able to appear in court at the time, the attorney is “confident” the original order would have never been issued in the first place.  

Shannon Guin was the second parent to come forward with allegations against Ezra Miller in June 2022 after court documents were filed on June 7, 2022 claimed the actor groomed their 12-year-old child Tokata Iron Eyes. The alleged actions included drugging and displaying “cult-like” and “controlling” behavior towards them.

A couple of months after those two charges, along with several others, including previous separate burglary, harassment, assault charges made throughout that year, Miller shared they were “suffering complex mental health issues” and had begun “ongoing treatment.” Miller apologized for their actions and shared their commitment to “doing the necessary work to get back to a healthy, safe and productive stage” of life. 

Following a host of controversies from Ezra Miller last year, The Flash hit theaters earlier this month to a disappointing box office opening, with it falling behind initial projections. So far, the movie has made $217 million worldwide, which is just over the movie’s reported production budget. Ezra Miller skipped out on press for the movie, but made their first public appearance in nearly two years at the movie’s Hollywood premiere on June 12. 

As far as upcoming DC movies go for Ezra Miller, there are currently no plans for the actor to resume their superhero role. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more about the future of DC here on CinemaBlend. 

The following contains spoilers for the end of The Flash.

The Flash is a movie in a very weird place. The DC Universe that it was born into is coming to an end in only a few more months. That wasn’t completely understood back when the movie was made. And yet, for so many reasons The Flash is actually the perfect movie to end the current DC Universe as we wait to begin the new one, which is why it’s all the more strange that The Flash is somehow not the last movie in the current franchise. Hear me out.

In a few months, we’ll see Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which is the last DC movie on the schedule under the old guard. In a couple of years the new DCU headed by James Gunn and Peter Safran will begin, and the characters of the current DC franchise are either being recast or entirely ignored, at least for now. So why the hell isn’t The Flash the note the studio decided to go out on?

The Flash Works Better If It’s The End Of The Franchise 

When you come to the end of something, it makes a lot of sense to look back at where you came from. When the MCU came to the end of its Infinity Saga it told a story of time travel and multiverses that saw characters revisit places the story had been before, and The Flash does largely the same thing, taking us back to the events of Man of Steel, though in a slightly modified version.

Not only that, The Flash incorporates elements of DC movies past by bringing back Michael Keaton as Batman. Considering the modern comic book movie craze is in no small part indebted to that movie, it’s a fitting film to celebrate. In my opinion, Keaton’s Batman and The Flash working together are a perfect bookending of three decades of DC heroes on the big screen.

And then the ending of The Flash takes things even further back. We see and hear nearly every previous version of Superman and Batman on the big and small screen as the different universes collide. We see George Reeve as Superman and Adam West’s classic Batman, even Christopher Reeve’s Superman makes an appearance along Helen Slater’s Supergirl. It’s the perfect way to say goodbye to all of it before things start fresh in a couple of years.

Aquaman 2 And The Flash Could Have Easily Swapped Release Dates 

Which raises the question, why was the decision made to release Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom after The Flash? Both movies suffered from various delays related to the pandemic as well as the general delays that come with every movie production. As such, both movies have largely been done for a long time. There’s no reason that Aquaman 2 couldn’t have come out first.

At one point it was absolutely the plan to release the Aquaman sequel before The Flash, but then the decision was made last year to shift the releases of Aquaman and Shazam!: Fury of the Gods, while leaving the release date of The Flash intact, so Aquaman and the Loast Kingdom went from coming out three months before The Flash to six months after. 

James Wan has said the Arthur Curry-led film changed after the Gunn announcement. In addition, it's been rumored and it's possible that this decision was made because Aquaman 2 needed the extra time, but did it really need all the way until December? Couldn't it have moved to June and then The Flash could have been shifted to December? It's clear the studio has big expectations for Flash, and thus almost certainly wanted it in the prime summer slot, but big movies have made billions in December too, and if Flash is that good, it would have.

Even if the new Aquaman movie makes $1 billion at the box office as the last movie did, and even if it’s a truly great film in its own right, and even if some version of Batman shows up  ---which may still be happening -- it’s still going to be just an Aquaman movie. In my opinion, that’s not how this version of DC should have gone out.

Maybe There’s A Reason Aquaman 2 Will Be The End Of The DCEU

Unless, of course, there’s a reason that those release dates were swapped around. While most of what we know about Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom would seem to indicate it’s mostly a standalone Aquaman movie, we haven’t actually seen anything from it, so maybe there’s something we don’t know about the project that will make it a fitting end of the DCEU.

Jason Momoa does appear in The Flash’s mid-credits sequence, in a scene that, while fun, doesn’t seem to add anything to The Flash’s ending. It wouldn’t be the first time that a post-credits scene was used strictly for laughs, but considering that the scene did include the lead character of the last movie, it’s maybe a bit surprising that the scene didn’t tease anything about the next movie or do anything with Aquaman that might set him up for whatever is to come.

Except maybe it did? Perhaps there’s more going on in that mid-credits scene than we think, and we just don’t understand it because we haven’t seen the new Aquaman movie yet, and it will all make sense. Avengers: Endgame wasn’t the end the Phase Three of the MCU, after all. That was Spider-Man: Far From Home, which sort of acted as a post-script on the events of the massive climax. Perhaps that’s what Aquman and the Lost Kingdom is being set up to be. Of course, we knew that Far From Home was not going to be the final MCU movie, so where the chapter ended was maybe less important. Aquaman won’t be the end of a chapter, it will be the end of the story. 

Even when James Gunn and Peter Safran launch their new DCU, that doesn’t mean that the current era of DC films will be gone forever. In the same way that The Flash brought back so many classic versions of popular heroes, something similar could happen in the future of the DCU. Still, when we’re looking back on this particular era of DC Films years from now, many might not even remember that Aquaman 2 was where it ended. The Flash’s ending was so much more poetic. 

DC fans who prefer the work of Zack Snyder in the universe were not happy the other day because they believed that marketing and promotion for the new movie The Flash suggested the film was a sequel in continuity with Joss Whedon’s butchered Justice League… also known as the Josstice League. The evidence connecting the two was thin. 

Now, having seen The Flash twice, I can tell you there are two scenes in The Flash that very clearly point to things that happened in the Snyder Cut, but were not found in the dreadful theatrical cut. Thereby proving that in the current slate of DC Movies, Snyder’s cut of Justice League is canon. We're about to jump into spoilers, so please be forewarned!

This is important to Zack Snyder’s fans because they literally had to fight tooth and nail to get the Snyder Cut of Justice League released. Warner Bros. acknowledging its existence, and making it part of The Flash narrative, is an outstanding step toward making Zack’s work on the DC trilogy canon. There have been some outliers on social media making the claim The Flash wipes away Snyder’s Cut, when in fact, the opposite is true. There are two very distinct moments in The Flash that prove that this movie is canon to The Snyder Cut, and not Josstice League. Let me break them down. 

Barry And Bruce’s Conversation

Shortly after Barry runs fast enough to access the Speed Force, peering backward into events of the past that just happened, he turns to his chief confidant, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck). Bruce seeks clarification, and basically asks Barry if him running back in time is similar to what he did in Russia. And Barry confirms that yes, it’s just like that. Only in Russia, he only traveled back one minute. And in the instance that we watched in The Flash, he traveled back a full day. 

The running sequence in The Snyder Cut looked like this:

Here’s the thing. Barry never traveled back through time in the Josstice League cut. He races to protect that dreadful Russian family (who were only included for pathetic comic relief), but Superman (Henry Cavill) was able to help Cyborg (Ray Fisher) separate the Unity, stopping Steppenwolf’s attack. Do the math, and Batfleck referring to the time travel moment from Zack Snyder’s Justice League (which doesn’t occur in Josstice League), that seemingly confirms The Flash is canon with The Snyder Cut.  

You need more? Sure, this one really solidifies it. 

Iris Remembers Meeting Barry

One of the reasons DC fans were so furious with Josstice League is that it appeared actors of color were removed from the original footage. That included a long sequence with Kiersey Clemons that didn’t make it into the theatrical cut but was restored into Zack Snyder’s Justice League. During the sequence, Iris is involved in a serious car accident, and Barry uses his incredible speed to rescue her mid crash. She spots him when the two of them land in the street, but then he speeds off.

Flash forward (no pun intended) to the first time Iris (Clemons) meets Barry (Ezra Miller) outside of the courthouse in The Flash. She mentions remembering seeing him recently, but can’t recall when. Barry awkwardly jokes that they haven’t seen each other since school, trying to brush past this scene:

This interaction does not happen in Josstice League. So, if Iris West mentions remembering it in The Flash, then she remembers a scene from The Snyder Cut, strengthening the connections between Andy Muschietti’s movie, and Snyder’s magnum opus. 

Do you agree? And how much does it matter to you? Either way, it seems like The Flash is closing the door on DC’s past, with Blue Beetle serving a unique position of being a major start of DC’s new beginning. History is being made, by the day. 

Major spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t yet watched The Flash on the big screen, so be warned!

For all that it’s centered on the fastest man alive within the world of DC Comics, The Flash certainly took a while to make its highly anticipated theatrical debut. With Ezra Miller in the starring role, the time-traveling blockbuster is finally here to deliver all the Flashpoint-adjacent emotional trauma that fans have been waiting for, and it broke open the DC multiverse in some pretty massive and unpredictable ways that will no doubt get picked apart by viewers. But as awesome as it was to witness gobsmacking moments such as Nicolas Cage’s live-action Superman (among other things), Andy Muschietti’s film somehow dropped the ball when paying off on the live-action history of its titular hero, and I’m all the more peeved that TV’s Scarlet Speeder Grant Gustin did not make a cameo appearance.

• The Flash Review: Ezra Miller's Speedster Adventure Is DC At Its Lore-Building Finest

Let’s run through why ignoring the Arrowverse’s Barry Allen and that universe seems like such a glaring issue in my mind now after having watched The Flash feature in full.

Ezra Miller And Grant Gustin's Barry Allens Already Met

Thanks to the Arrowverse’ bonkers “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” which served as The CW franchise’s sixth big crossover, TV audiences already had the privilege of watching Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen sharing the screen with Ezra Miller’s Barry, which was a doozy of a moment. (Even for a TV event that also included appearances from ‘60s Batman star Burt Ward, Kevin Conroy’s Bruce Wayne and the Doom Patrol.) So no matter how one slices up the timeline shenanigans that take place within the movie, big-screen Barry should have the memory of meeting a wholly different version of himself. And in a film where he spent much of the runtime quasi-training himself as a teenager, one would think Ezra Miller’s character would have mentioned that previous incident, even if just in a throwaway line. 

Aside from that, it’s also a bit of a face-smack for WB execs to have made the Miller cameo demand late in the game for the show’s creative team, presumably as a way to further bolster the show’s popularity, while apparently not making similar requests to include Gustin in the feature. The actor shared as much back in April when first confirming that he wouldn’t appear in the film, even though some fans were still holding out hope that his Barry Allen would show up in archival footage or something similar, especially since the actor wasn’t made aware that he was shown in Titans’ huge multiverse sequence until after the fact. His take was unfortunately correct in this case, however.

Ignoring Grant Gustin Is Flat-Out Weird Given All The Other Multiverse Connections

One of the biggest selling points for The Flash’s pre-release marketing for literal years now has been Michael Keaton’s return to the role(s) of Bruce Wayne and Batman. Had he been one of very few pieces of canonical connective tissue utilized in the timeline-changing chaos, I might not be so quick to question others’ absences. But this is also a movie that delivered Michael Shannon’s return as General Zod (even if he wasn’t so pumped about it), the perhaps final on-screen appearance from Ben Affleck’s Batman, and a bunch of literal alt-universe worlds colliding. 

But those worlds were almost entirely focused on the various live-action iterations of Superman and Batman from the past 100 years. For example, moviegoers could see TV’s first Man of Steel George Reeves, a poignant shot of CGI Christopher Reeve alongside Helen Slater’s Supergirl, the Batman and Robin from the 1940s movie serials, the aforementioned Super Nick Cage, and way more. There were more than enough moments during that sequence (or elsewhere in the 144-minute movie) where Grant Gustin’s Barry could have been featured prominently, if temporarily, as everything started to converge. Hell, he could have easily lent a helping hand or two in the process, having already saved his Earth’s Central City and beyond from time-traveling no-nos. (Far too many of them, some might say.) 

I personally would have found it to be awesome if Grant Gustin’s Barry was revealed to be the Dark Flash who’d spent years and years trying to perfect the time traveling rescue mission. Especially since that reveal was one of the film’s weaker moments. 

At The Very Least, John Wesley Shipp Should Have Been Honored

Perhaps Andy Muschietti and the film’s producers felt that the Arrowverse’s Flash already featured too many examples of ‘90s Flash actor John Wesley Shipp returning as either Henry Allen or Jay Garrick. Or maybe there was another reason behind it all, but I couldn’t help but also feel a bit judgmental about the movie not paying respect to the first person to ever play The Flash in live-action. Shipp starred as Barry Allen for a single 22-episode season in the 1990s TV series, and went on to appear in even more Arrowverse episodes. 

So even if there were issues over scheduling or timing or whatever when it came to bringing Grant Gustin into The Flash’s storyline fold, it’s possibly a bigger miscue for the movie to also not have paid direct tribute to Shipp ushering DC’s speedsters into live-action for the first time. Granted, he wasn’t the very first to play the part, as Mary Tyler Moore Show vet Ted Knight and voice acting great Jack Angel were two of the actors to voice Flash for the animated SuperFriends series. References to those two would have been cool as well, but nah. 

No doubt various reasons exist for why The Flash so deliberately ignored its main character's own pop culture history, but it was still disappointing to walk out of the theater without witnessing any love being shown to the TV universe. But we can always return to Grant Gustin's version of the Speed Force with a Netflix subscription, assuming Barry didn't accidentally erase Netflix from existence at some point.

The following contains MAJOR spoilers for The Flash. 

After years of waiting, many different screenwriters, and more directors than we can count, The Flash has finally made it to the screen. Originally, there were expectations that The Flash would act as a sort of reboot for the existing DCEU, but now that we know that the new DCU under James Gunn and Peter Safran will be largely starting things over, The Flash instead will be one of the last movies in the current franchise to be released, but it certainly tired to go out on a high note.

To say that a lot happens at the end of The Flash is understating things quite a bit. Something closer to the truth would be that everything happens during The Flash ending. The film packs a lot into its finale, and makes at least one significant change to Barry Allen’s world, though at this point we’ll have to wait and see how much it all means, assuming it means anything at all.

How The Flash Ends 

The finale of The Flash begins as the two versions of Barry Allen, the one that we know and the alternate version from a timeline where Barry’s mother survives, try to find a way to defeat Zod, and they continually fail. They go back in time again and again. Yet failure continues. Our Barry understands quickly that success is simply not possible, but the alternate version continues to try. We’re then introduced once again to the same creature inside the Speed Force that initially knocked Barry out at the wrong time, and we discover that it’s another version of alternate Barry who has spent his entire life continuing to try and find a solution.

The three versions of Barry are in a stand-off inside the Speed Force where they can see the various alternate realities that exist begin to be destroyed. We see the previous versions of DC characters from the big and small screen, including Superman as portrayed by both George Reeves and Christopher Reeve. We see the old movie serial version of Batman and hear the voice of Adam West. 

Ultimately, the speed force version of Barry tries to kill our main character, but the alternate Barry sacrifices himself, effectively killing the villain, as well, since they are technically the same person from different times. Barry then returns to undo his actions from the beginning that saved his mother’s life, in order to put everything back the way it was.

Barry does change one thing, however. He moves all the cans of tomatoes at the supermarket to a higher shelf, allowing for the security cameras at the grocery store to capture his father’s face. The act allows Barry's dad to successfully earn parole from his prison sentence. Everything else in Barry’s world appears to be just as it was, at least until Bruce Wayne arrives to see Barry.

The Flash’s Hilarious Surprise Cameo 

In the final moments of The Flash, we discover that at least one thing has changed in Barry Allen’s world because he doesn’t recognize the guy that everybody else is calling Bruce Wayne. This is because the character is no longer being played by Ben Affleck as he was at the beginning of the film. It’s not even Michael Keaton, who became Batman in the alternate timeline. It’s George Clooney.

Needless to say, this is a hilarious cameo, and Clooney is the perfect candidate for it. Keaton had already appeared in the movie. Val Kilmer is unfortunately not available for this sort of appearance, and Christian Bale just wouldn’t have been as funny. Clooney, as a guy who has spent years poking fun at how terrible he thinks his Batman movie was, is just right.

His appearance poses so many different questions. Did everything that happened in the DCEU between Man of Steel and The Flash still happen, just with Clooney’s Bruce Wayne instead of Affleck? Does this mean that Batman & Robin is canonical to the DCEU now? Did Jared Leto’s Joker murder Chris O’Donnell’s Robin? 

How Much Will It All Matter For The New DCU?

In any other situation, this would be a potentially epic game-changer for a franchise and fans would be looking forward to future entries to see what happens in the next movie. But in this case, there is no next movie. 

While the Clooney cameo is fun, it’s all but certain that it’s only meant as that. As things stand now we are only expecting one more DC movie in the current continuity, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, before all the upcoming DC movies become part of James Gunn’s new DCU. This is expected to be a completely new continuity and nothing from the current series has been confirmed to be coming over to the new one.

The Clooney cameo would, in its own way, seemingly confirm that. They could have cast literally anybody as the “new” Bruce Wayne at the end of The Flash. The opportunity could have been used to reveal who the new Batman will be in The Brave and the Bold, the movie that has already been announced that will be the DCU-connected Batman’s first major film, not to be confused with Robert Pattinson’s Batman, which is also moving forward with at least one announced sequel.

A move like that would have been tough; The Brave and the Bold is years away, and handling that casting in time to insert a cameo would have been quite the undertaking, so it’s not exactly shocking that it didn’t happen. However, it all simply reinforces the idea that the end of this story is very near, and none of it will be important when the new story begins. 

Still, who knows? While we know the new DCU will include a new Superman and a new Batman, nothing has been said about the rest of the Justice League yet. We don’t know when we’ll even see the first DCU appearances of Wonder Woman, Aquaman, or yes, The Flash, so maybe this isn’t quite the end for the speedster. We could still see Ezra Miller play The Flash again, even if technically he’s not playing the same version of Barry Allen that he played here. Time will tell.

SPOILER WARNING: The following article gives away multiple key moments from The Flash featuring Michael Keaton’s Batman, so if you have not yet seen the movie and would rather experience all the fun Easter Eggs for yourself, act like a speedster traveling through time and proceed with caution.

Allow me to be perfectly honest with my fellow fans of comic books and great superhero movies: the only reason I was even remotely interested in seeing The Flash — the newest DC movie, which is now in theaters  — is because it also counts as the newest Batman movie. Furthermore, one of my favorite actors to wear the cape and cowl is Academy Award nominee Michael Keaton, and being able to see him reprise his highly-influential, multi-layered portrayal from 1989’s Batman and Batman Returns from 1992 is an absolute dream come true.

Also, those aforementioned Tim Burton movies are among my fondest childhood memories and some of the best Batman movies ever, in my opinion. So, to see director Andy Muschietti’s DC Multiverse-spanning adventure pay tribute to them in more ways than casting their star in the iconic role for the first time in more than 30 years really managed to win me over and kept me giddy and fully absorbed in the action from beginning to end. The following are seven of The Flash’s fun callbacks to Keaton’s Batman movies that helped convince me that it is one of the best new superhero movies of the year so far.

Danny Elfman’s Unmistakable Theme

I once made a list ranking Batman’s theme music from each of his theatrically-released, feature-length adventures so far and my personal choice for the Number One spot was shared by the score for Batman and Batman Returns — both of which were conducted by Burton’s longtime, frequent collaborator, Danny Elfman. We had recently heard the score re-used for a few of Ben Affleck’s scenes in the 2017 cut of Justice League — which is, honestly, one of my favorite aspects of a film I do not have much love for otherwise. However, hearing those notes again as Barry Allen and his younger, alternate self (both played by Ezra Miller) break into Keaton’s Batcave made a world of difference, effortlessly giving me nostalgic chills.

A Glimpse At Keaton’s Batmobile

I also once made a list ranking all the live-action, cinematic Batmobiles so far and my personal choice for the Number One spot was Michael Keaton’s sleek, imposing ride. Needless to say, even though it was pretty inevitable that it was going to make an appearance in The Flash, the moment when Younger Barry pulls back a sheet to unveil it in all its glory was still nothing short of amazing, considering what an important and expert designed heirloom of the live-action Batman movies it is. A part of me wishes we could have seen the car in use at some point, but The Flash makes up for it pretty effectively by bringing out another iconic vehicle that I will get to soon.

Joker's Laughing Bag

Burton’s first Batman movie also features one of the most brilliant depictions of The Joker, as portrayed with a wacky, yet chilling, enthusiasm by Academy Award winner Jack Nicholson. Appropriately, The Flash gives a nod to Keaton’s own version of the Dark Knight’s greatest foe by incorporating one of his own “wonderful toys.” While rummaging through the Batcave, Younger Barry stumbles upon a bag the plays a looped recording of unsettling laughter — the same one that was found on the Joker’s body after Batman broke his no-killing rule to finally get rid of him in the 1989 film.

'I'm Batman'

Out of the many great Batman movie quotes from over the years, there has just never been anything better than simply hearing him introduce himself and no actor (in a live-action adaptation, at least) has ever done that with such resounding vigor as Keaton. He reminds us of that in The Flash when he dons his new costume design to tell the Barry’s that he is, indeed, Batman. In retrospect, his superhero identity was already pretty clear by that point, but that did not make hearing any less exciting.

'You Wanna Get Nuts?

On the flip side, a Batman quote that I would not say I particularly “love” — feeling that it, essentially, comes out of nowhere and without much purpose — comes from the 1989 film when Keaton’s Bruce Wayne threatens Joker with a fire poker and says, “You wanna get nuts? Come on, let’s get nuts.” However, I certainly cannot deny that hearing him repeat it in The Flash — an Easter Egg our own Erik Swann had previously hoped for — as a way of revealing that he has agreed to join Barry, Barry, and Kara Zor-El, a.k.a., Supergirl (Sasha Calle), in the fight against General Zod (Academy Award nominee Michael Shannon, reprising his ruthless Man of Steel role) was a brilliant way of bringing it back and left a big, Joker-sized smile on my face.

The Batwing's Moon Silhouette

Another iconic piece of Burton Batman nostalgia that Erik Swann expressed interest in seeing in The Flash was the return of the Dark Knight’s other most awesome mode of transportation: the Batwing. Not only did he get his wish — complete with the introduction of some previously unseen features, like its rotating cockpit — but it also leant to my personal favorite Easter Egg (and moment in the general) in the film. As Bruce and Barry’s are descending onto the Russia prison where they believe Superman is being held, you can see in the background that the Batwing is stopped in front of the moon, resembling the vigilante’s logo — much like an unforgettable scene from the 1989 film and one of the Keaton’s best Batman moments on record.

'How Much Do You Weigh?'

One of the funnier Batman movie moments from the Keaton era involves Bats asking photojournalist Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger) how much she weighs before using his grappling gun to bring her to safety, only to later mention that she might have been off a few pounds. I wonder how many other BatFans caught the surprise tribute to this scene when Bruce, as he and the Barry’s are improvising an escape from a Russian prison, asks Barry to estimate what the four characters’ combined weight must be. Barry turns out to be a few pounds off and, after some more tinkering, Bruce’s gadget manages to elevate them up and out of the compound.

For as much as I appreciate Muschietti and co. for not going overboard on the Easter Eggs, I feel like there was plenty room for some more. I mean, why not a few more specific callbacks to Batman Returns — such as a mention of his relationship with Michelle Pfeiffer as one of the best Catwoman depictions (something we, reportedly, would have seen in the Batgirl movie before it was cancelled) or perhaps, a subtle nod to one of the best Penguin portrayals, as played by Danny DeVito? At least we can say that we saw another superhero blockbuster starring Keaton as Batman, and that alone was more than enough to satisfy me and, I'm sure, BatFans all over the world.

Obviously the following story is going to get into massive spoilers for The Flash. So if you haven’t yet seen the latest DC Movies feature, and still want to remain unaware, head on over to one of our other intriguing articles. 

There were a number of shocking developments at the end of The Flash that had us questioning where the dust settled in the DC Movies Multiverse. Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen returned to his original timeline… or so he thought. Because while he placed the can of tomatoes on the top shelf of the grocery store, allowing his father (Ron Livingston) to be acquitted, Barry eventually ran into Bruce Wayne, and it was George Clooney… not Ben Affleck. So the multiverse was off, and the Barry we’ve known has stopped in another universe. 

What do we think this secret DC ending means? On the surface, it means to me that Warner Bros. and DC can leave Ezra Miller in that universe, and potentially recast The Flash with a different actor. Even though the reviews for The Flash were positive and Miller’s performance was largely praised, the actor’s legal issues could continue to be an issue for the studio moving forward. The Flash went through the effort of showing that the main Justice League characters – like Batman and Superman – look different in the other universes.

But one Justice League member apparently looks the exact same in every universe.

Those who stayed until the very end of The Flash credits saw a scene where Barry (Ezra Miller) and Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) emerge from a bar, and Aquaman is wasted. Barry is explaining to Aquaman what happened to him when he traveled through the multiverse, saying Batman looked different everywhere he went. And Arthur comments, “But I looked the same everywhere you went?” Which Barry confirms. 

The line flies by. And in the context of the larger picture of the DC Universe of films, it creates some freedom for James Gunn and Peter Safran with regards to Jason Momoa. We already know that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is coming at the end of this year. What we don’t necessarily understand is where Arthur Curry fits into the continuity of the DC timeline. Barry exists in one timeline, where Batman is George Clooney. There’s the universe in which we started, where Ben Affleck is Batman. There’s a universe that exists that HAD a Batman played by Michael Keaton… but he died (and that was a canon event). 

But in all of those universes, according to that one line of dialogue, Aquaman looks like Jason Momoa. Every time. And that means DC can keep using Momoa as Arthur Curry if they wanted to. 

Now, Momoa has teased the fact that he might play a different DC character in the future. At the same time, the original Aquaman made more than a billion dollars, and if the sequel ends up matching that number, then you can guarantee that an Aquaman 3 will be added to the slate of films that Gunn and Safran have announced. And that one line of dialogue inserted into the Flash end credits scene means Momoa can stay on the table. Basically, that he HAS to stay on the table. Because it’s canon. Well played, Warner Bros. And good for Momoa. 

The Flash is now in theaters, with word of a possible The Flash 2 screenplay already in the works.

Andy and Barbara Muschietti, the brother/sister filmmaking team behind DC’s The Flash, speak with the ReelBlend boys about the revolutionary technology behind Ezra Miller playing duel roles, how Michael Keaton came on board the project, what to expect from the film’s deleted scenes and much, much more. We also get into reviews for Extraction 2 and tons of behind-the-scenes interview shenanigans. 

Timestamps (approx. only)

00:00:00 - Intro

00:02:55 - Interview

00:23:23 - Behind the interview

00:28:00 - the Flash Spoiler Free Reaction

00:40:15 - Extraction 2 Reviews

00:49:23 - Outro

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One of the things that might get overlooked as audience members sit down for The Flash is the fact that Ezra Miller is giving two completely different performances as Barry Allen in the time-traveling thriller. As you can tell from the trailers that have played before The Flash opens this weekend, Barry Allen manages to travel back through time, where he runs into a younger version of himself. And Miller played both iterations of the classic DC hero, only, they filmed their performances months apart. Which is remarkable, when you watch the comedic timing between the two Barrys, the unique way that they interact in fight sequences, and just the way the characters play off of each other throughout the story. 

The effect is seamless. And we understood how difficult it must have been to pull off during production. So when we got the chance to sit down with The Flash director Andy Muschietti and his producer/sister Barbara Muschietti, we asked if the root of the chemistry between the two Ezra Miller performances was captured on the set, or in the edit. And Andy explained to us:

It was only when we got Andy Muschietti as a guest on the ReelBlend podcast that he had the time to elaborate even further on the process of creating dual Barrys. It was amusing for Muschietti to call out an old Michael Keaton movie, Multiplicity, as Keaton is a major part of The Flash, returning to his role as Batman.

Getting far more technical, Andy Muschietti explained to ReelBlend:

But it wasn’t something as simple as layering two performances next to each other. Barbara Muschietti went on to elaborate: 

That’s insane. According to the Muschiettis, the volume capture footage was so detailed, thanks to 360-degree cameras worn on Ed Wade’s head, that Ezra Miller could SEE their earlier performance reflected back at them, allowing themselves the chance to literally play off of themselves. Or be two Barrys. Hollywood is amazing. 

I hope that answers one of your questions with regards to The Flash. We also have discussed whether or not the new movie honors the SnyderVerse, and also where it fits into the grand scheme of the upcoming DC movies… many of which will change once James Gunn implements his growing content plan.

The DC Universe has had a wild tenure in theaters, full of peaks and valleys. In addition to the narrative twists on the big screen, there’s also been plenty of leadership shakeups behind the scenes. The next upcoming DC movie hitting theaters is The Flash, which has been a long time coming. The movie’s star Ezra Miller recently compared Zack Snyder and Andy Muscheitti, and now the DC fansdom can unite.

The DCU began with Zack Snyder’s trio of blockbusters, before he and Warner Bros. eventually went separate ways. Andy Muschietti’s The Flash will bring it back to the events of Man of Steel (bringing back Michael Shannon in the process), albeit seemingly in an alternate universe. Ezra Miller surprised the public by appearing at the DC movie’s premiere, where they compared their two directors. The clip is going viral on Twitter, with Miller saying:

Well, there you have it. While Zack Snyder has a very strong and vocal fanbase, perhaps they’ll be able to enjoy The Flash since Andy Muscheitti has been compared to him by Miller. Regardless, I bet there are still going to be corners of the internet pleading for WB to #RestoreTheSnyderverse.

While Ezra Miller didn’t do press for The Flash ahead of its release, that changed at the movie’s premiere event. They did a few interviews on the red carpet, and wore an outrageous outfit. Although given what Miller has worn for premiers like Fantastic Beasts 2, perhaps this shouldn’t be a surprise. You can check out their look for the premiere of The Flash below:

It’s exciting that The Flash has finally had its premiere, as the movie’s fate was precarious for a period of time. Ezra Miller was involved in a number of controversies and legal issues last year, which seemed to put the DC flick in jeopardy. But Miller has since apologized for their actions, and is seeking treatment for complex mental health issues. We’ll just have to see how the movie ultimately performs at the box office; The Flash’s reviews are rather positive. Can Muschietti’s work really be compared to Snyder’s? Luckily audiences will be able to judge for themselves.

All will be revealed when The Flash hits theaters on June 16th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

This summer is chock-full of big movie releases, including plenty of superhero action for those looking to escape the heat. For DC fans, it’s an especially exciting time, as seeing Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen in The Flash has been a long time coming. The wait is nearly over now, with Andy Muschietti’s blockbuster set to speed onto the big screen on June 16, and the reviews are here to tell us everything we want to know before purchasing a ticket.

The movie will dive into the popular Flashpoint storyline from the comics, in which Barry goes back in time to try to prevent his mother’s murder — as well as his father being wrongly accused — which is sure to cause some interesting things to happen, as is the case when history gets course-corrected. Critics’ reactions to the film’s CinemaCon premiere were overwhelmingly positive, with CinemaBlend’s Sean O'Connell and Hannah Saulic saying it exceeded their expectations. Let’s see what others are saying, starting with CinemaBlend’s review of The Flash. Nick Venable rates the blockbuster an impressive 4.5 stars out of 5, calling it DC lore-building at its finest. He continues: 

Kevin Harley of GamesRadar rates the movie 3 out of 5 stars. While the critic points out its effective emotional stakes, he says the film often caves to excess, with too many under-integrated elements. More from the review: 

Jenna Anderson of ComicBook.com rates it 3 out of 5, calling The Flash “undoubtedly fun,” if not sometimes inconsequential. But its liveliness is infectious, and moviegoers will witness some truly unbelievable moments, Anderson says. The critic continues: 

Alex Flood of NME gives the movie 4 out of 5 stars, calling it a funny, action-packed and (naturally) fast-paced adventure with a moving story at its core. According to the review: 

Tom Gliatto of People is in line with other critics who find The Flash funny and original, even calling the blockbuster “giddy.” Gliatto says it almost feels like a re-evaluation of the entire Justice League, writing: 

As noted by the previous critic, it does seem like DC sometimes isn’t regarded as highly as the rival Marvel Cinematic Universe, but The Flash seems to have everything from a heart-wrenching story to loads of humor and plenty of time-traveling hijinks. If this is a superhero movie you want to check out, you can do so starting Friday, June 16, when The Flash hits the big screen. Be sure to see what other flicks are headed our way with our 2023 Movie Release Calendar. 

When Andy Muschietti’s superhero adventure The Flash first screened for audiences in April 2023, the cut of the film wasn’t complete. We didn’t know it at the time, but the studio behind The Flash – Warner Bros. – was beginning a campaign that would promote the film while also attempting to protect some of its closely-guarded secrets. And at the start, it worked. The Flash received positive reactions from critics and fans who caught early screenings of the movie. And all of the details that we know about the movie included key supporting players, but still hid some of the movie’s biggest secrets. 

With less than two weeks to go until The Flash opens in theaters, it will be interesting to see if Warner Bros. can maintain the veil of secrecy that has surrounded the first DC Movie to properly dive into the concept of the Multiverse. It has been a challenge. Heck, even Andy Muschietti has let a few details slip in the marginal press he did before release. Let’s dig a little deeper into how Warner Bros maintained this level of secrecy, and why.

How Warner Bros. Kept The Flash Secret

When Andy Muschietti sat down with CinemaBlend’s official ReelBlend podcast, he spoke about spoilers, and the fight that they waged with the studio to keep some of the movie’s most tantalizing reveals under wraps. Specifically, Muschietti told our hosts that one key element of the marketing campaign for The Flash would have been held from the public, if it were up to the director. He said:

Yeah, sitting on the concept of Michael Keaton returning to the role he helped to make famous on screen would have been impossible. In fact, quite the opposite happened. Warner Bros. made Keaton’s involvement a major component of the trailers since the first spots. But by revealing that plot point, it allowed the studio the chance to get creative with some other secrets. 

As mentioned, Warner Bros. brought The Flash to CinemaCon in April. The annual event, held in Las Vegas, celebrates the movie-going industry, and invites studios to promote their upcoming features to exhibitors (and press). Usually, when a studio knows that they have a sure-fire hit, they show it in advance. And that’s what WB did with The Flash.

Sort of. 

There’s an abrupt ending to the version of The Flash we saw at CinemaCon. I won’t tell you what it is. But I can say that IF this was the real ending, it would work. However, shortly after the screening, it became known that WB snipped the actual ending of The Flash off of that print. In addition, they refused to show the mid-credits scenes. 

I almost hate to give Warner Bros. credit for this move, on the off chance more studios attempt it. This makes it difficult for us to properly cover releases of studio movies with ending teases or spoilery scenes weaved into the credits. But by leaving those scenes off the prints they showed at both CinemaCon and the early fan screenings that were held in May and June, the studio has kept The Flash’s biggest secrets offline. Admirable.

Ezra Miller, And A Dialed-Down Premiere 

Still, The Flash would have to engage in a full-court press (pun intended) leading up to the film’s release, right? This usually includes a film’s stars appearing on the late-night talk shows, popping up on podcasts, and participating in a traditional press junket.

Not for The Flash. Neither Ezra Miller nor Michael Keaton have done press on behalf of the movie, leaving it up to new Supergirl Sasha Calle and the Muschietti siblings, Andy and Barbara, to carry the load. And for the film’s planned June 12 premiere event, Variety reports that Keaton will not attend due to filming on another project in London, while Miller “will make a low-profile appearance at the Los Angeles premiere on June 12, only posing for photos rather than doing interviews.”

Miller’s situation could have been predicted. The actor remains the subject of controversy regarding recent arrests and murky accusations that seem to have faded since Miller apologized and agreed to undergo treatment. In fact, a source told Variety:

Ezra wants the movie to open and the conversation to be about the movie and not about Ezra. They are focused on their mental health and don’t want it to be transactional.

Keeping Miller out of the spotlight was a strategic publicity play. But whether intentional or not, it also helped to protect even more of the movie’s secrets, as spoilers often get revealed during the conversations cast members have leading up to a film’s release. We can’t count on one hand the number of times that Spider-Man star Tom Holland has let a Marvel cat out of the bag while promoting a movie. Keaton also can be loose-lipped, and rarely shows interest in protecting cool secrets when he has them to share. So by shutting the actors down leading up to The Flash reaching theaters, Warner Bros. once again succeeds in maintaining the lid that rests on top of this summer blockbuster… for now. 

Will It Work? 

We will know for sure after The Flash opens. Tracking on the film started low, but these early reactions and positive buzz likely have gotten blockbuster fans excited. And last weekend, we watched Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse wildly overperform its expectations, meaning those early predictions can be useless. Also, this push for secrecy has inspired The Flash director Andy Muschetti during the creation of the movie. Since he knew that Michael Keaton would have to be revealed, he told ReelBlend:

You know, the way things used to be, before the Internet came around and made every anticipated movie an open book, for all the world to see. The Flash opens in theaters on June 16. Grab your tickets now.

In the nearly nine years since DC and Warner Bros. first announced plans for speedster Barry Allen to serve as a standalone tentpole within its shared universe, Ezra Miller has essentially been the one constant thread holding it all together. Thankfully, that longtime dedication pays off in electrically charged spades in director Andy Muschietti's The Flash, with Miller's pair of performances anchoring a robust, emotional, and downright hilarious adventure that will entertain both comic fans and general audiences alike. It's quite possibly the most fun I've had watching a DC film that didn't star Heath Ledger or Val Kilmer.

The Flash brings to the big screen one of the character's most heralded comic tales – Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert's Flashpoint from 2011 – which hinges on the age-old paradox-cloaked question: what if you could go back in time and erase your biggest traumas? The blockbuster delivers on the almost-as-age-old answer: you'll probably make a bigger mess of things, and in totally unpredictable ways. For Barry, the dream is to stop his mom Nora (Maribel Verdú) from being murdered – a crime for which his father Henry (Ron Livingston) was wrongly accused.

This adaptation is a loose one to be sure, in that it hones in on DC's live-action universe for its lore-flipping references, which is how we get the gloriousness of Michael Keaton's return as Batman among other awe-inspiring superhero reveals. Given its relatively simple logline as a foundation, and with Miller's Barry Allen having already appeared in prior films Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League, and Suicide Squad, The Flash is able to dive right into the fun without the need for a full first-act introduction or origin story. And the first big action sequence (which should remain unspoiled) is a huge indicator of what’s on the way from the rest of the movie: huge scope, humane heroism, and a heaping dose of irreverence.

The Flash’s script was first penned by Joby Harold (King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Obi-Wan Kenobi), with the comedy writer/director team of John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein (Spider-Man: Homecoming, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves) doing a draft after they’d temporarily signed on to direct; the three share story credit on the finished project. Bumblebee and Birds of Prey writer Christina Hodson came in and tied it all together splendidly, with IT director Andy Muschietti bringing all the bonkers moments to life in colorful, loud and easily enjoyable ways. 

Ezra Miller is a perfect Barry Allen(s).

Though he may rock some truly extraordinary capabilities, a big part of Barry Allen's appeal as a character is his steadfast ordinariness. He doesn’t automatically know the best way to handle a crisis in the way that his so-called BFF Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) does, and he doesn’t have an array of cure-all powers and weapons that Superman and others in the Justice League boast. He can’t even make it to work or personal appointments on time, such is his human nature. And though Ezra Miller’s movie stardom may not be so relatable to fans, their performance as Barry feels very much in line with every-person behavior, down to the hero getting overtly aggravated with others when in need of caloric intake. 

And that’s just the core iteration of Barry, too. Miller also nails their performance as the Alt-Barry central to the Flashpoint-esque timeline he meets as a result of his past-adjusting efforts. This iteration would fit right at home with Bill S. Preston and Ted Logan from the Bill and Ted movies, and serves as both a self-reflective aid to Barry’s efforts while also being an amusing and constantly awestruck thorn in our hero’s side. “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but make damned sure you keep yourself closest of all, especially if Timecop rules don’t apply” would perhaps be a tagline for this movie in some other universe.

Miller’s future as The Flash is uncertain going into the film’s debut, both as a result of controversies surrounding the actor and macro changes in the franchise, but it would be a total crisis on real-life Earth if they don’t continue with this role going forward into the future with DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran. Even if this movie doesn’t get a proper sequel in its own right, the Flash has more than enough team-based adventures for Miller to keep Barry Allen’s suit warm for years to come. Somebody’s gotta welcome Wally West to movie audiences, after all.

Andy Muschietti excels at energetic and expectation-dashing action sequences that go for broke.

Regardless of one’s personal mileage for Andy Muschietti’s previous directorial efforts overall — Mama, IT: Chapter 1 and IT: Chapter 2 — he’s undoubtedly proven himself to be adept at creating kinetic and harrowing sequences that take things in directions viewers may not expect. I do happen to be a fan of the three aforementioned projects, and one of my favorite horror movie moments in recent memory is Pennywise’s projector screen appearance in the first IT feature. In that moment and more, Muschietti’s films are filled with moments that ramp up tension to the point where reality breaks, and that cinematic power is on full display in The Flash, where his winningly twisted sense of humor has more room to expand.

From vehicular chases through Gotham City’s streets to airborne battles between planes and spacecraft to Barry’s introduction to the Speed Force, seemingly every scene is identifiable by one of the director’s personal flourishes or another. There are plenty of filmmakers who could successfully film a Bourne-ish style fight scene inside a kitchen in ways that would feel right at home in 90% of superhero cinema, but very few who could make it work equally well as a Three Stooges romp as Muschietti does in The Flash. And it’s worth bringing up the opening sequence again here, since it combines both envelope-pushing weirdness and offbeat heroism that will hopefully remain front and center for DC. 

The Flash thrives on paying respect to surrounding DC lore, rather than over-complicating things.

This may go without saying, but just in case: anyone readily anticipating Michael Keaton’s return as Batman gets their money’s worth and then some with The Flash, and there’s no need to worry that the marketing and advertisements are overselling his presence. This is absolutely Barry Allen’s movie — both of them — but Batman is a perfect third wheel if there ever was one. It doesn’t even matter when a moment seems like it exists entirely for fan-servicing, because it genuinely does service fans, and it’s Keaton, and it all rips dick (as at least one version of Barry Allen would say). 

Many more past DC efforts are on display throughout, not to mention more than a few Warner Bros. properties such as Scooby-Doo and Looney Tunes, both of which feel right at home in The Flash’s animated and active reality. But to spend too much time talking about other DC references would be to spoil some of the most mind-blowing moments that the cast and crew have to offer throughout the film’s runtime. Those surprises are as much a part of The Flash’s wow factor as anything else, and are somehow just as emotional as the core ambition that drove the speedster to change time in the first place. Be sure to stay until the very end, also, so that you don’t have regrets like Barry. 

It doesn’t matter if Tim Burton’s Batman remains your favorite DC movie to date, or if Zack Snyder’s Justice League is your jammiest jam; The Flash is an absolute thrill ride for fans of all eras and ages, with the most well-rounded sense of humor in all of superhero cinema. Speed into theaters to see it with the biggest crowd possible, and you likely won’t be the first to cheer loudly when the word “bat” comes out of Michael Keaton’s mouth. 

The superhero genre continues to be a powerful force in the film world, with a number of shared universes making bold moves. The next upcoming DC movie hitting theaters is Andy Muschietti’s The Flash, which is nearly upon us. But despite the press tour going into full effect, star Ezra Miller has been noticeably absent. And now we reportedly know why they haven’t been around.

The Flash has been a long time coming, and was filmed back in 2021, before James Gunn was hired as the new co-CEO of the DC Universe. After filming, Miller was involved in a number of legal shakeups and controversies, which seemed to put the blockbuster in jeopardy. But the movie went on as planned after Miller issued an apology and sought treatment for mental health issues. And according to an insider who spoke to Variety, they didn’t want to do press and have their own controversies overshadow The Flash. According to that anonymous source:

There you have it. While we don’t have the identity of this source, their comments seemingly shed some light on Ezra Miller and Warner Bros.’ decision to keep them out of The Flash’s press tour. This has definitely turned a few heads, especially since the Flash trailer revealed that they’re playing two different versions of Barry Allen in the movie.

This strategy of keeping Miller away from press might have succeeded, especially if the goal was to let the movie stand on its own. While there are lingering discussions online about their behavior last year, anticipation for Barry Allen’s multiversal adventure has been steadily increasing. The Flash’s early reception has been positive, and the DC flick has even gotten approval from Stephen King. 

Of course, there are still plenty of questions surrounding Ezra Miller’s role in the DC Universe. James Gunn and Peter Safran are making sweeping changes to the franchise in order to make it a more cohesive cinematic universe. Henry Cavill is out as Superman, and fans are wondering if the studio might part ways with Miller given their controversies. Only time will tell.

From the looks of it, The Flash is going to be a wild ride through the DCU. Barry Allen will try to go back in time to save his late mother, seemingly creating an alternative timeline in the process. The upcoming DC flick will go back to the shared universe’s Man of Steel origins, as we’ll see the heroes try and stop Zod’s invasion. In addition to two Barry Allens, audiences will also be treated to both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton’s take on Batman, as well as the introduction of Sasha Calle’s Supergirl.

The Flash will arrive in theaters on June 16th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

The Flash has been a popular subject of late for two reasons: The Flash movie is finally coming out nearly a decade after being announced, and The Flash TV series recently concluded after nine seasons. Well these two projects have now converged in arguably the biggest way since Grant Gustin and Ezra Miller’s versions of Barry Allen met in Crisis on Infinite Earths. The movie’s director, Andy Muschietti, recently stated that he thinks Miller’s the only one who could effectively play the character, and fans of Gustin’s Scarlet Speedster were not pleased with that comment.

Muschietti shared this opinion while talking about how if The Flash 2 happens, he would definitely bring back Ezra Miller rather than recast the role. Fans have wondered if the latter is an option given the numerous controversies that have surrounded the actor in the last several years, with last summer seeing the actor issue a public apology and saying that they had “begun ongoing treatment” for their “complex mental health issues.” In any case, Muschietti’s saying that Miller’s the only actor fit to play The Flash resulted in Grant Gustin enthusiasts coming to his defense, like @lexibexwrites:

Although The Flash TV show didn’t premiere until September 2014, Gustin first appeared as Barry Allen in the Arrow Season 2 episodes “The Scientist” and “Three Ghosts,” meaning he played the role for nearly 10 full years. After so much time, it’s no wonder Gustin’s take on Barry has so many fans, with @SmashTriviaJohn having this to say:

Interestingly enough, Ezra Miller’s casting as Barry Allen in the DC Extended Universe was announced on the same day that The Flash TV show’s second episode aired. Miller has since played Barry in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, both versions of Justice League, the Peacemaker Season 1 finale and the aforementioned Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover. While Miller’s Barry certainly isn’t lacking in fans, there are also those who feel he hasn’t been a good fit in the role, including @SimplyDango:

All this isn’t to say that The Flash TV show was a perfect product; you certainly don’t have to look long to find criticism concerning the later seasons. Nevertheless, if you feel the same way that @TigheSammy does, Gustin’s performance as its leading character was never one of the show’s problems:

Naturally opinion is subjective, so whether Ezra Miller or Grant Gustin is the better Flash is up to each individual person. Still, it’s clear that Gustin’s fans won’t stand for the claim that Miller is the only one capable of bringing Barry Allen to life. As @thcfastestman put it:

Unfortunately, despite the two Flashes meeting each other a few years ago and this movie delivering a multiversal adventure, Grant Gustin will not appear in Ezra Miller’s Flash story. What moviegoers can look forward to is Miller’s Barry teaming up with both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton’s versions of Batman, Sasha Calle’s Supergirl and even his own doppelgänger, who also gains super speed. The Flash opened to critical acclaim at CinemaCon in late April, and a DC video showed various moviegoers sharing their positive reactions after early screenings.

The Flash movie races into theaters on June 16, and for those of you interested in watching the entirety of The Flash TV show, all nine seasons can be streamed with a Netflix subscription. Keep your eyes peeled on CinemaBlend for more coverage on upcoming DC movies and upcoming DC TV shows.

Updated with video.

Ever since Zack Snyder was able to deliver his Snyder Cut of Justice League, showing fans where he would have taken the DC characters he introduced in Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, there has been a rallying cry to Restore the SnyderVerse. Some fans would like it to happen over at Netflix. Others dream of an animated version of Justice League Part Two and Three, which seems more feasible in terms of getting stars like Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill to play along. Until then, diehard fans of DC Movies can see some of the main actors cast by Snyder in Andy Muschietti’s upcoming The Flash, centered around Ezra Miller and known to feature Affleck in at least a few scenes. And Muschietti talked to CinemaBlend about his efforts to honor Snyder’s work.

We have seen recent use of Zack Snyder’s DC cast in recent DC Movies, whether it was Henry Cavill’s cameo in Black Adam or Gal Gadot appearing in Shazam: Fury of the Gods. Now that The Flash is continuing to lean on the actors who were cast in Snyder’s original films, I wanted to know if director Andy Muschietti has shown Snyder The Flash yet. And though he hasn’t, he did tell us the following: 

Andy Muschietti isn’t the only person with connections to Zack Snyder’s DC work to feel this way. When speaking about the work he did as Batman in The Flash, Ben Affleck expressed sentiments that this was the time when he finally nailed his interpretation of the Caped Crusader. That’s saying a lot, given the fact that Affleck first started playing the Dark Knight in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and filmed new scenes to be used in the Snyder Cut of Justice League. So to feel that his work in The Flash was, in his opinion, his best is… an astounding claim, to be frank!

I don’t see any reason why Zack Snyder wouldn’t want to see The Flash. He hasn’t lost any interest in the DC universe, recently hosting screenings and Q-and-As for his DC movies (during which he shared cool behind-the-scenes stories about The Flash, as a character). And he has expressed support for James Gunn, and the moves Gunn plans to make with Upcoming DC Movies that will start taking place after Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. 

At the same time, it’s also very possible that Snyder is swamped with his own work on Rebel Moon, which is coming to Netflix at the end of this year and is expected to be at least a two-part saga… if not more. It’d be great if Snyder shared his thoughts on The Flash on his Vero account, or if the Muschiettis can organize a screening the way that WB did for Tom Cruise! The rest of us have to wait until The Flash opens in theaters on June 16.  

With Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ theatrical run over and now being available to stream with a Max subscription, the next upcoming DC movie on the docket is The Flash, which puts Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen on center stage following his appearances in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, both versions of Justice League, the Peacemaker Season 1 finale and even The CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover. However, its release also comes after years of Miller being embroiled in numerous controversies, so if The Flash 2 ends up happening, would they return? Director Andy Muschietti has provided that answer.

We know that The Flash is one of the final movies of the DC Extended Universe era to come out before the new DC Universe spearheaded by James Gunn and Peter Safran launches, so there’s no guarantee at the moment that a Flash sequel will be greenlit. Should it move forward though, Muschietti said on an upcoming episode of The Playlist’s Discourse podcast that Miller will be sticking around as the Scarlet Speedster. In his words:

On August 15, 2022, Ezra Miller issued a public apology for their behavior over the last few years, which included being charged with felony burglary in Vermont (Miller later pleaded guilty to the charge), allegedly choking a woman at a bar in Iceland and being arrested multiple times in Hawaii. Miller acknowledged that they are “suffering complex mental health issues” and had “begun ongoing treatment.” The actor has kept a relatively low profile since then, but given how much controversy has surrounded them, plus the big DC Universe changes coming, there’s been talk about if someone new might take over as Barry Allen following The Flash’s release. According to Andy Muschietti, that’s not on the table; he’s so impressed with how Miller played not one, but two versions of Barry Allen, that he wants them to keep that run (pun fully intended) going.

Producer Barbara Muschietti echoed her brother’s thoughts on the matter, saying that she too was impressed by the performance Ezra Miller turned in for The Flash. As she put it:

The Flash opened to critical acclaim at CinemaCon in late April, with Ezra Miller’s performance among the most praised aspects of the movie. There was also a video released recently of various average moviegoers sharing their positive thoughts on The Flash, and Stephen King even complimented it, so while we’ll have to wait and see how the movie ends up doing commercially, critically at least, it’s on solid ground. Still, with characters like Superman and Batman being recast for the DC Universe, one can’t be faulted for wondering if the same will happen with Flash, but as long as the Muschiettis are involved, that won’t happen. Having said that, the DCU Chapter One slate, titled Gods and Monsters, is pretty packed at the moment, so even if The Flash 2 does end up happening, it could be a long time before it makes its way to the big screen.

The general public can judge The Flash for itself when it hits the big screen on June 16. Be careful of spoilers in these final weeks though, because along with fans thinking they spotted something a big plot twist in an international trailer, Andy Muschietti revealed a major cameo that would have made a great surprise for people seated in the theater.

The following story is going to dabble in speculation for The Flash. Please hop over to one of our other stories if you don’t want to even read fan theories about the upcoming movie. 

Now that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has made its way to movie theaters, and kicked off its weekend with a strong box office performance, comic book fans turn their attentions to the next superhero blockbuster on the 2023 Movie Release calendar, Andy Muschietti’s The Flash. The long-delayed solo Flash film starring Ezra Miller as Barry Allen will be racing toward theaters on June 16 (get it?), with early buzz on the film already going through the roof. Needless to say, because the movie has screened, fans has been sidestepping possible spoilers like landmines, but now one intriguing shot in a Japanese trailer has The Flash fans speculating on what it all might mean.

International trailers have been known to show additional footage that might not make it into a domestic cut of the teaser. But one image from the Japanese trailer for The Flash (as captured on Reddit) shows something coming off as Ezra Miller’s back, and fans are having a lot of fun figuring out what it might be. 

First, here’s the shot:

The item that has fans curious is the attachment on Miller’s right shoulder. There are a number of guesses as to what it might be. But it has become a talking point among DC and The Flash fans because the item in question is NOT shown in the U.S. version of the trailer, in the same shot. Here’s the domestic shot:

One user immediately made a connection to Batman, who we know will be showcased in this movie. Twice, actually, with both Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck playing the Caped Crusader in the film. 

Another fan speculated that it was a type of weapon we don’t normally associate with The Flash, claiming:

Since when does The Flash use a sword? Heck, the latest The Flash trailer focused heavily on Michael Keaton’s version of Batman, and HE didn’t use a sword. Wonder Woman does. But she just showed up in Shazam: Fury of the Gods, so why would her sword be on Barry’s back? Also, people now speculate that Gal Gadot’s cameo was a deep fake. It wasn’t. Here, see for yourself:

You don’t have to wait too long to see The Flash, and find out what is showing up on Barry’s back. It’s the next upcoming DC movie along with Blue Beetle and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. And if all goes well, we expect sequel talk to quickly follow.

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:

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.

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. 

The DC Universe has had plenty of peaks and valleys since its inception, along with oodles of behind the scenes shake-ups. While James Gunn and Peter Safran were recently named co-CEOs of the franchise, a few projects are hitting theaters that were shot before this change. One of the most highly anticipated upcoming DC movies is The Flash, which stars Ezra Miller in the title role. The Flash recently premiered at CinemaCon ahead of its wide release, with director Andy Muschietti addressing Miller’s controversy for the first time.

In the time period between The Flash photography and its upcoming release, actor Ezra Miller was involved in a number of controversies and legal issues. Those issues seemed to put the DC blockbuster in jeopardy, before they issued an apology and sought treatment for complex mental health issues. Andy Muschietti recently debuted the movie at CinemaCon, which CinemaBlend was present for. During this presentation, the IT filmmaker spoke about the state of Miller, saying:

Well, that’s certainly a hopeful message. While Miller’s legal situation is still playing out, it seems that they’ve continued to put a focus on their mental health. It remains to be seen if the Fantastic Beasts actor will end up doing press for The Flash, especially considering that they’re playing multiple versions of Barry Allen throughout the course of its runtime. 

For those unfamiliar, there were a number of serious legal issues and allegations made against the 30 year-old actor over the past few years. Miller got arrested multiple times in Hawaii, and also recently plead guilty to a trespassing charge. But it seems that they’re getting the help they need, and The Flash has been getting super positive responses. Producer Barbara Muschietti spoke to Miller’s work ethic on the DC flick saying:

While moviegoers will have to wait until June to finally see this work on the big screen, the trailers for The Flash definitely make it seem like a wild ride. It should be fascinating to see how the two versions of Barry Allen function together, especially joined by the likes of Supergirl and Michael Keaton’s Batman.

The Flash will hit theaters on June 16th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

It was 2014 when Ezra Miller was first announced to be portraying the The Flash, and now, nearly a decade later – after appearances in Suicide Squad, Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice and Justice League – fans will finally get to see them lead their own movie. The Flash held its world premiere at CinemaCon tonight ahead of its June 16 release, and the first reactions are here to help expand what we know about The Flash. Is the upcoming DC Extended Universe movie worth all the delays, director drop-outs and rewritten scripts? 

Fans have a lot of questions about what’s to come from The Flash, and we’ll keep it SPOILER-FREE here, but we do know the movie will follow the “Flashpoint” storyline, which is one of DC’s most important, with the potential to change the DCEU as we know it. Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen screws with time to the point of rewriting history and affecting other DC characters’ paths. The latest trailer featuring Michael Keaton’s Batman proves that the Caped Crusader will factor heavily into this. CinemaBlend’s Eric Eisenberg was one of people who screened The Flash at CinemaCon, and he Tweets that it is safe for fans to go ahead and get excited: 

CinemaBlend Managing Editor Sean O’Connell has a similar sentiment post-screening, praising Ezra Miller’s performances (plural!) and writing that his viewings of the blockbuster will hit triple digits: 

Nicola Austin calls The Flash a love letter to DC, and this writer is one of many making note of just how funny this film is: 

This one’s for the nerds, Erik Davis of Fandango says, as the movie left him in tears. He is floored by how good The Flash is. While there was some question about how much Ben Affleck is actually in The Flash, Davis says he gives some of his best Batman moments, and Michael Keaton and Ezra Miller are “amazing” as well: 

Scott Menzel of We Live Entertainment is just one of the CinemaCon patrons calling The Flash one of the best superhero films of all time. The critic says avoid spoilers at all costs, because there are some awesome surprises awaiting audiences:

Brandon Davis of ComicBook.com Tweets that the movie is inventive both in its storytelling an style. He also joins pretty much all of the other CinemaCon audience members in saying he can’t wait to see a repeat viewing: 

Ezra Miller is, as expected, garnering a lot of praise, but Michael Keaton is the center of a lot of the reactions as well, including that of film critic Scott Mantz, who says The Flash is the perfect blend of action, heart and humor: 

Daniel Howat of Next Best Picture raves about what he calls “one of the better multiverse movies out there.” The moviegoer also notes how well the movie balances some great humor with intense emotional stakes, Tweeting: 

Of all the upcoming superhero movies, this one so far sounds like a can’t-miss option. The CinemaCon crowds seem to be really fired up, so now we’ll just be counting the days until The Flash hits theaters on Friday, June 16. In the meantime, you can see what else is coming to theaters soon with our 2023 Movie Release Schedule. 

This summer, the continuing slate of upcoming DC movies takes the stage in theaters again through the long awaited film The Flash. After a hellish development process, Ezra Miller’s Scarlet Speedster finally gets their own solo adventure, and things are about to get multiversal. Or, since this new trailer for director Andy Muschietti’s film goes all in on Michael Keaton’s Batman, you could say that things are about to get nuts.

This latest round of footage debuted today during Warner Bros.’ CinemaCon presentation, and it’s an all out spectacle. Tying the fate of Barry Allen’s mother to Bruce Wayne’s own tragic backstory, we get a lot of new looks at Keaton’s variant going into action. And yeah, there’s that beautiful reference to Tim Burton’s Batman, where he busts out the reference to Master Wayne’s past madness.

It’s a line that’s too good to pass up, as we’ve seen even the TV version of The Flash crib that same quote. But there’s nothing like seeing and hearing Michael Keaton say it, after his Batman has been teased as somewhere out there in the DC multiverse. Grounding the emotional story of this movie with humor and heart, what could have been a simple fan service cameo has become something the world should be even more excited to partake in.

Previously the first Flash trailer showed us the basic concept of two Barry Allens trying to preserve a universe where their mother Nora Allen isn’t brutally murdered. Of course, this isn’t the DC universe we’re used to from the previous movies we’ve seen Ezra Miller appear in. Hence another Barry, the inclusion of a cinematic Supergirl (Sasha Calle), and appearances from Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton as Batman.

The Flash’s history of delays is a long and complicated road that’s spanned almost a decade, with many different parties being hired to play one role or another. To some that might feel like a drawback for the Andy Muschietti movie we’re starting to see larger looks into. 

That isn’t the case in the viewpoint of producer Barbara Muschietti, who feels that the entire chain of events has given the world the best Flash experience possible. That cryptic flash of symbols at the end of the trailer hints at that and more being on the books. So yeah Mr. Keaton: let's get nuts! Let's get nuts indeed.

The Flash turns back time to fight crime, and so much more, on June 16. To glimpse the entire rundown of 2023 new movie releases, hightail it out of here and to the appropriate schedule. Thankfully, no time travel is necessary to get that information, unless you want to read ahead for whatever surprises lie in the near future. But where’s the fun in that? 

The DC Universe is jam packed with drama, both on and off screen. While James Gunn and Peter Safran were recently named new co-CEOs of the franchise, there are a few movies hitting theaters that were filmed before this. One of the most highly anticipated upcoming DC movies has been Andy Mushietti’s The Flash, which has had a long road to theaters. Although the movie’s producer recently shared some positive parts about the movie’s various delays. And they’ve got a point.

The Flash has been a long-time coming, with multiple filmmakers signing on and dropping out before Andy Muschietti committed to the project. But the delays kept coming, with the movie finally hitting theaters this summer. Producer Barabara Muschietti recently spoke to Box Office Pro Magazine (via ComicBook) about some of the positives that came with the movie’s delay. As she put it,

That’s certainly looking at the bright side of things. While it’s been a long time waiting for The Flash to be released, especially for those who worked on the movie, it might have all worked out for the best. Because apparently that extra time allowed for more exploration and care with the blockbuster, particularly related to visual effects and action sequences.

This news about the movie’s visual effects might be a relief for comic book fans who might have been nervous about what The Flash will look like. There’s been a ton of chatter on VFX within the superhero genre, with Marvel being criticized for working on too many projects at once. But Muschietti’s upcoming blockbuster had extra time to perfect its visual language, and it should be fascinating to see how superpowers from the likes of Barry Allen and Sasha Calle’s Superman end up looking.

For those who don’t remember, The Flash was originally slated to be released back in March of 2018. Since then it’s had five different release dates, and was one of the many projects affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. But the blockbuster will be here in just a few months, and is expected to course-correct the official timeline of the DC Universe.

While Warner Bros. is all systems go on The Flash, there was a time not too long ago where it felt like the movie’s future was still in jeopardy. Specifically because of the various controversies and legal shakeups surrounding lead actor Ezra Miller. But Miller eventually apologized and sought treatment for mental health issues, and things have been quiet on that front. 

The Flash will hit theaters on June 16th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

The DC Universe has had an unprecedented life in theaters, full of peaks and valleys. New co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran are currently working hard to create a more cohesive shared universe, making bold choices like firing Henry Cavill from the role of Superman. One of the most highly anticipated upcoming DC movies is definitely Andy Muschietti’s The Flash, which is expected to course-correct the official timeline. And after Ezra Miller’s Flash TV show cameo, will Grant Gustin appear in the DC movie? Here’s his honest reaction.

Acor Ezra Miller is the DCU’s version of The Flash, having already appeared in Justice League in addition to cameos in Batman v Superman and David Ayer’s Suicide Squad. They also broke the internet when appearing opposite Grant Gustin in The CW’s Flash show. Fans are hoping that the Glee alum will return the favor in the upcoming movie, and he was recently asked by TV Line if this is a possibility. Gustin responded honestly, saying:

Well, there you have it. While some fans might still be holding out hope, it doesn’t look like Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen is going to get in on the multiversal action of the forthcoming DC flick. But from the looks of it, the Flash movie has enough superheroes that it probably didn’t need yet another version of the speedster included. After all, Miller is playing multiple versions of their signature character.

Even if Grant Gustin didn’t get to film a role in Andy Muschietti’s Flash movie, at least DC fans got to see the two Barry Allen actors on the small screen together. That crossover was a small but thrilling sequence, and marks the only time the DCU really interacted with the Arrowverse. Funny enough, the final season of The Flash is wrapping up around the same time that the movie is released.

Of course, there are plenty of fans out there who might not believe Gustin’s comments about not appearing in the Flash movie. After Andrew Garfield lied about his role in Spider-Man: No Way Home for months, it seems like we just can’t believe superhero actors when they deny roles in upcoming projects. Hey, that’s just part of the gig in a world full of spoilers.

While Grant Gustin is seemingly not appealing in The Flash, there’s plenty of other exciting superhero appearances in the upcoming blockbuster. For instance, the mysterious projects will feature both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton as Batman. We’ll also be introduced to Sasha Calle as Supergirl, while Ezra Miller appears as two different forms of Barry Allen.

The Flash is currently expected to arrive in theaters on June 16th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

The DC Univere is going through a ton of changes, as new CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran are crafting their vision for the next decade of projects. But a few upcoming DC movies are already in the can, including Andy Muschietti’s The Flash. Of course, he wasn’t the first filmmaker, as a variety of names entered negotiations and dropped out of the gig. And former Flash directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley recently revealed why the dropped out of Ezra Miller’s DC flick.

Goldstein and Daley entered negotiations to direct The Flash in 2018, following the departure of both Rick Famuyiwa and Seth Grahame-Smith. This was just one chapter in the movie’s long journey to theaters, and they would eventually drop out after reportedly having disagreements with both Ezra Miller and the studio. The pair of filmmakers recently spoke to Variety about about that process, with Daley saying there were a few major creative differences. Goldstein offered his thoughts, saying:

Honestly, that does seem like a pretty big pill to swallow. If you can’t agree on the heart of the movie’s story, I can only imagine how many other disagreements might have occurred if production began on The Flash with Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley as planned. With so many different directors dropping out, it’s a wonder the movie was completed at all.

So what exactly were the specific creative choices that Warner Bros. clashed with Goldstein and Daley over? The latter filmmaker also shared their vision for The Flash, which feels like almost the polar opposite of what we’re being given this summer. In Daley’s words:

If you’ve been paying attention to the marketing for Andy Muschietti’s The Flash, you’ll know that the movie looks anything but ground-level. The multiversal movie’s scale looks massive, including two different Barry Allens, the introduction of Supergirl, and return of both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton as Batman. Oh and Michael Shannon is totally back as Zod. As a reminder, you can check out the trailer below:

In the end IT filmmaker Andy Muschietti made The Flash into a reality, and it looks like it’s going to be a truly wild time at the theater. The movie is expected clarify the timeline of the DCEU moving forward, so the stakes definitely feel high. 

On top of the director shakeups, The Flash’s journey to theaters has also been precarious thanks to controversies surrouding the movie’s star. Ezra Miller got involved in a number of legal scuffles over the past year, before issuing an apology and seeking treatment for mental health issues. They’ve been seemingly keeping on the staright and narrow, although certain lawsuits are still playing out.

The Flash will hit theaters on June 16th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

The first trailer for The Flash has arrived, and with it came the first footage of actress Sasha Calle as Supergirl. Supergirl's brief scenes left a powerful impression on fans, and now that the footage is out there, Calle is over the moon excited. The actress took to social media with an all-caps reaction to people finally seeing her suited up as Kara. 

Supergirl smashed, zapped, and flew all throughout The Flash trailer, and made an already exciting movie that much more anticipated. Few online were as psyched as Sasha Calle, however, who sent a tweet full of energy and excitement in addition to a video of her watching her scene from the trailer: 

Sasha Calle seems amped for the world to finally see her Supergirl in action, and I totally get it. Calle reportedly beat out 400 other actresses for this role and will be the first Latina actress to play Kara. She has every right to be jazzed about the role, especially with how badass she looked in The Flash's trailer. 

Hopefully we'll get a fair amount of scenes with Sasha Calle as Supergirl, though it is worth noting that she isn't the title character of this movie. Still, it does appear as though she may play a role in the takedown of Michael Shannon's General Zod, who is back from the Man of Steel without a snapped neck. 

It seems like Kara might have to take on Superman's job of bringing him down, which might be easier said than done given how well-prepared for an invasion this Zod looks to be. Luckily, it seems plenty of other heroes may lend a hand, and even multiple versions of the same hero. 

For all the hype of the trailer and the footage of Sasha Calle as Supergirl and Michael Keaton in action as Batman, it seems there are more on board with seeing The Flash even as we near the cusp of a revamp of DC films. Even James Gunn, who has had to make some tough decisions about casting a new Superman and other things, has a very high opinion of the movie. Could the positive praise that's surrounding Calle's debut as Supergirl push even more potential viewers on the fence to a theater to see this movie? 

It's the big question surrounding The Flash, as there's definitely a community online reminding excited fans that Ezra Miller is still attached as the star the movie. Miller garnered all sorts of attention over the past couple of years for various legal troubles, violent incidents, and generally odd behavior. It's certainly led some to move against supporting them and the movie, though it remains to be seen just how many people will skip out on the feature when the opening weekend finally arrives. 

Look out for The Flash in theaters when it arrives on Friday, June 16th. With all the cameos rumored and confirmed from past DC projects, now might be a great time to check out our guide to watching the DC movies in order to revisit some of the classic movies from the superhero franchise. 

To say we’ve been waiting a long time for The Flash movie would be an understatement, as the DC Extended Universe incarnation of this project was officially announced a week after The CW’s Flash series premiered in 2014, and that show is now in its ninth and final season. Fortunately, it’s looking like the solo movie for Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen is still on track to hit its summer 2023 release, and just a few days after the release of The Flash’s poster, the Super Bowl trailer for the upcoming DC movie has arrived.

Following cameos in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad and the Peacemaker Season 1 finale, and being one of the central players in both versions of Justice League, the time has finally come for the DCEU’s Barry Allen to shine in his own movie. Loosely adapted from the Flashpoint storyline, The Flash sees Barry going back in time to prevent his mother from being murdered. This action causes consequences to his timeline, and we now know what those are.

By saving his mother’s life, Barry Allen has created a world where there are no metahumans, which means that when a certain Kryptonian general from Man of Steel arrives on Earth in this reality, the world’s population is a lot worse off than it was when Superman was around. Fortunately, this preview reveals that there’s a different Kryptonian on Earth who can be of assistance, but as far as The Flash himself is concerned, he’ll need to team up with his doppelgänger and a different version of Batman to save the world, though how Barry returns things to normal is another matter entirely.

If the full-length trailer for The Flash wasn't enough for you, take a look at the TV spot that dropped during the Super Bowl too.

Among the ways The Flash stands out is featuring two versions of Batman; in addition to Ben Affleck reprising the Caped Crusader who fought alongside Barry Allen to defeat Steppenwolf and his Parademon army, Michael Keaton will don the cape and cowl again for the first time since 1992’s Batman Returns. The Flash’s cast also includes Sasha Calle as Supergirl, Michael Shannon and Antje Traue respectively reprising General Zod and Faora-Ul, Kiersey Clemons as Iris West, Ron Livingston taking over as Henry Allen from Billy Crudup, and Maribel Verdú as Nora Allen, among others. IT’s Andy Mushcietti directed The Flash off a script written by Birds of Prey’s Christina Hodson.

As seen in the trailer that aired during the Super Bowl, The Flash won’t be lacking for pulse-pounding superhero action, though we’re still in the dark on some key story details. And lately it’s been rumored that the movie is still being tweaked, namely with certain character teases in The Flash’s ending being removed. Whether that’s the case or not, The Flash already has a lot of positive buzz surrounding it. It reportedly was “extraordinarily well received” in test screenings last summer, and DC Studios co-head James Gunn described it as “one of the greatest superhero movies” he’s ever seen. Warner Bros. is even allegedly expecting The Flash to be a summer hit on the level of 2008’s The Dark Knight.

The Flash races into theaters on June 16, and you can catch up on the title character’s past DCEU adventures with an HBO Max subscription.  

Are Michael Keaton’s Batman and Sahsa Calle’s Supergirl scrapped from “The Flash?” Was the ending of “The Flash” initially supposed to set up “Zack Snyder’s Justice League 2?” Could Christian Bale’s Batman be in the movie? What if Warner Bros. doesn’t even release “The Flash” movie? There are a lot of juicy rumors floating around about Andy Muschietti’s “The Flash” (starring Ezra Miller), so our Head of Video, Hannah Saulic, sits down with our Managing Editor, Sean O'Connell, to address them in depth.

Video Chapters

00:00 - Intro
01:08 - Rumor 1: Sasha Calle, Michael Keaton, Henry Cavill and Gal Gadot Have Been Cut From ‘The Flash’ Ending
03:40 - Rumor 2: ‘The Flash’ Had A Post-Credits Knightmare Scene That Led Into ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League 2’
07:13 - Rumor 3: Christian Bale Returning As Batman For ‘The Flash’ Cameo
12:37 - Rumor 4: Despite What Peter Safran Said, Ezra Miller Won’t Be The DCU’s Flash
16:40 - Rumor 5: ‘The Flash’ Movie Might Not Even Be Released 
19:15 - The Spiciest Rumors About ‘The Flash’ Movie Post-Credits Scene

If you're a fan of superhero blockbusters, you've probably heard about a lot of messiness surrounding the upcoming Flash movie starring Ezra Miller. The project spent many years in development hell, going through directors like tissue paper, and while some stable ground was found when IT director Andy Muschietti came aboard to helm in 2019, things got a bit chaotic in 2022 when Miller was making headlines while dealing with substance abuse and legal issues. 

With those developments combined with the regime change at DC Studios that now sees James Gunn and Peter Safran as co-CEOS, it's been tricky to get a proper read on what we can expect from the film. But if you can trust Gunn's opinion and tastes, then movie fans should prepare for The Flash to be one of the best ever entries in the superhero genre.

Yesterday, James Gunn and Peter Safran invited members of the press to the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, California for a presentation revealing the upcoming movie and TV slate for the DC Universe, and it was during the event that Gunn shared his thoughts about The Flash. The film is still a few months from release – set to hit theaters in June – but he has seen an early cut, and he is super impressed by the work. Said Gunn,

While relatively little is known about the plot of The Flash movie, it has been confirmed that it will be using the popular comic book crossover event Flashpoint as key inspiration. Ezra Miller will be doing some tripping through alternate timelines in the story after attempting some ill-advised time travel, and the story is expected to reboot the DC canon as we know it.

In addition to Miller, The Flash also stars both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton as different versions of Batman, and Sasha Calle will be playing the role of Supergirl. Ron Livingston has replaced Billy Crudup from Zack Snyder's Justice League to play Henry Allen, and Kiersey Clemons is playing romantic interest Kiersey Clemons. The film was also supposed to feature cameos from Henry Cavill as Superman and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, but they have reportedly been cut.

So what if The Flash ends up being a massive hit? What will that mean for the future of the DC Universe canon and Ezra Miller's career? Apparently, those are questions that don't yet have firm answers available. Peter Safran was asked about Miller's possible involvement in the building plans for the DC Universe, and explained that the actor still has a chance to be a part of the franchise after his blockbuster solo movie. Said Safran,

With the latest trailer for David F. Sandberg's Shazam: Fury Of The Gods launching at the end of last week, it's been rumored that our next preview of The Flash will arrive in the form of a Super Bowl trailer – so be sure to get back here to CinemaBlend on February 12 during the big game. Meanwhile, excited fans can start also counting down the days until the film's arrival in cinemas on June 16. You can keep track of everything that is in the works from DC via our Upcoming DC Movies feature, and plan your next trip to the theater with our 2023 Movie Release Calendar.

Last year was a wild one for Ezra Miller. While they were involved in projects like Fantastic Beasts 3, the 30 year-old actor made countless headlines due to legal issues and wild allegations made against them. Miller seemingly tried to make amends (and save the Flash movie in the process), issuing an apology and seeking mental health treatment. And the DCEU star most recently plead guilty for trespassing, and has already been sentenced. 

Over the past few months it has certainly seemed like Ezra Miller was trying to make things right after having such a controversial year. Per a report by Deadline, they recently plead guilty to trespassing, and will be getting a reduced sentencing related to a break-in in Vermont. Namely Miller will pay a $500 fine, and will serve one-year probation. Let's hope that no other scuffles happen during that time. 

This sentencing was brought to fruition by Judge Kerry A. McDonald-Cady of the Vermont Superior Court. Ezra Miller was physically present in court as this ruling came down, directly hearing the judge's words. McDonald-Cady offered a warning that more charges could come down if they break probation. She was quoted saying:

So what are the conditions related to Ezra Miller's probation? They seem fairly strict, so the Perks of Being a Wallflower actor is going to have to stick to the straight and narrow. Per this report, they must register with a probation officer in Vermont, who must be aware of Miller's home address once per month. They will also have to report to the probation officer within 72 hours of any possible legal scuffles. The report also claimed "Miller can’t drink alcohol beverages to the extent that it interferes with their employment." 

As previously mentioned, Ezra Miller issued an apology for their various shakeups and controversies back in August, before finally getting some mental health help. Said apology offered some background behind their eratic behavior, reading:

The break-in that Ezra Miller plead guilty to came after months of arrests and legal issues in Hawaii. They got involved in bar altercations, were thrown out of establishments, and even had a restraining order placed against them. And as a result of these various controversies, DC fans have long been worried about Miller's future in the DCEU, and Andy Muschietti's Flash movie. 

The Flash is currently expected to arrive in theaters on June 16th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Warner Bros’ franchise of DC movies has been the source of constant restructuring and changing with the times. Some of the upcoming entries in this cinematic universe are still holding steady though, one of which happens to be Ezra Miller’s The Flash. While the actor is currently making their way through some legal challenges, they are also maintaining their position in one of this summer’s tentpoles; which may be part of the recent reversal of Miller’s plea to charges arising from an ongoing case.

Previously, Ezra Miller pled not guilty to being accused of “unlawful trespassing, two charges for burglary into an unoccupied dwelling and petit larceny.” Per a report from NBC News, Miller has now agreed to plead guilty to the charge of unlawful trespassing, which will see all other charges mentioned above dropped. These recent legal actions stem from last year, when the Justice League actor had been reported as breaking into a Vermont residence and stealing liquor bottles in the process.

This is pretty big news for Miller, as they were potentially looking at 20 years of jail time with the full raft of charges. Thanks to these negotiations, Ezra Miller may only need to serve, “89 to 90 days in a suspended sentence, as well as a year probation and $500 fine.” So long as they meet the conditions set and don’t commit any further crimes in the time period specified, Miller won’t have to serve jail time. However, violation of those conditions could result in a sentence that would lead to incarceration.

It seems to be the latest in measures that Ezra Miller has engaged in to keep The Flash on track for its June release date. Last year, Miller made a full apology, with a pledge to seek psychiatric treatment for what they identified as “complex mental health issues.” These actions were apparently spurred on by Warner Bros executives “considering all options” pertaining to the release of one of the remaining vestiges of the Snyderverse era of DC films.

With that mindset reported, the “spooked” actor apparently sought to make amends. Reversing course and pleading down to a lesser charge would seem to be on the path of that very aim, as it shows Ezra Miller as potentially trying to make up for the actions they were charged with. 

We’ll have to wait until after Friday’s filing to see where this story goes next, but for now, The Flash is set to zoom into theaters on June 23, 2023, with an undetermined number of Batmen waiting in the wings to be a part of the magic.  If you’d like to check out the rest of the 2023 new movie releases slated to debut this year, that information is waiting in a parallel universe that’s only a hyperlink away.

The past few months have been a wild time for DC fans, as the studio has been making sweeping changes to the shared universe that has left the public dizzy. James Gunn and Peter Safran were named co-CEOs of DC Studios, and are working behind the scenes to transform the universe into a cohesive, interconnected place. One of the upcoming DC movies hitting theaters this year is Andy Muschietti’s The Flash, and he recently shared a set photo as rumors swirl about Ezra Miller and the blockbuster itself.

Recently moviegoers have watched as the Bagirl movie and Wonder Woman 1984 were scrapped, and as Henry Cavill officially departed the role of Superman forever. Amid this uncertainty, fans have been worried about the Flash movie, especially considering the controversies that Ezra Miller was wrapped up in last year. But it looks like the movie is currently being released as planned, and might have the chance to clarify the shared universe’s timeline. IT filmmaker Andy Muschietti is the man behind the camera for The Flash, and recently shared a throwback on Instagram that shows off one of the movie’s set pieces. Check it out below:

Is it June yet? The Flash has been a long time coming, with a a number of delays happening over the years. And while countless questions surrounding the DCEU, Andy Muschietti is helping to buoy hype around his upcoming blockbuster. Now the question is: when are they going to give us a damn trailer?

Andy Muschietti shared this photo from his time working on The Flash, and it seemingly shows one location in Central City aka Barry Allen’s stomping grounds from the comics. And with James Gunn and Peter Safran helping to finally bring serialized storytelling to the shared universe, it should be fascinating to see if/how Central City ends up factoring into the larger DCEU. Muschietti’s caption shows how hyped he is to finally bring the long-awaited movie to theaters.

Fans have been concerned about The Flash amid the recent DC twists, as well as the controversies still surrounding lead actor Ezra Miller. They got involved in a number of legal shakeups over the last year, before issuing an apology and starting treatment for mental health issues. Right now the movie is going on as planned, although some reports indicated this was contingent on Miller staying out of trouble moving forward.

The Flash is currently set to arrive in theaters on June 16th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. Let’s just hope that the studio reveals its plans for the DCEU sooner rather than later. 

Right now it seems that there’s a lot of focus on DC Films, with the perspective being that everything is in complete chaos. There are new bosses in charge in James Gunn and Peter Safran and that has resulted in, it appears, big changes to what plans for the franchise otherwise were. Henry Cavill was back as Superman and then out again as Superman, it looks like Wonder Woman 3 is, at best on hold, and at worst dead in the water. Nobody knows quite what to expect from the future of DC. Except that apparently The Flash may be the most exciting DC movie since The Dark Knight.

A report in Variety makes the comparison between The Flash and The Dark Knight, not in terms of the movies themselves, but in the way that the studio is excited and believes that The Flash is going to be an absolutely massive summer hit. The Dark Knight is, when adjusted for inflation, the highest grossing DC movie ever, so putting The Dark Knight at that level is quite the statement.

The reasons for the excitement seem to be focused on the plot elements at use, and what they mean to audiences. The Flash will be a time travelling multiverse story, and based on the success of Marvel movies like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, fans clearly seem to like that. On top of that you have the fact that, similar to No Way Home, The Flash will bring in multiple versions of a popular movie hero, with both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton on board to play Batman. 

This is certainly great news for fans as we know what it looks like when a studio has less faith in a film. In fact, the faith that WB and DC have in the movie drive directly into the film’s biggest issue. Star Ezra Miller has been in the news a lot recently for all the wrong reasons. If this were seen as a less important movie we could have seen WB release it quietly, or in an extreme situation, not at all, as has already happened with another DC property, Batgirl.

But then the other interesting wrinkle comes back to the fact that there’s a new sheriff in town. The expectation was that The Flash would act as a sort of reboot of the DC movie universe, and while that may still be the case, it’s even less clear what that universe will look like after the reboot. James Gunn and Peter Safran clearly have big plans, but they may not mix with whatever the plan was when The Flash filmed. The word is cameos by Gal Gadot and Henry Cavill that were shot for the film have been axed, likely due to their current DC status. 

For a little over a week now, and following James Gunn and Peter Safran being tapped to run DC Studios, there’s been a whirlwind of activity concerning upcoming DC movies. First came the announcement that Wonder Woman 3 isn’t moving forward, and earlier this week, it was revealed that not only is Henry Cavill’s Superman run officially over, but Gunn is writing a Superman reboot. Now there’s word that the Ezra Milera-led The Flash, one of the bigger 2023 movie releases, has cut two major cameos.

According to THR, Henry Cavill and Gal Gadot’s brief appearances as Superman and Wonder Woman, respectively, in The Flash have been cut. While Warner Bros. Pictures hadn’t officially announced that either actor would appear, it was recently reported that Cavill was paid $250,000 for his cameo in the Scarlet Speedster’s first solo movie, the same amount he earned for his appearance in the Black Adam end-credits scene. This would have been Cavill’s first appearance as the Man of Steel post-Black Adam and Gadot’s return to the role of Diana of Themyscira following Wonder Woman 1984.

Let’s also not forget that there was a time when Ray Fisher was supposed to reprise Cyborg in The Flash, but following his clash with then-DC Films Walter Hamada, he was written out of the movie. So that’s three of Barry Allen’s Justice League teammates who are missing out on The Flash, and while there’s been rumblings about Jason Momoa potentially stopping by as Aquaman, it’s unclear if we’ll actually see him. 

But even with the cut cameos, it’s not like The Flash is lacking for superheroes appearing alongside Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen. Both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton are reprising their versions of Batman, and Sasha Calle will appear as a Supergirl from another Earth. Michael Shannon and Antje Trau will also reprise General Zod and Faora-Ul, respectively, and the movie’s other cast members include Kiersey Clemons, Ron Livingston and Maribel Verdú, among others.

Inspired by the Flashpoint storyline, The Flash sees Barry Allen going back in time to save his mother from being killed, which brings unintended consequences to his timeline and leads to him traveling to other realities. This will be Ezra Miller’s sixth appearance as the DCEU’s version of the Fastest Man Alive, following Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, both versions of Justice League and the Peacemaker Season 1 finale. A script for The Flash 2 has reportedly already been written, but whether or not that sequel actually moves forward, especially considering the recent shakeups on the DC Films front, remains to be seen.

The Flash races into theaters on June 16, 2023. If you’d like to watch Ezra Miller, Henry Cavill and Gal Gadot’s past DCEU appearances, they can be streamed with an HBO Max subscription.

Every year, Google releases the most searched actors of the calendar year. The list often reflects pop culture touchstones, as well as rising stars gaining traction. This year, the top searches were unsurprising, as they reflected major events reported on by the media. Johnny Depp, who was engaged in a very public defamation trail with his ex-wife Amber Heard, topped the list at number one. He was followed by Will Smith, who became an object of much controversy when he slapped Chris Rock onstage at the Oscars. However, as we go further down the list, it is much more surprising. 

The first four slots were taken up by individuals involved in the controversies above, with Amber Heard and Chris Rock ranking respectively at #3 and #4. However, there were some definite surprising standouts. Stranger Things breakout star Joseph Quinn came at #6, while the rest of the cast remained off of the list. This was particularly surprising considering the actor’s character, Eddie Munson, only totaled about 42 minutes of total screen time throughout the entire season. However, Eddie is a stand-out amongst fans, so maybe his placement on the list is valid. 

Coming at #9 was Top Gun: Maverick star Miles Teller. While Teller certainly made waves this year, including becoming a fan favorite on TikTok and even hosting SNL, the actor was not the star, nor the most bankable actor in the blockbuster hit. Tom Cruise feels like a much more obvious actor for audiences to latch onto, yet Teller seems to have been the one to peak the interest of Google users. 

Another surprise addition is Ashley Judd, who came in at #10. The Emmy-nominated actress did not have a major starring role in a movie at all this year, but she did make an appearance as herself in the film She Said. The film follows the journalists who worked to investigate the allegations around Harvey Weinstein, sparking the #MeToo movement and a major Hollywood reckoning. Judd was at the forefront of the movement and worked to expose Weinstein, so it made sense for her to be included in the movie. 

The rest of the list includes Julia Fox, who dated Kanye West earlier this year and has since been very active on social media talking about the controversies; Jada Pinkett Smith, who was the subject of the joke Chris Rock made that prompted the slap; and Ezra Miller, whose various controversies, allegations directed against them and trouble with the law looms over the future of the DCEU. You can check out the full list, as well as other Google-compiled lists from this year, via USA Today. 

Who knows what the next year may bring, and you never know who will make a splash with audiences. For a preview into what movie fans may be searching about in 2023, check out our 2023 movie release schedule. It includes exciting projects like Barbie, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, so there is a lot to look forward to in the coming months. 

The DC Extended Universe is known for its drama on and off camera, living up to that reputation with the scrapping of the Batgirl movie and various release date changes. Fans are currently worried about the fate of Andy Muschietti’s Flash movie, especially given the various legal issues and controversies surrounding star Ezra Miller. But is The Flash 2’s script already done ahead of the movie’s release this summer?

The pressure is on for the Flash movie, which is expected to course-correct the official timeline of the DCEU. But while Ezra Miller’s legal troubles seemed to put the upcoming DC movie in jeopardy, a new report by THR about Warner Bros.’ inner workings indicate that the Flash sequel is already written, specifically by Aquaman writer David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick.

Of course, this isn’t a guarantee that Flash 2 will ever happen. Indeed, the script is reportedly only being cobbed together in case Ezra Miller’s first solo movie is a hit at the box office. But with the mysterious blockbuster containing both Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck as Batman, it’s hard to imagine that fans won’t be clamoring to see it in theaters. As long as it’s still released as planned, that is.

While the DC Extended Universe isn’t known for its big crossover events Andy Muschietti’s The Flash has the potential to change that. And if the ambitious and long-gestating blockbuster is able to live up to expectations, perhaps a new DC franchise could be born. But it also seems to depend on what happens with Ezra Miller’s legal issues. But if a script for Flash 2 is already written, the studio is seemingly considering all of its options and hoping for the best. Looks like the DCEU is ready to get into the multiverse fun like the competition at Marvel.

Over the past year, Ezra Miller has been involved in a number of controversies, resulting in multiple arrests. They were involved in a few scuffles in Hawaii earlier this year, leading to viral videos of their arrest and a (dropped) restraining order. But things got even more wild once Miller returned to the mainland. Multiple families have come forward with accusations that their child was put in unsafe situations. And most recently Miller was arrested and charged with burglary and larceny, pleading not guilty. These charges could result in over 20 years in prison, which would obviously put the kibosh on Flash 2 plans. 

For their part, Ezra Miller also recently apologized for these controversies, and is seeking treatment for “complex” mental health issues. The fate of The Flash seemingly helped to achieve this outcome, as Miller feels strongly about the project and plays multiple versions of Barry Allen. We’ll just have to see how it all shakes out.

The Flash is currently expected to arrive in theaters on June 23rd. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

Actor Ezra Miller has had quite the year. The 30 year-old actor has been involved in a number of controversies over the past few months, including a few arrests and lawsuits. And most recently Miller plead not guilty to a burglary charge, which could result in over 20 years in prison.

After scuffles and arrests in Hawaii earlier this year, Miller was charged with burglary and petit larceny in Vermont, where they own property. Per a report by the Associated Press, the Flash plead not guilty to these counts while appearing virtually in court. But if they're found guilty on both charges it could reportedly end up being a whopping 26 years in prison. 

The accusations made against Ezra Miller claim that the Fantastic Beasts actor broke into the Vermont residence on May 1st, stealing a number of alcohol bottles from the private residence. Since they've been charged with petite larceny, that means the loss of goods is seemingly under $900. But the two charges can come with serious jail time, which would no doubt be a shocking turn of events in the saga of Miller's recent struggles. 

The homeowner in questions claims to have known Ezra Miller for 18 years ahead of this legal scuffle and reported burglary, buying their house in the same town as the actor about a year and a half ago. Miller was reportedly charged following security footage evidence and interviewing witnesses. We'll just have to wait and see how this ultimately shakes out.

Those who are fans of Ezra Miller's career will likely wonder if this ongoing legal battle might negatively impact Andy Muschietti's Flash movie. That long-awaited project won't hit theaters until the summer, which leaves Warner Bros. time to pivot if Miller is ultimately convicted. For their part, Miller is currently seeking treatment for "complex" mental health issues, and issued an apology for their previous behavior. 

The burglary charge in Vermont came after Ezra Miller had a number of scuffles with locals in Hawaii. These issues resulted in multiple arrests, viral videos of their behavior, and (dropped) restraining order. In addition to smaller these bar fights, there are also more serious allegations made against Miller by two different families. As such, there are a dizzying amount of controversies surrounding the Perks of Being a Wallflower actor. But could these recently charges end up being the reason that they're ultimately put behind bars? It remains to be seen, but the stakes certainly feel quite high. 

Given all these arrests and allegations, moviegoers have definitely been wondering about Ezra Miller's career, especially their ongoing roles in both the Wizarding World and DC Extended Universe-- both of which are Warner Bros. properties. It's unclear if Fantastic Beasts 4 will even happen, but Miller's character will presumably factor into the story. Then there's The Flash, which is reportedly meant to correct the timeline of the shared universe. Miller plays multiple forms of Barry Allen throughout the movie, so their role could not be more important.

The Flash is currently expected to arrive in theaters on June 23rd. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Actor Ezra Miller has been in the public eye from a young age, but recently made countless headlines over the past few months thanks to troubling behavior in Hawaii and other locations, resulting in a few arrests. This seemed to put the fate of DC’s Flash movie in jeopardy, before the actor eventually issued an apology and sought out treatment for mental health issues. And Insecure’s Issa Rae is calling out Hollywood for enabling Miller in the wake of various controversies and arrests.

While Ezra Miller has been quiet since starting treatment, there was a period of months where the Fantastic Beasts actor was constantly in the news for their startling behavior. Namely multiple arrests in Hawaii, which resulted in headlines, a restraining order, and even viral videos. But it looks like The Flash is still moving toward its release, and Issa Rae recently got honest with Elle about how she felt the studio was protecting Miller. In her words:

Well, she certainly didn’t mince words. It looks like Issa Rae has a serious problem with the way Ezra Miller was seemingly welcomed back to the fold following their various controversies and legal issues. And she’s citing it as a reason why Hollywood still has much more to learn in the way it advocates for victims, compared to people of power. 

Issa Rae’s comments to Elle come from a larger conversation about her career, and Hollywood as a whole. While discussing the #MeToo movement and holding folks accountable, she eventually brought up the various controversies surrounding Ezra Miller. And she seemingly sees his comeback as a dangerous precedent for the entertainment industry, which is still in the process of advocating for victims and changing policies. 

Ezra Miller’s controversies start from back in 2020, where a video of them choking a woman circulated online. But things really heated up a few years later in March 2022, where the Perks of Being a Wallflower actor was arrested in Hawaii for disorderly conduct and harassment. Their time on the islands would be full of more starling incidents, including a second-degree assault charge. They were also involved in further controversies surrounding behavior on their farm, their relationship with teenage advocate Takota Iron Eyes, and an August felony burglary charge. 

But while fans debated whether or not this would derail either the Flash movie (which was filmed ahead of the 2022 issues), it seems that Warner Bros. is moving forward with the ambitious project, as Ezra Miller began treatment for “complex mental health issues.”

The Flash is expected to arrive in theaters on June 23rd, 2023, so time will only tell how the situation with Ezra Miller unfolds. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

The DC Extended Universe is known for its drama on and off the screen, and this year has been no exception. In addition to recent shake-ups like Batgirl being scrapped entirely, there are concerns about Andy Muschietti’s The Flash movie regarding its star Ezra Miller. The Perks of Being a Wallflower actor has been involved in a number of controversies and legal shakeups, and now we know how they reportedly reacted to that first choking incident.

Prior to Ezra Miller’s shake ups with law enforcement and locals in Hawaii, a video of the Fantastic Beasts star seemingly choking a woman went viral on social media. While no legal action was taken, a new report by Vanity Fair helps to paint a picture of what happened on that day back in 2020. According to a claim made by a female associate of Miller, they got on the phone with the studio shortly after this choking incident. While misgendering the actor who uses they/them pronouns, the source claims:

Well, there you have it. According to the anonymous source who contributed to Vanity Fair’s story about Ezra Miller, that first choking incident in Reykjavik didn’t go down the way they told Warner Bros. In the end this would be the first of a variety of wild incidents surrounding the Flash actor, which included a number of arrests and wild accusations. 

The story by Vanity Fair helps to break down the various controversies that have surrounded Ezra Miller over the last few years. As previously mentioned, this viral choking incident was the start of the actor’s legal issues, and going viral for all the wrong reasons. Miller’s rep claimed that they were baited by a group of teens, and made a “spontaneous” decision when grabbing the woman’s collarbone (not her neck). Although that seems to be in stark contrast to his report by Miller’s former friend.

In the end this choking incident didn’t result in any serious consequences, although Ezra Miller would have no shortage of legal issues in the next few years. Three different associates of theirs told Vanity Fair that the first scuffle occurred because Miller was struggling with issues related to their divorce. But Miller’s reps denied this, issuing a response that reads:

Following arrests and a restraining order in Hawaii, Ezra Miller is seemingly aiming to get back on the straight and narrow. They’ve since started treatment for mental health issues, which has the potential to save both their career and the fate of Warner Bros.’ The Flash movie. With the DCEU’s future already seemingly unclear, this was a relief to those waiting to see the timeline-altering blockbuster. Plus Miller has a continued role in the Fantastic Beasts franchise.

The Flash is currently expected to arrive in theaters on June 23rd, 2023. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.