“The Flash,” the much-delayed Warner Bros. superhero film about a speedster who travels back in time to try to prevent his mother’s murder, is finally, actually, for real hitting theaters on Friday. Based on the DC Comics character, the new blockbuster has survived three director changes and, most recently, the legal troubles of its star superhero, Ezra Miller.
Miller, 30, who is nonbinary, made headlines after three separate incidents in spring 2022 in which they were accused of harassment and yelling obscenities at a bar in Hawaii, hurling a chair and injuring a woman, and breaking into a Vermont home and stealing bottles of alcohol.
With most of those cases now resolved, here’s a look at what happened, the film’s thorny development history and how Miller’s controversies might shape the future of the franchise.
When did Ezra Miller get involved in “The Flash”?
Miller, then 22, was cast in 2014. At the time, the actor was known primarily for a standout turn in the 2012 adaptation of Stephen Chbosky’s young-adult novel “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” They have since played the Flash in several films and TV series in the DC Extended Universe, including the 2016 blockbusters “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Suicide Squad,” as well as 2017’s “Justice League.”
Miller was cast almost 10 years ago, why the delay?
“The Flash,” which was originally set to be directed by Seth Grahame-Smith for a 2018 release, was slowed by the pandemic, and then plagued by script rewrites and postproduction delays, as well as three instances of directors jumping ship: Grahame-Smith, Rick Famuyiwa, and the team of John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. Andy Muschietti saw the film to the finish line.
When did Miller’s legal troubles begin?
They first made headlines in March 2022 when they were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and harassment during a visit to Hilo, Hawaii. They were accused of yelling obscenities and behaving erratically toward patrons at a karaoke bar. And it turned out that was the latest episode in a pattern: The assistant police chief noted that Miller had been the subject of 10 complaints in the previous month.
A few weeks later, they were charged with second-degree assault, accused of hurling a chair and injuring a woman after being asked to leave a home in Hawaii.
In Vermont, where they lived, Miller faced allegations that they had broken into a neighbor’s house in May and stolen bottles of alcohol, resulting in charges of trespassing, felony burglary and petit larceny.
Miller also faced accusations of grooming involving Tokata Iron Eyes, a Lakota activist, but she has called the allegations a “smear campaign.” Miller’s representative declined to comment on a second case that led to a temporary order of protection filed against them.
Where do the court cases stand?
In the Hawaii karaoke bar case, Miller pleaded no contest to disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, and they were ordered to pay a $500 fine. As part of the plea deal, prosecutors dropped the harassment charge.
The assault case was referred to the prosecutor but there have been no formal charges, according to authorities.
In the Vermont case, Miller pleaded guilty in January to trespassing, with the burglary and larceny counts dropped as part of a plea deal. They were ordered to serve one year of probation and pay a $500 fine, as well as to abstain from alcohol and to submit to random drug tests.
What has Miller said about their behavior?
In August, they issued an apology and said they were seeking mental health treatment. “Having recently gone through a time of intense crisis, I now understand that I am suffering complex mental health issues and have begun ongoing treatment,” Miller said in a statement. “I want to apologize to everyone that I have alarmed and upset with my past behavior. I am committed to doing the necessary work to get back to a healthy, safe and productive stage in my life.” Asked about the cases this week, a spokesman for Miller pointed to the previous statement.
How did Warner Bros. respond?
After the first two arrests, Warner Bros. put all of Miller’s coming projects with the studio on hold following an emergency meeting with the actor, according to a Rolling Stone report.
Did the studio consider a replacement for “The Flash”?
It’s hard to believe this nuclear option was ever on the table: Shooting on the film had wrapped when Miller was arrested, and, given that they are in most scenes, the cost of recasting and reshooting the $220 million film would have been enormous.
Will Miller take part in promotion for “The Flash”?
They are sitting out the customary promotional tour. At the premiere on Monday in Los Angeles, Miller walked the red carpet and gave a shoutout to the director, according to video posted by Deadline. They also thanked studio executives for their “grace and discernment and care in the context of my life.” The studio had said in advance that Miller wouldn’t make personal appearances beyond the premiere. Earlier Michael De Luca, the chief executive of Warner Bros., told Vulture that “The Flash” is “not a P.R.-driven film” so “we don’t necessarily have to put Ezra out in front of its push.”
What other projects do they have in the works?
Miller is having a big June: In addition to headlining “The Flash,” they star as a young Salvador Dalí in a new biopic about the surrealist painter, “Daliland,” which was released on June 9. (Ben Kingsley plays an older version of the artist.)
Things get murkier further down the road: While “Harry Potter” fans know them for their role as the troubled wizard Credence Barebone in the “Fantastic Beasts” spinoff franchise, future installments in what was originally planned as a five-film series are in limbo after the poor performance last year of the third entry, “The Secrets of Dumbledore.” As for future “Flash” projects, Warner Bros. clearly has designs for the character in the DC Extended Universe, but it’s unclear if Miller will be the one in the red suit.
“Ezra is completely committed to their recovery, and we are fully supportive of that journey that they’re on right now,” Peter Safran, who along with James Gunn was named co-chief executive of DC Studios, said in January during an announcement of new DC film and TV projects. “When the time is right, when they feel like they’re ready to have the discussion, we’ll all figure out what the best path forward is.”
Is “The Flash” any good?
Reviews have been mixed, with a 67 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Kate Erbland of IndieWire wrote that “Andy Muschietti’s film has lots to offer, and frequently shows flashes (apologies) of brilliance,” but Owen Gleiberman of Variety said that the multiverse conceit “becomes an excuse to throw everything but the Batcave sink at the audience.” Tom Cruise, at least, is a fan. The Hollywood Reporter reported that, after requesting a copy be sent to his Beverly Hills home, he cold-called the director, Muschietti, to share his praise. It’s “everything you want in a movie,” Cruise reportedly told him.
