One of the DCEU's biggest challenges regarding The Flash and the titular hero's future within the franchise is hiding in plain sight. First introduced via a cameo in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the DCEU's version of the Flash has so far been played by Ezra Miller. Miller reprised the role in 2017's Justice League, and is set to star in their own standalone film, The Flash. The Flash will see the speedster explore the DCEU's Multiverse, as well as mark the final appearance of Ben Affleck in the franchise, and the return of Michael Keaton's Batman.
The passing of the DCEU's cape and cowl in The Flash has long been the upcoming movie's major selling point. The use of the titular hero's ability to explore the Multiverse makes The Flash the perfect opportunity for the DCEU to introduce heroes from alternate universes, and the introduction of Keaton's Batman into the DCEU is a much-appreciated decision. However, using the Flash's powers in such an integral way to the DCEU's future isn't entirely without risk.
The well-publicized legal troubles of Ezra Miller are already proving to be a major complication for the DCEU. Warner Bros. has even announced that the franchise will move ahead without the actor, but this highlights a major problem with The Flash's Multiverse story. The Flash will make Ezra Miller's speedster the DCEU's most important character, and solving the problem of their exit from the franchise is far more complicated than it may seem.
Ezra Miller Is Too Important To The DCEU's Future
One of the biggest aspects of the difficulty the DCEU will have in replacing Miller is that it's essentially made them irreplaceable. Though The Flash is set to be Miller's first (and probably only) solo movie, its planned narrative will alter the very fabric of the DCEU. This is made possible by the powers of Miller's Flash, and the repeated delays that have plagued The Flash's production make Miller's exit from the DCEU come at the worst possible time.
With Miller's version of the Flash set to entirely redefine the DCEU by facilitating Michael Keaton taking over Ben Affleck's Batman role, The Flash will make its titular hero the most important to the franchise. Having that specific narrative mark Miller's final appearance within the franchise due to their off-screen behavior presents a unique challenge, as it may prove difficult to give the character a satisfying and logical conclusion considering The Flash has finished filming. The specifics of how the DCEU will go about moving past Miller's Flash are as yet unknown, but The Flash's story assigns a level of importance to the character that will undoubtedly prove to be a major obstacle.
Barry Allen Is Already The Third Flash
Another way in which replacing Miller's version of the Flash will be difficult lies in the DCEU's chosen iteration of the hero. Though there are many versions of the Flash, the two most popular (and well-known) are Wally West and Barry Allen. Miller portrays a version of Barry Allen in the DCEU, but the fact that Barry is actually the third version of the Flash makes replacing the character slightly more complicated.
Barry's successor in the comics is Bart Allen, better known as Impulse. Though introducing Bart would be a logical and relatively comic-accurate way to replace Miller's character, Bart is far less iconic than Barry, potentially making the switch a tough sell. This is compounded by the fact that the DCEU's Barry Allen is still a young hero, and replacing him before his time doesn't do the character justice.
The DCEU Doesn't Need Another Aging Hero
Another concern for replacing the Flash in the DCEU is the franchise's characterization of other members of its Justice League. Ben Affleck's Batman - the founder of the DCEU's Justice League - was written from his first appearance in Batman v Superman to be an older version of the Caped Crusader, allowing him to be a more jaded, brooding version of the iconic vigilante. His replacement, Michael Keaton, will also be playing an older version of the hero. While this makes sense in terms of the wider continuity, it does present an issue for replacing Ezra Miller's Flash.
As replacing one young Flash with another less iconic version seems unlikely, there's a possibility that Miller could instead be replaced by an older version of Barry Allen or even Wally West. However, this would then create parallels between the DCEU's Flash and Batman, with both aging heroes then potentially following similar narrative arcs. So far, the dynamic between Miller's young Flash and Affleck's older Batman has worked well for the DCEU, and swapping it out in favor of two older and more experienced heroes wastes one of the franchise's best mentor/mentee relationships.
The Flash Can't Replace Too Many Heroes
Even before Ezra Miller's legal troubles, The Flash was set to be a huge movie for the DCEU. Replacing one of DC's most iconic heroes is something of a tall measure, and the choice to introduce Michael Keaton's Batman into the DCEU is an interesting one. Though The Flash's Multiverse story seemingly presents the perfect opportunity to replace characters with alternate universe versions, this isn't the case for the titular speedster.
As Miller will play multiple versions of the Flash already in the character's first solo movie, introducing another Flash to act as their replacement would be a tall order. The Flash is set to shake up the DCEU by replacing its Batman, and to actively replace its Flash as well may be a step too far. Ultimately, there's only so much that a single narrative can change - and what's more, replacing the very character who facilitates that change might prove a particularly tough sell.
Why The Arrowverse Shouldn't Be The DCEU's Solution
One of the most conceivable solutions to the DCEU's Flash problem may also be impractical. Since the news about Warner Bros.'s intention to move ahead without Miller broke, there have been calls for the character to be replaced by Grant Gustin's Arrowverse version of the Flash. Though this would be all too easy to write into the film - both characters possess the same abilities, after all - it would actually be a poor choice for the DCEU.
The Arrowverse's Flash is one of the most beloved incarnations of the character to date, and Gustin's performance is largely celebrated among its viewership. However, if the DCEU replaced Miller with Gustin, it would effectively be canonizing the Arrowverse within the DCEU. Gustin's version of the Flash comes with nine seasons of continuity that would then need to be honored within the DCEU, which would likely prove to be a far messier solution than it's ultimately worth. Though there are many potential ways for the DCEU to replace Ezra Miller after The Flash, each comes with a significant hurdle, and that will undoubtedly prove an issue for the franchise's future.
