While it seemed as though the DC Extended Universe was disregarding the events of Batman v Superman and Justice League, Ezra Miller’s incarnation of the Flash might not be dead in the water after all. Miller recently announced that his Flash solo movie had been “absolutely confirmed” by Warner Bros. after months of uncertainty (at one point, it got so bad that Miller had taken to writing his own script in a desperate attempt to cling to the role).
We should take this news with a pinch of salt, but as long as it might still be happening, here are 5 Reasons We Need Ezra Miller’s Flash (And 5 Why We Don’t).
Need it: There are plenty of Flash stories to explore
Until now, the DCEU’s Flash has been pretty useless. He ran a few people to safety and he brought Superman back to life with a Mother Box, but other than that, he hasn’t really done anything. In the comics, the Flash has faced contention from three separate versions of his dark mirror self, Reverse Flash.
He can run so fast that he actually ends up traveling through time. He’s had a ton of love interests over the years. There are endless story possibilities, villains, and romantic arcs to explore with this character, and it’ll all start with his first solo movie.
Don’t need it: Justice League started the character off on the wrong foot
When Zack Snyder left Justice League, Warner Bros. reshot the entire thing to make it less like a Snyder movie and more like an MCU movie, which they considered to be a safer bet. Snyder had planned out a character arc for every character, especially the minor ones. Cyborg was going to get an origin story; the Flash was going to travel through time etc.
However, Warner Bros. got Avengers director Joss Whedon to turn Bruce Wayne into a pale imitation of Tony Stark and Barry Allen into a pale imitation of Peter Parker as his wimpy, immature, comic-relief kid sidekick. It started off the DCEU’s Flash on the wrong foot.
Need it: It’s a chance to start fresh
Since the DCEU has botched its portrayal of the Flash so far, a solo movie would present a lucrative opportunity to start fresh with the character. Ezra Miller knows what he’s doing with the character; he just needs a better script and a director who understands the character as well as he does at the helm.
We need a Flash movie for the same reason that we need a sequel to Man of Steel – it’s an opportunity to take a character that has been depicted unsuccessfully and unfaithfully thus far and give them the proper treatment on the big screen.
Don’t need it: A Wally West movie would work better than a Barry Allen movie
Most fans have noticed from the way that Ezra Miller has been playing the Flash in the DC Extended Universe that his characterization is closer to Wally West than Barry Allen. And Wally West is a version of the Flash that is less well-known to mainstream audiences and hasn’t made it to the screen in live-action form yet.
Also, the DCEU is moving on from 2017’s Justice League movie (both its characters and its storylines), keeping only Wonder Woman and Aquaman along for the ride. So, it seems as though a Wally West movie would be a better idea than a Barry Allen movie.
Need it: The character needs some space to grow
Although we’ve seen the Flash on the silver screen twice now, he’s been crammed into ensemble pieces. He was reduced to a cameo appearance on a computer screen in Batman v Superman, and in Justice League, although he was featured in a handful of scenes, he never really had anything to do; he was just sort of there.
The character arc he was given – that he was too scared to be a hero and had to learn to have courage – didn’t make any sense, because we’d already seen him save people and we didn’t see how he got from point A to point B within the movie itself; it just happened. He needs his own movie, if only to grow as a character.
Don’t need it: The CW series is doing a pretty good job of telling the Flash’s story
The DC Extended Universe isn’t doing a Green Arrow movie, because that character has already been adapted for the small screen and fans love it. So, why are they pressing on with a Flash movie when he’s been given the same treatment in The CW’s Arrowverse?
The series isn’t perfect, but it is doing a pretty good job of telling the Flash’s story on the screen, and Grant Gustin is an ideal Barry Allen. If either Gustin or Miller were playing Wally West and they were two different versions of the Flash, that would be one thing, but they’re both playing Barry Allen.
Need it: The DCEU is striking the right tone now
The tone that Zack Snyder set with Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, and Justice League seemed to set the house style for the DC Extended Universe, and it wasn’t the right tone for the Flash. However, the DCEU’s tone has since altered drastically.
It started with movies like Wonder Woman and Aquaman, which felt happier and more optimistic, and now, the franchise is in full comedic overdrive with the silly, bubbly, infinitely fun Shazam!, so it’s in the right place, tonally, to give the Flash a solo movie that will do him justice. The Flash and Shazam! should occupy the same tonal space.
Don’t need it: Ezra Miller wants to make a “dark” Flash movie
Whenever Ezra Miller has talked about his intentions for his Flash solo movie, he’s mentioned that he wants to make it dark. But that tone just doesn’t suit the character. Some characters suit a dark tone (Batman, Wolverine, Blade), but others really, really don’t. Look at how dreadful the “dark” versions of Superman and the Fantastic Four were.
They were a disservice to the characters, the darkness felt totally disingenuous, and the movies were instantly forgettable. Any movie about the Flash needs to be lighthearted and fun. The producers were on the right track when they hired two writers from Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Need it: Ezra Miller is passionate about getting it right
It’s clear from any interview with Ezra Miller where he talks about playing the Flash that he really cares about this character. He has a deep knowledge of the Scarlet Speedster’s rich history from the comics and he’s been drawing from all of that, albeit with the limited material that the DCEU has given him so far, in his scenes as Barry Allen.
As long as Miller is passionate about getting this movie right – he even reportedly went as far as writing his own script for it – then Warner Bros. should make it happen and, more importantly, fans should support it.
Don’t need it: Most DC fans want Ezra Miller to be recast
A large portion of the DC Comics fan base has been hoping for Ezra Miller to go the way of Ben Affleck, leaving his superhero role to make way for a total reboot with someone more suited to the role, as many fans feel that Miller’s Flash hasn’t done the character justice.
To be fair, this can mostly be attributed to Warner Bros. suddenly recharacterizing Barry Allen as a second-rate Peter Parker in a vain attempt to compete with the MCU. But still, most DC Comics diehards are unhappy with how Miller has been playing the role and they’d rather it be recast than see him get a solo movie.