New data for The Flash movie show how much Ezra Miller's legal controversies could potentially hurt the DCEU film. The upcoming project has been in the works for nearly a decade after being first announced back in October 2014, nearly a week after Grant Gustin's The Flash TV show had premiered on The CW. After multiple creative conflicts behind the scenes, Andy Muschietti was eventually tapped to direct The Flash, which wrapped principal photography in late 2021.
Initially set to hit theaters this November, Warner Bros. shuffled the DCEU movie schedule around and delayed The Flash till June 2023. Despite being a year away, The Flash star Ezra Miller has been making their way into the headlines since late March due to multiple legal troubles. Miller's timeline of crimes began with an arrest for disorderly conduct and harassment in Hawaii, but it didn't stop there. After being arrested for the second time in Hawaii due to assault, things escalated throughout 2022 to the point where authorities couldn't locate them, and Miller now faces a felony burglary charge in Vermont.
Miller issued a public apology after admitting they were struggling with "complex mental health issues," and they have since begun treatment as of August 15. However, new data projections for The Flash movie claim the film may have trouble at the box office due to Miller's recent behavior. In a new report from Morning Consult, a survey was conducted to see what audience members are feeling in regard to Miller's DCEU film still coming out. Their results showed that 42%, which equals more than 2 in 5, U.S. adults believe Warner Bros. Discovery should cancel The Flash film altogether. Check out their analytics below:
Ever since Miller's legal troubles emerged, Warner Bros. Discovery has not shown any sign of are cancelling The Flash project, with it being on track for its summer 2023 release. Even during the time when authorities couldn't track Miller down, the star reportedly participated in reshoots for The Flash movie. Warner Bros. Discovery boss David Zaslav has also yet to make any statements about the studio's viewpoint on the Miller headlines. However, reports have claimed the studio is not recasting Miller for The Flash movie, as the extensive reshoots would cost too much at this point.
Regardless of whether audience members think The Flash movie should come out, it's highly unlikely Warner Bros. Discovery would scrap it altogether at this point. Due to the financial resources that have been put into the DCEU picture, the studio would have a difficult time axing it. Even though Miller's The Flash movie is on track to come out, it has yet to be determined if they will continue to portray the Scarlet Speedster in the DCEU after their film has been released. Other reports have stated that, despite going forward with their film, The Flash may be the last time Miller stars as the titular lead, as there are no set plans for them to be brought back in the future.
Source: Morning Consult
