Worlds collide in the first look at the Scarlet Speedster’s first-ever foray into the big screen for a solo film. ‘The Flash’ will take us on a time-traveling multiverse journey as he aims to fix multiple timelines that connect to previous DC films and will eventually emerge a new universe, where we see new and familiar characters including Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton’s versions of Batman, Sasha Calle’s debut as Supergirl, and Michael Shannon’s General Zod as the villain from 2013’s Man of Steel, the first film in the now-scrapped DCEU.
The new movie will act as a reset for DC Studios CEO and co-chairperson James Gunn’s new updated slate of DC films (now called “DCU” or the DC Universe), with the first chapter to be titled ‘Gods and Monsters’. In regards to the structure of the new DCU, Gunn promises that story will be king. The plot is inspired by the popular Flashpoint comics narrative, which fundamentally reorganized the DC comics universe itself. As Gunn and other CEO and co-chairperson Peter Safran previously disclosed, The Flash will do the same for the DC Universe, pushing DC Studios to a new era.
‘The Flash’ has been riddled with controversy with its star, queer and non-binary actor Ezra Miller.
With Miller’s multiple legal issues, “The Flash” has had a complicated production process. Miller was arrested twice in Hawaii in one month in March 2022, first for disorderly behavior and harassment and later for second-degree assault; They pled not guilty to the assault allegation, and the harassment charge was dropped subsequently. Miller accepted a plea agreement in a Vermont case this January, admitting guilty to unauthorized trespassing and having two other felony counts against them dismissed. Further, Miller has previously been accused of choking one woman at an Icelandic pub, which was caught on film, and then harassing another woman at her Berlin home.
Additionally, Miller was accused of grooming and trafficking: In June 2022, The parents of 18-year-old Native American non-binary activist, Gibson Iron Eyes, accused Miller of grooming their child, who was only 12 when the two met. Miller stayed in touch with the young activist for the following six years, offering to support her music career and unexpectedly dropping by her house. Miller allegedly sought to sleep in the same bed as Gibson, who also goes by the name Takota, and gave them liquor, marijuana, and LSD. The court documents read, “Ezra uses violence, intimidation, threat of violence, fear, paranoia, delusions, and drugs to hold sway over a young adolescent Tokata.” Gibson claims to be “safe” with Miller when they traveled together to Hawaii, accusing their parents of being “transphobic” and denying the allegations. Sometime within the same month, an article by The Daily Beast introduced a new victim spoke up about their experiences with Miller: a 12-year-old non-binary child who alleges that they were targeted by Miller. According to the mother and the child, they said, “I’ve talked extensively with your child, and they have a lot of power to them. At one point, you’re going to realize that you don’t have any control over them anymore. They’re an elevated being, and they would be lucky to have someone like me guide them.” The child claims they were awkwardly sliding their chair closer to them and embracing them as Miller invited them to follow them on Instagram and promised to buy horses for them to grow on their Vermont property. A week after, another accusation unfolded on a Rolling Stone report, this time involving a young mother and her three children, all between the ages of 1 to 5 years old, who were living on Miller’s Vermont farm, where there were guns and drugs involved in the living area. At one point, the article claims that the 1-year-old child played with and put a bullet in their mouth. In September 2022, according to Vanity Fair, fresh information regarding Miller emerged, including the actor’s deceptive conduct, paid-off settlements, and non-disclosure agreements, stating, “Though Miller has interfaced with police in at least three precincts in an array of arrests, the actor’s legal problems, through good luck or good lawyering, have mostly gone poof.”
Miller will serve one year of probation and pay a $500 fine plus a $192 fee, according to the terms of the agreement. The other charges are dropped without prejudice, but if Miller violates their probation, they can be re-filed.
Safran said of the controversy, “Ezra is completely committed to their recovery, and we are fully supportive of that journey that they’re on right now.” He says that the future of ‘The Flash’, and Ezra Miller themself, beyond the next film is still unknown. However, Gunn shares his excitement for the film only, claiming it “is one of the greatest superhero movies ever made.”
‘The Flash’ comes to cinemas this March.