Comics
According to “The Flash” director, a sequel must have Ezra Miller to give the film justice. His victims likely would settle for the ‘justice’ part.
Continuity over consequence
Even as DC barrels towards the premiere of the long-awaited The Flash movie, DC also stares down a proverbial barrel, one of a more moral standing, and the inconsistencies of cancel culture all these huge conglomerates have bought into. But where one would think things be a full course meal when it comes to blanket consequences, many times it seems its a selective buffet of half-eaten clams and shellfish. Case in point, talks of Ezra Miller and questions surrounding whether he would be replaced if a sequel were to come to fruition for The Flash movie.
Many a celeb actor, reviewer and director have been singing the film’s praises at early screenings, and the hype may very well be going to everyone’s heads and pockets. And while the criminal accusations (are they accusations at this point, these were things that did happen), one would think Ezra Miller would’ve been done for career and freedom wise. Even WB execs were forced to weigh their options.
But now the director of The Flash Andy Muschietti has spoken up on the possibility of a Ezra Miller-less The Flash sequel. Speaking frankly, Muschietti seems to give a minuscule amount of care about the moral implications. As far as he is concerned, Ezra Miller is Barry Allen. Speaking in an upcoming episode of the Discourse Podcast, Muschietti said:
I don’t think there’s anyone that can play that character as well as they did. The other depictions of the character are great, but this particular vision of the character, they just excelled in doing it. And, as you said, the two Barrys – it feels like a character that was made for them.
Barbara Muschietti chimed in:
In principal photography, Ezra was brilliant and the most committed and the most professional [actor]. Ezra gave everything for this role – physically, creatively, emotionally. They were absolutely supreme.
We are also sure the same glowing attributes could have been said about Henry Cavill. Or any other actor from the Snyder-verse. And this is not a glowing co-sign of what was a broken DCU. But surely, if Cavill gets the axe, we can look to rethinking a scandalous actor facing severe criminal charges being the head of The Flash franchise.
And given Gunn and Safran DCU being in its embryonic stage, what happens next is truly a matter of timing. Will their timelines incorporate the amount of time people will forget their righteous indignation? To selectively give redemption to Miller as Disney did for James Gunn. Does it change when actual crime and psychosis is part of the equation. Cancel culture is very precarious to gain a good gauge of proper reaction. Needless to say, WB’s camp statements on this, including the brilliance of the costume being enough to make us forget Miller’s crimes, WB has built up the protective rails along the playpen perimeter for Ezra Miller and Amber Heard protect the integrity… of comic book movie continuity.
Wish I could say there was a lesson in here somewhere. Alas, you can’t have a morale of the story without morale.
