The Flash producer Barbara Muschietti denied the rumors that the upcoming superhero film was ever in jeopardy of being shelved.
Despite previous reports that Warner Bros. Discovery was planning on potentially canceling The Flash if Ezra Miller's off-set behavior did not change, Muschietti told Entertainment Weekly that would have never happened. "Not at all. No. That was never real," she said. Additionally, her brother and director of The Flash Andy Muschietti, revealed that they are both in communication with the film's star and supportive of them throughout their recovery. "We have a lot of empathy in general for people who need help, and especially in mental health issues. That's why they are taking the necessary steps to deal with their recovery, and we support them in that."
The rumors that the Muschietti siblings are now addressing stemmed from a report from August 2022 which suggested that The Flash was at risk of being terminated. In the midst of various allegations being made against Miller, Warner Bros. Discovery was reportedly considering three outcomes for the movie. The first option was that Miller would apologize for their actions - namely incidents involving assault, burglary, harassment, and accusations of grooming a minor - and take part in an interview to explain their behavior. The second option was that the movie would still be released, but Miller would not do any press to promote it. And finally, the third option, considered a "last resort" by the studio, was to scrap The Flash.
Ezra Miller Apologizes
Not long after the report was made, it was revealed that Miller apologized to Warner Bros. film chairs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy for bringing "negative attention" to the movie and the company. After the meeting, during which the actor reportedly promised to seek help, Miller released a statement. "Having recently gone through a time of intense crisis, I now understand that I am suffering complex mental health issues and have begun ongoing treatment... I want to apologize to everyone that I have alarmed and upset with my past behavior. I am committed to doing the necessary work to get back to a healthy, safe and productive stage in my life."
More recently, in addition to showing full support for the film's star, Andy Muschietti has claimed that he couldn't imagine anyone else playing The Flash as well as Miller. "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." The director added that if a sequel to the film were to be made, he would want to bring back Miller to once again star.
The Flash opens in theaters on June 16.
Source: Entertainment Weekly