The Flash director Andy Muschietti recently stated that he hopes Ezra Miller continues playing Barry Allen/The Flash in James Gunn's DC Universe.
In an upcoming episode of The Playlist's The Discourse podcast, Muschietti confirmed that if The Flash does well enough to warrant a sequel he intends to bring back Miller as the Scarlet Speedster. "If [a sequel] happens, yes," 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." Muschietti's producing partner and sister, Barbara Muschietti, also raved about Miller’s performance in The Flash, adding, "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."
The Flash will mark Miller's fifth time playing Barry Allen/The Flash in the DCU, with the actor also playing an alternate 2013 version of the title character. The actor was first cast in 2014, making their debut as the Scarlet Speedster in 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Miller reprised the role later that same year for a cameo appearance in David Ayer's Suicide Squad. He then appeared in 2017's Justice League (and the 2021 Snyder Cut), as well as in Arrow -- during The CW's "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover -- and the Season 1 finale of Peacemaker, alongside Jason Momoa's Aquaman.
Will James Gunn Keep Ezra Miller as The Flash?
Miller has been at the forefront of several major controversies since 2020, which has cast a negative spotlight on The Flash. The actor apologized for their controversial behavior in August 2022 and revealed that they will be seeking mental health treatment. Despite the controversies, DC Studios heads Peter Safran and James Gunn have refused to comment on whether they will be keeping Miller as The Flash in their DC Universe, which will encompass everything from live-action and animation to video games, movies and television.
"When the time is right, when they feel they are ready to have the discussion, we’ll all figure out what the best way forward is, but right now, they are completely focused on their recovery," Safran said in January 2023. "In our conversations with them over the last couple of months, it feels like they’re making enormous progress." Added Gunn, "Let's see what happens."
The Flash Cracks Open the DC Multiverse
The Flash, influenced by the comic book storyline Flashpoint, follows Barry Allen as he travels back in time to prevent the death of his mother only to create an alternate timeline in which General Zod (Michael Shannon) has returned and there is no Justice League to turn to for help. "That is, unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian... albeit not the one he’s looking for," reads the film's official synopsis. "Ultimately, to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry’s only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?"
The Flash opens in theaters on June 16.
Source: The Playlist