Why Ezra Miller Is Being Removed as The Flash in James Gunn's DCU

The Flash was easily the most contentious part of the fairly unlucky DC Extended Universe, namely due to its star. The controversies surrounding Ezra Miller were just part of the reason why the movie was seen as fairly disappointing to fans. Now, Miller and other major stars from the DCEU are being recast for the DC Universe reboot, though this perhaps may be too late for the Fastest Man Alive.

It’s now clear that Miller won’t be returning as The Flash, something that many already suspected. If this had happened in the ending of The Flash, however, it may have saved the movie, in a way. Likewise, it could have also provided the best segway into the new DCU, giving audiences a glimpse of things to come for James Gunn’s reboot.

Updated by Timothy Blake Donohoo on February 9, 2024: The Flash has come and gone, and the same is now true for the contentious DC Extended Universe. Though there’s already hype for the upcoming DC Universe cinematic reboot, the general stench surrounding the Flash movie remains nearly a year after its release. Perhaps the biggest failing of the movie was how it failed to set up what would come afterward. Even now, as the DCEU is getting a second wind on streaming, The Flash has yet to benefit from it.

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It’s long been wondered how extensive of a reboot the DC Universe will be. After all, it’s officially beginning with the already highly-anticipated Superman: Legacy. That movie is now announced to star David Corenswet as Superman, though it was known upon its initial announcement that the movie was a reboot when it didn’t involve Henry Cavill’s Superman. With the Man of Steel gone, it remained to be seen which other heroes — if any — might make the jump. This cemented the idea that it was at least a soft reboot, with the emphasis being on the word “reboot.” After all, if Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel was no longer canon, it would be hard for any other DCEU flicks to also still be in continuity.

Now, it’s been confirmed by James Gunn as to which actors will be jumping from the DCEU to the DCU. Strangely enough, these are only “minor” characters, with none of the members of the Justice League being kept. According to Gunn himself, the are merely a few actors from the previous continuity that will make their return in the new one. This means that none of the biggest roles in the DC Extended Universe will be sticking around, with even Jason Momoa supposedly giving up the role of Aquaman to play the outlaw Czarnian Lobo. This means that the cinematic Flash will also be getting a recast — and it’s for the best.

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For as sad as it is for fans who enjoyed the shared universe, the DC Extended Universe definitely had to end. It was incredibly contentious ever since the release of Man of Steel in 2013, with the movie and its sequel Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice being heavily criticized for their darker takes on the usually optimistic and more lighthearted Superman. Some saw this as director Zack Snyder trying to emulate Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy and its more serious nature, and the negative reception to this decision (especially as the Marvel Cinematic Universe was succeeding with quips and humor) put a dark cloud over the DCEU as a whole.

This has been seen in the diminishing box office returns for DC Extended Universe movies, even when the movies are fairly well-received. The tone of the DCEU wasn’t nearly as uniformly dark as some made it out to be, but the damage was already done among moviegoers. More recently, this crescendoed with the controversy over Ezra Miller. The actor’s legal troubles made many lose interest in The Flash, with some seeing Barry Allen’s actor as an abuser or a similarly controversial figure. Thus, even the nostalgia for Michael Keaton’s Batman wasn’t enough to generate fan interest in the doomed project, with many rightfully associated with Miller. Thus, having Ezra Miller dropped is just one way to cast off the shackles of the DCEU, start fresh and hopefully erase the controversy of the past movies. Sadly, this decision likely couldn’t have been implemented in a better way — and sooner, no less.

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One element that might have “saved” The Flash in some way was to recast the role by the end of the movie. Many fans speculated that the ending of the movie (which was supposedly constantly changed from its original intent, anyway) was going to be used in a way to set up the forthcoming DC Universe. This made sense given that the entire premise of The Flash involved the multiverse and changing reality. Thus, there was an easy way to replace Ezra Miller by the end of the movie, in which Barry Allen seemingly restores his reality, only to find that something isn’t quite right.

This way, the “new” reality can be established as the new DCU, with the new actor for Barry Allen being the first DC Universe actor seen on screen. Thus, the movie would’ve been both a swan song to the DC Extended Universe and a preview of things to come for the DC Universe. Most important for comic book fans, however, is that it would present a look at a world where Barry is already long since established as The Flash. Thus, the DC Universe can give a lot more focus to his nephew and protégé Wally West, whose adventures make up the overwhelming majority of great Flash comic book stories. Sadly, even this method might not have been enough to get some viewers on board. Ultimately, Miller’s version of The Flash was disliked even before the actor’s more recent public relations disasters.

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Many fans had issue with him since the theatrical cut of Justice League, with the consensus being that he’s nothing like the Barry Allen of the comic books. Instead, he came off as an overly comedic, superficial “take” on what some erroneously think Wally West is like, emphasizing how the theatrical version of Justice League went toward the opposite extreme of Snyder’s movies and became far too humorous. Likely the only way to truly make The Flash successful was with a more well-liked take on the character, and even this might have been difficult given that Wally West is the more beloved version anyway. Thus, it’s a good thing that ties to the DCEU are being severed entirely, although the DCU still could have been more properly set up. For right now, the role as a whole has attained some bad blood, and only the reboot will truly erase this.

It’s worth noting that many of the DC Extended Universe movies are getting a second chance to find an audience through streaming. Such is the case with films such as Black Adam, which was a financial disappointment when released in theaters. It’s now seeing a reappraisal due to it and other DC/Warner Bros. Discovery movies being made available on streaming platforms like Netflix and Tubi. Sadly, the DC movies released in 2023 are not part of this number, and that includes The Flash. In fact, that movie saw especially low views when it was released on the Max streaming service. This proves that getting rid of Ezra Miller as The Flash was more than necessary, and a new Flash actor needs to take the reins of the role in the new DCU.

The Flash is now streaming on Max.

The Flash

Barry Allen uses his super speed to change the past, but his attempt to save his family creates a world without super heroes, forcing him to race for his life in order to save the future.

Release Date

June 16, 2023

Director

Andy Muschietti

Cast

Ezra Miller , Sasha Calle , Ben Affleck , Michael Shannon , Michael Keaton , Temuera Morrison , Kiersey Clemons , Antje Traue

Runtime

2 hours 24 minutes

Writers

Christina Hodson , John Francis Daley , Jonathan Goldstein

Production Company

DC Comics, DC Entertainment, New Zealand Film Commission, Québec Production Services Tax Credit, The South Australian Film Corporation, Warner Bros.