On Monday, actor Ezra Miller pleaded “Not Guilty” to felony burglary in Vermont and on the same day news was shared that a Flash sequel script was completed. What the hells is going on?
Among the many allegations facing Miller, one is in Vermont where, according to Deadline, “Miller faces a maximum of 26 years behind bars as well as over $2,000 in fines if found guilty of the charges stemming from the spring incident which entailed stealing three bottles of liquor –gin, vodka and rum — from Winokur’s pantry. The next hearing in the case is set for January 13, 2023.”
It was already exhausting that Warner Bros. was going to move forward with The Flash and fairly recently sent the actor out on an apology tour that feels too little too late—especially as the studio never seemed to care about the accusations, just how it would impact their bottom line and the box office gross of the film, which is scheduled to release June 23, 2023.
Watching Ezra Miller’s name become synonymous with predatory behavior has been extremely distressing. It seems like some monkey’s paw was used when we asked major studios to support actors of marginalized genders, and the way the political right wing has been framing trans and non-binary identities, and people, as inherently predatory has complicated matters. Still, the reality is that Ezra Miller, with their privilege, power, and financial abilities, has become a documented terror and has been accused of behavior that can only be called predatory.
Issa Rae put this well in her interview with Elle Magazine: “While I don’t support people jumping to immediate conclusions and I think it’s entirely fair for investigations to happen, I think it’s extremely important to, like the mantra says, ‘Listen to women.’ I’m gonna be real, the stuff that’s happening with Ezra Miller is, to me, a microcosm of Hollywood. There’s this person who’s a repeat offender, who’s been behaving atrociously, and as opposed to shutting them down and shutting the production down, there’s an effort to save the movie and them.”
Rae continued, “That is a clear example of the lengths that Hollywood will go to to save itself and to protect offenders.”
And that is really the truth of it. They don’t think that Ezra Miller’s actions will lead to a low box office, and that’s what they are betting on. It is interesting to think that the appeal of a Flash movie will supersede everything around Miller, but I have often misread audiences before. I mean, people still watch Mel Gibson movies. That they already have a sequel script done not only makes me feel kind of uncomfortable but proves that, going forward, DC is looking at the dollar no matter what muck they have to take it out of.
It feels surreal that Warner Bros. has been so quick to cut off others, but when it comes to The Flash, they have put all their eggs in one basket. It does not bode well for the future of DC. Black Adam is currently out and getting mixed reviews (I liked it quite a bit, personally), and with The Flash as the next big project from the post-Warner Bros. Discovery merger era, attached to a super controversial figure, all one can really do is sit back and ask: Will any film be worth all of this?
(via Deadline, featured image: Warner Bros.)
