Ezra Miller, an American actor who uses they/them pronouns, made their debut as the DC superhero, The Flash, in 2016 (in brief cameos in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad). Since then, they have had a main role as Flash in Justice League and will be starring in their standalone film, The Flash, in 2023. The film, in post-production, by Warner Bros., will follow Barry Allen (a.k.a. The Flash) when he travels back in time to prevent his mother’s death and deals with the consequences of altering time.
However, Miller’s role as Flash has been a bit shaky from the start. In 2019, it was reported that Miller disagreed with Warner Bros.’ light-hearted tone of The Flash and penned their own script for it. When Warner Bros. rejected Miller’s script, there was some uncertainty as to whether Miller would stay on The Flash. However, Warner Bros. and Miller ultimately seemed to work it out, as Miller will be starring in the film next year.
After reports of Miller’s arrest at a Hawaiian bar, however, the subject of recasting is again on the table and is much more serious this time.
Why was Miller arrested?
Hawaii News Now reported on March 28th that Miller had been arrested following an incident at a Hawaiian karaoke bar. Miller was arrested and charged with harassment and disorderly conduct after they became agitated at the bar. Reportedly, Miller yelled obscenities, snatched a microphone from a woman who was in mid-song, and lunged at a man playing darts. After Miller was told to calm down multiple times, to no avail, they were arrested.
Miller was released after posting the $500 bail, however, more information followed that added to the seriousness of the incident. Quickly after Miller’s release, the Hawaiian couple whom Miller was staying with filed for a temporary restraining order against them. The couple alleged that Miller had harassed them by bursting into their home, stealing some of their belongings, and threatening them. A judge granted the couple’s petition and ordered Miller to stay away from the couple.
Warner Bros.’ response to Miller’s arrest
Following Miller’s arrest, Rolling Stone reported that Warner Bros. held an emergency meeting to discuss Miller’s future. An insider claimed the result of the meeting was to push pause on Miller’s future projects with the studio. Furthermore, the insider alleged that Miller had frequent meltdowns on the set of The Flash, as well. However, Warner Bros. has not confirmed if any such meeting was held or if the allegations are accurate.
Unfortunately, this recent arrest is not the first incident with Miller. In 2020, a video surfaced that appeared to show Miller strangling a woman in a bar. While workers at the bar identified the person in the video as Miller, no arrests were made. While it’s uncertain what Warner Bros.’ plans are, fans are much more vocal about what they want. Fans have begun to call for Miller to be replaced by Grant Gustin, who also portrays the speedster in CW’s The Flash. Of course, part of some of these fans’ reasoning is a personal preference for Gustin as Flash. Those who prefer Gustin see these recent incidents with Miller as an opportunity for Gustin to take over.
Despite calls for recasting, and an alleged emergency meeting, it has not been confirmed that Miller will be recast. But in light of recent events, it wouldn’t be surprising if a potential recasting is being evaluated. While some are sympathetic to Miller and fear they may be struggling with mental illness, harassment and criminal activity still cannot be tolerated. The reasons for Miller’s actions are unknown, as is their future as The Flash. Hopefully, Miller can receive the help they need going forward.
(featured image: Warner Bros.)
