The DCU has lost another one of its foundational actors in the form of Ezra Miller’s reported exit from the franchise. They played the role of Barry Allen a.k.a the Flash and recently appeared in the long-delayed solo film The Flash. The film was a box office bomb.
Due to the terrible performance of the film and Miller’s antics off-screen, the actor has reportedly called it quits with the franchise. However, this allows a window of opportunity for the fan-favorite Wally West to make an appearance as Kid Flash in the franchise.
Why Did Ezra Miller Exit The DCU?
With the creative overhaul of the Snyderverse, the DCU is all set to be revamped by DC Studios chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran. According to Variety, actors of the previous iterations such as Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Jason Momoa, and Miler would not be returning for the reboot.
Ezra Miller was already under intense scrutiny due to their controversial antics off-screen. The actor was arrested multiple times in Hawaii after being accused of disorderly conduct and harassment. They also reportedly choked a person in ‘self-defense’. The antics of Miller were highly publicized, putting The Flash in danger.
The actor reportedly mentioned that their actions were the result of complex mental health issues and that they would seek help to recover. The actor’s antics had resulted in negative PR for The Flash and is deemed to be one of the causes for its failure.
After numerous delays, the film was finally released to mixed reviews. Despite the presence of Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton’s Batman, the film earned $270 million against the $220 million budget, making it a box-office bomb and eliminating all possibilities of a sequel.
Why Is Ezra Miller’s Exit From The DCU A Good Thing?
While there has been no official statement, many reports have indicated that Ezra Miller is done with the role of Barry Allen. The actor had appeared as the speedster six times, in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, Justice League, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and the CW crossover event Crisis on Infinite Earths.
With the actor’s exit, however, there is a lot of room for one of the fan-favorite heroes, Wally West a.k.a Kid Flash to make an entry into the cinematic universe. There have been no announcements regarding when The Flash will appear next, with James Gunn’s lineup of DCU films indicating no appearance from the character. Hence, any version of the Flash could be inculcated into the DCU.
The perfect addition to this would be Wally West, and there is already an actor who has experience pulling it off. Keiynan Lonsdale portrayed the character in CW’s The Flash, appearing as Iris West’s long-lost brother who also becomes a speedster and joins Barry Allen. After his departure from the series, Lonsdale reprised his role in Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl.
With Ezra Miller’s exit and Gunn’s overhaul, new opportunities for previously ignored characters to take center stage just like the way the MCU did with films like Guardians of the Galaxy.
