From Gaius Bolling

The Flash is set to finally open wide this weekend but the film finds itself in a very awkward position. In any other climate, a major tentpole release like this would be a beacon of excitement but The Flash isn't like any other major tentpole being released this summer. In fact, it is being led by an embattled star that has really divided the court of opinion regarding supporting the film at all. To that I have to say, the person in question isn't the only party that worked tirelessly on this project to bring it to life and I believe those parties still deserve the support of the moviegoing public.

The person in question is, of course, Ezra Miller. They entered this industry as an actor to watch in such films as We Need To Talk About Kevin and The Perks of Being a Wallflower before being given mainstream movie opportunities in the Fantastic Beasts franchise and Justice League, where they landed the role of Barry Allen/The Flash. The latter had the opportunity to be a truly big moment for the actor. Even though the theatrical release of Justice League had its share of behind-the-scenes turmoil and ultimately poor reviews from most critics and fans once it the big screen, Miller wasn't the source of the negativity. In fact, you can find many reviews that pointed to them as a bright spot in an otherwise muddled mess of a movie. The project also gave Miller the opportunity to lead a standalone Flash film, a project that has been in development since 2014 and has also seen its share issues along the way. One issue that Warner Bros., now Warner Bros. Discovery, didn't foresee was that its star would become the studio's biggest problem months before the release of the film.

Miller's life has been marred with multiple controversies and legal issues since The Flash wrapped filming. We got our first signs of problems in 2020 when a video surfaced that appeared to show Miller strangling a woman and throwing her to the ground. The incident occurred at a bar in Iceland that they frequent whenever they're in the area and even though it raised some eyebrows, the incident didn't gain significant enough traction to lead to any professional repercussions. This would begin to change in 2022, as they have been accused of committing disorderly conduct, harassment, assault, and burglary, which has led to multiple widely publicized arrests and citations. If that wasn't bad enough, the actor was also accused of grooming 18-year-old activist Tokata Iron Eyes by her parents. It's a nightmare for any major studio sent to release a $200 million+ film in the coming months but it's in how they remained mute for so long that didn't do them any favors either.

As Miller became the subject of bad press, Warner Bros. Discovery didn't make any substantial statements about the issues at hand. They could've easily released a statement saying they were aware of the issues and they were taking steps to look into them and maybe offering an olive branch for Miller to get help but they didn't do any of that. Their main focus was how can we release our big-budget movie when our lead star has been accused of varying degrees of vile behavior. Fans were calling for the film to be scrapped entirely or re-filmed with a new actor taking on the title role. The studio was aware of these requests and growing anger regarding how the Ezra Miller situation was being handled but they still did nothing. There also seemed to be moves being made to really protect Miller which didn't sit well with those who have watched other embattled stars be thrown to the fire for arguably doing less.

Since all of this madness broke, Miller appeared to take positive steps towards change in August of 2022 when a representative for Miller released a statement apologizing for their past behavior and declaring that they had recently "gone through a time of intense crisis" and had begun treatment for "complex mental health issues." After this statement, any Ezra Miller news went radio silent. He has been absent from publicity for The Flash but those all involved with the project have praised their performance and believe that their personal issues won't affect how moviegoers respond to the film. Judging from some of the early critical reviews, that simply isn't true because some point to the Ezra Miller factor being a distraction that prevented them from enjoying the movie. This all seemed to culminate even more on social media last night when Ezra Miller made his first public appearance in months to walk The Flash red carpet for the premiere. There were no interviews and Miller didn't appear to be asking in the glow of being put in this situation. Despite everything I've heard about them, I actually felt bad watching the footage of them walking the carpet because I gather it wasn't easy to do. I'm not saying they deserve our sympathy, I'm just saying if Miller is getting the help they need, shouldn't we be applauding that victory?

That brings me to the film itself. Seeing Miller walk the red carpet reignited the stance that moviegoers shouldn't support the movie because that in turn shows support for someone alleged to be an abusive serial harasser and groomer. While I understand the stance, I also know that The Flash wasn't made by one person. I'm not talking about seeing the long-awaited return of Michael Keaton as Batman but talking about all of the names you see during the closing credits of a film. Countless people worked on this project and it was made with hard work and love. Should their hard work now be shunned because of the acts of one? Some say this puts money in Miller's pocket and I honestly can't speak on that. I'm not sure if they have a backend deal for box office profits but I also don't see some substantial windfall for them here either. Miller also doesn't have any projects lined up after this so, even if The Flash is a huge hit, I don't see them being hired for any projects in the near future. At least until it becomes clear that their mental health is indeed intact. Wishing for the film's failure not only hurts Miller potentially but it also hurts so many other people that are involved with this film that did absolutely nothing wrong. Those people should be able to celebrate their movie without any guilt or judgment and I think those who choose to support the film and see it, shouldn't be looked at with a side-eye as if they support Miller's actions.

Anyone that chooses to boycott The Flash because of Miller, more power to them. They certainly have that right and I respect their feelings for doing so. On the other side of that, if you're seated for The Flash and get enjoyment from it despite what the actor has been accused of, that's ok too. You can still enjoy the movie and still feel all of Miller's alleged behavior is indefensible. I just wholeheartedly believe it takes a team to make these projects come to life and that team, outside of Miller, deserves to have their film seen and judged on its own merits.

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