Ezra Miller's Flash Has One Last Cameo In A DCU Prequel
With "The Flash" finally crashing into theaters over the summer to middling reviews, a disastrous global box-office haul, and an audience patiently awaiting an inevitable reboot from DC Films CEO James Gunn, it's safe to say that many people assumed that Ezra Miller's Barry Allen had finally crossed the finish line. Yet the infamously embattled actor's iteration of the character has surprisingly already returned to the DCEU in a (seemingly) canon comic book prequel to "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom."
Released by DC at the end of October, "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Special #1" delivers a 64-page prelude to the upcoming feature film — which will almost certainly bring the DCEU to an abrupt and final close when it debuts December 22, 2023. Miller's Allen appears alongside illustrated versions of Jason Momoa's Aquaman and Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman in a sequence that resembles the opening scenes of "The Flash." The three heroes unite to stop a superweapon, giving DCEU fans one of the few moments of genuine Justice League action they'll ever receive from the decade-long project.
Fans of the Zack Snyder era of the Warner Bros.-DC Comics venture may hope that this story proves the potential for some aspects of the previous universe (such as its cast) to remain in place. Unfortunately for those fans, recent reports indicate Gunn wants to build his "Justice League" from scratch.
James Gunn wants a new Justice League
Fans were already aware that James Gunn and Peter Safran's new DC Films slate would see the casting of a new Superman in David Corenswet, as well as the cancellation of a planned third "Wonder Woman" film. However, despite hopes from some fans that relatively new characters like Ezra Miller's Flash and Jason Momoa's Aquaman would be allowed to continue growing in the new continuity, a new report claims Zack Snyder's Justice League is being officially recast.
In a Variety article that primarily focuses on Amber Heard's allegations of on-set dysfunction and harassment while working on "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," sources for the outlet claim that Gunn will eventually be looking for a new Batman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Aquaman, and Flash to populate his rebooted cinematic universe. Mamoa is apparently on board to play the anti-hero Lobo, aligning with rumors from over the past year.
Miller being phased out isn't that surprising or extraordinary, even independent of their numerous controversies. With no "Flash" project slated for Gunn's first chapter of storytelling, it would likely be several years before the audiences see the Scarlet Speedster; a release date past 2027 would potentially extend Miller's tenure as the Flash past even Robert Downey Jr.'s as Iron Man. In other words, Warner Bros. and DC have had plenty of time to make Miller's Flash as popular as any Marvel Studios character, so it isn't hard to see why the studio may now be looking at other options.