Fans Have Some Brutal Advice For Warner Bros. On How To Handle The Flash Controversy
"The Flash" appears to be speeding into theaters next year — but not without controversy. Lead star Ezra Miller has been embroiled in a series of controversies that have plunged the Warner Bros. film's future into uncertainty. Miller, who has been appearing as the Barry Allen iteration of the Flash since 2016's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," was recently charged with a felony burglary in Vermont (via Variety). This is the latest brush with law enforcement the 29-year-old actor has had in the last couple of years. In April 2020, Variety shared footage of what appeared to be Miller choking a woman in Iceland, and earlier this year, the Hawaii Police Department arrested the actor for disorderly conduct and harassment.
After several more allegations and encounters with law enforcement, Miller released a statement detailing their actions and promising to get help. This statement came shortly after it was revealed that Warner Bros. had prepared three different contingencies for handling "The Flash," a film reportedly with a budget of $200 million. The first would see Miller denounce his actions and get professional help, the second would be for the studio to promote the film without the actor's involvement, and the third would be to scrap the film entirely.
With these three contingencies in mind, fans have some brutal advice for how Warner Bros. should handle the most controversial film in the DC Extended Universe.
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A survey says 2 in 5 adults are in favor of Warner Bros. scrapping The Flash
A survey conducted by Morning Consult reveals that 2 in 5 American adults (42% of participants) believe that a film should be canceled if it's in a similar situation as "The Flash." The company asked participants to decide if a studio should release such a film by highlighting the various allegations against lead star Ezra Miller, without naming the actor. Choices were based upon the reported Warner Bros. contingencies.
Listed accusations included "Owning an unlicensed cannabis farm," "Disorderly conduct," "Threatening others," "Felony burglary," "Leaving unattended firearms around children," "Physical assault," and "Grooming children." The survey concluded by asking participants to make a final decision based on "All of the above": 42% of participants maintain that the film should be canceled, 33% say that the project should be reshot with a different lead star, 10% believe that the film should be postponed, and 14% say the film should be released as is, with no changes made.
Based on the results of Morning Consult's survey, Warner Bros. has some serious consideration to do. Many have been vocal about Miller's actions and how they have already sullied "The Flash," a film that is supposedly set to pave the path for the future of the DC Extended Universe, lamenting how Warner Bros. canceled "Batgirl" instead.
Morning Consult's survey continued with 43% of participants strongly supporting the studio issuing a statement condemning the lead actor's actions and 48% strongly supporting the lead actor being removed from the film's marketing. As many as 47% of participants strongly support the studio cutting ties with the actor for future projects.