Warner Bros. Pictures and DC are in quite a predicament. Looking through the list of upcoming DC movies, one of the most anticipated is “The Flash.” This not only shows that Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen is taking center stage after appearing in the films Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, both versions of Justice League and Peacemaker, but it is expected that the events of the film will have huge consequences for the entire District of Columbia. An expanded universe due to the exploration of the multiverse. However, given what has been happening with Miller in their personal lives lately, Flash fans now have a particular concern related to the fact that the film’s release plan is being completely revised.
Ezra Miller has been beset by controversy over the past few months, including being arrested multiple times in Hawaii and receiving two protective warrants against him. Just yesterday, it was also reported that the actor sheltered a woman and her three children on his farm in Vermont, where, as reported, a lot of unattended weapons and “frequent and intensive use of marijuana” are lying around in front of children. Despite the fact that The Flash is still a year away, none of this is a good reputation for the film. To this end, some fans, such as Twitter user Nelson Carvajal, suggest that “The Flash” will switch from a theatrical release to a release directly on HBO Max.
What are the chances that this could actually happen? Well, so far, only two of DC’s upcoming live-action movies have been announced for HBO Max subscribers: Blue Beetle and Batgirl. Later, “Blue Beetle” was moved to a theatrical release, and although “Batgirl” is still designed specifically for the streaming platform, there are rumors that it may come to the big screen. Once it was also planned to make a movie “Miracle Twins” for HBO Max, but this project was curtailed after three months of development. In addition, after the acquisition of WarnerMedia by Discovery, it became known that under the new corporate leadership, theatrical films have priority over streaming releases.
So, right away, this information is enough to point out the improbability that “Flash” will become an HBO Max exclusive. In addition, as mentioned earlier, it is expected that “Flash” will be a huge event for the DCEU, if not the most important release of the franchise. The Scarlet Speedster solo film was reportedly “extremely well received” at the first test screenings, and since the premise involves Barry Allen traveling to other corners of the DC multiverse, where he will meet the likes of Michael Keaton’s Batman and Sasha Calle’s Supergirl, this story could pave the way for spin-offs and other cross-events. In addition, Deadline reports that the budget of the “Flash” is $ 200 million, which means that if the film is not released, it will be a huge loss for the studio.
I won’t go so far as to say that there is a 100% guarantee that the Flash won’t be sent directly to HBO Max, but there are certainly many indications that this is not an option. However, this still leaves the question of how Warner Bros. will be able to effectively promote the “Flash” released in cinemas with Ezra Miller in the title role. It was suggested that the creators of the film “Flash” reshoot the film with a new actor so that Miller could be completely bypassed. This will undoubtedly be an expensive undertaking, but it may pay off in the long run. There is no indication at this point that the WB is considering the idea, but it has been reported that it is unlikely that Miller will reprise the role of Barry Allen in DCEU after this film.
Obviously, there are a lot of questions to answer about how The Flash will be released, as well as about the many mysteries surrounding the film itself, and CinemaBlend will share these answers as soon as they are revealed. At the moment, The Flash is still scheduled for release on June 23, 2023.
