Fans are torn on supporting “The Flash” Art by Anthony Arroyo
By Anthony Arroyo Staff Reporter
“The Flash” starring Ezra Miller is set to release on June 16, however, fans are torn on whether or not they should support the film due to the controversy that has been surrounding the actor for the last couple of years.
Miller’s issues date back to 2020 when video footage of them strangling a woman and throwing her to the ground surfaced online. In 2022, Miller was arrested multiple times for physical assault, including an incident where they threw a chair at a 26-year-old woman, leaving her with a cut on her forehead. A woman and her 12-year-old child were granted a temporary restraining order against Miller after Miller allegedly threatened and harassed the woman and her child. Miller was under investigation for housing a woman and her children under unsafe living conditions and was also charged with a felony for burglary after they allegedly broke into a private home to steal alcohol.
In August of 2022, Miller’s representative stated that Miller apologized for everything they had done in the past and had started receiving treatment for their mental health issues.
Miller’s wave of issues not only created a lot of controversy for themselves, but it also became a public relations disaster for DC and Warner Bros. Anytime more news of Miller’s misadventures came out, the fate of “The Flash” was in doubt. Fans and critics questioned whether or not the film would even be released.
The film had been in production since 2020, but like everything else in the world, had been dramatically affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The film is a crucial piece in the advancement of the DC Extended Universe, as it dives in the multiverse.
The trailer for “The Flash” was released, and once again, there was a buzz in the air. Many fans were excited to see the film they had patiently been waiting for finally coming to fruition. However, others did not forget about everything that Ezra Miller had done in the past year. “I don’t care how many Batmen you stick in one movie, I’m never going to be able to watch that thing without ‘remember when Ezra Miller choke-slammed a woman and groomed minors’ at the constant forefront of my mind,” said Twitter user @ashleylynch.
Others were simply willing to overlook Miller’s issues and enjoy the trailer for what it was. “Now I know why they didn’t cancel ‘The Flash’ movie,” said Twitter user WebHeaded_Josh. “It was because the people who worked on the film behind the scenes for too long deserved to be seen and credited for their amazing work on the film!” While many choose to completely boycott the film due to Miller’s past controversies, others decided to separate the art from the artist and acknowledged all of the hard work that went into making the film.
The debate among “The Flash” also raises questions about cancel culture and if it exists among celebrities. Some feel that Miller only escaped “being canceled” due to their status in Hollywood and being protected by the studios for profit. “I think the fact that Ezra Miller is still in “The Flash” movie proves that under Capitalism, cancel culture only really exists when it doesn’t hurt a company’s profits too much,” said commentator YouTuber Ryan Beard. “Warner Brothers decided that making money was their top priority even if the movie stars an abuser.”
It cannot be denied that “The Flash” is a polarizing film, despite not being released yet. When it does release, fans will have to decide if they will support the film or not.
