The Flash is on its starting blocks and ready to race. Ezra Miller has been waiting for years for his own solo movie and, after many production hiccups, COVID delays and, well, all those crimes Miller committed, the action is about to begin. Warner Bros. Discovery’s expectations are sky-high, buoyed up by positive audience testing and the hype around Michael Keaton’s long-awaited return to the Bat-suit.
Before the film has even landed, director Andy Muschietti is discussing sequel plans. With all the drama swirling around Miller, many suspected The Flash would be his DC swansong, but Muschietti is adamant that only Miller can play Barry Allen. In an interview with The Playlist, he said:
“I don’t think there’s anyone that can play that character as well as they did.”
This has raised the hackles of the many fans of Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen. The CW’s The Flash has finally wrapped up after nine seasons, though fans aren’t quite ready to see him slow down. If there’s going to be The Flash 2, why not tap Gustin’s considerable talents?
Is Gustin the “definitive” Flash?
It’s true that (as far as we know) Gustin hasn’t kidnapped anyone:
Warner Bros. Discovery’s tolerance of Miller’s antics seems to go a long way:
Muschietti’s comment seems particularly badly timed coming right after the show’s finale:
Sadly it doesn’t appear that Warner Bros. Discovery is at all interested in much cross-pollination between the DCU and The CW shows. That said, Gustin and Allen’s versions of the Flash did indeed briefly meet in the ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ crossover, so we know that there’s a loose connection between the pair.
All that said, Muschietti is clearly fully aboard the Ezra Miller train, and if The Flash winds up being as big a hit as expected it looks as though Miller will continue as the DC’s Scarlet Speedster for some time yet. If he doesn’t wind up behind bars anyway.
The Flash is speeding into theaters on June 16, 2023.
