The Flash director Andy Muschietti has said Ezra Miller would not be recast in a potential sequel to the DC movie. This is despite the actor's legal troubles and abuse accusations.
Speaking on The Discourse podcast, Muschietti was asked if Miller would return. "If [a sequel] happens, yes," he said. "I don't think there's anyone that can play that character as well as they did. The other depictions of the character are great, but this particular vision of the character, they just excelled in doing it. And, as you said, the two Barrys – it feels like a character that was made for them."
The Flash producer Barbara Muschietti added (H/T Variety): "In principal photography, Ezra was brilliant and the most committed and the most professional [actor]. Ezra gave everything for this role – physically, creatively, emotionally. They were absolutely supreme."
Miller has faced several allegations over the past few years. In 2020, a video of them allegedly choking a woman outside a bar in Iceland was released but no charges were filed. The actor was arrested twice in Hawaii in 2022 for disorderly conduct and harassment. They pled no contest to a single count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct, paying a $500 fine while the harassment charge was dropped. In January 2023, Miller pled guilty to trespass in Vermont.
In August 2022, Miller issued an apology statement confirming they were seeking treatment. "Having recently gone through a time of intense crisis, I now understand that I am suffering complex mental health issues and have begun ongoing treatment," they wrote. "I want to apologize to everyone that I have alarmed and upset with my past behavior. I am committed to doing the necessary work to get back to a healthy, safe, and productive stage in my life."
Muschietti's comments are slightly stronger than those of the new DC Studios CEOs Peter Safran and James Gunn. When they unveiled their DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters line-up, they shared that they had not made a decision yet.
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