Coming out this month is the superhero speedster film, “The Flash,” starring the controversial figure Ezra Miller. And Warner Bros., following sub-par box office performances from recent releases like “Black Adam” and “Shazam! Fury of The Gods,” is really banking that the much-buzzed-about superhero flick will get a great reaction from audiences. Additionally, according to a report from Variety, a direct sequel is actually in the works with a script coming from screenwriter David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (“Aquaman,” “Aquaman & The Lost Kingdom“), and he has finished it.
The outlet dishes further details such as having both Michael Keaton’s Batman and Sasha Calle’s Supergirl guest-starring parts in the unannounced sequel, allowing those actors wiggle-room to reprise their roles. But it remains to be seen if that is the studio’s actual plan and if that version will ultimately get made with Miller in the titular superhero again. Given the headline used, Variety suggests the sequel is currently “on ice.”
With that said, director Andy Muschietti spoke recently with The Playlist’s own podcast, The Discourse. During that chat, the filmmaker weighted-in and was adamant that Miller should stick around in the Flash role if there were a sequel or future follow-ups to “The Flash,” despite the actor’s horrendous behavior off-set.
“If [a sequel] happens, yes,” Muschietti said on Miller returning for a sequel. “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 with this particular vision of the character, they just excelled in doing it. It feels like a character that was made for them.”
The not-so-harmless antics of Miller led authorities to get involved after the troubled actor broke into homes, assaulted people in public spaces, and faced serious allegations of grooming/child endangerment by parents. The studio, rightfully, is expected to keep the actor on a low profile during the film’s promotional tour for good reason after they gave a public apology and promised to seek help for “mental health.” So far, Miller’s done no press for the film, and that’ll likely continue.
“Warners was looking to keep its options open with regards to the future trajectory of the speedster” is another notable tidbit from the Variety piece concerning a missing block of post-credit footage that was missing from the Cinema-Con screening and being held back for fans. It still doesn’t sound like the studio is 100% all-in on Miller returning, and that could be debatable if this sequel even materializes beyond a script, even if the movie is a hit.
This is all happening in the wake of DC Studios being formed and the next incarnation of DC cinematic universe (DCU) re-launching with new James Gunn projects such as “Superman: Legacy” and “Creature Commandos” starting things off. It’s unclear how much of the cinematic universe originally crafted by Zack Snyder will survive, if at all since there have been rumblings that cast members like “Aquaman” star Jason Momoa potentially eyeing other DC roles. It would give Warners a good excuse to recast Flash alongside their main lineup of superheroes. We already know that Superman is getting recast for “Legacy,” a new Batman is on the horizon with “The Brave & The Bold” announced with the expectation of someone other than Ben Affleck taking that Bruce Wayne role. Something like a sequel to “The Flash” could ultimately get thrown onto the pile of projects in development that aren’t expected to be made, like previous reports of “Wonder Woman 3” not moving forward.
“The Flash” will speed onto screens on June 16 and is expected to include that aforementioned secretive post-credit that may or may not give audiences a clue about Miller’s future in the DCU.