‘The Flash’ Feature At Risk As Warner Bros. Considers Options

In the wake of Batgirl‘s cancellation last week, one question seem to rise above the others on social media: what of The Flash?

The feature film, announced in 2014, had a winding road to production and missed its original 2018 release date by five years. Nevertheless, problems remain as star Ezra Miller continues to be sought by law enforcement in various states and gets tied to increasingly bizarre headlines. Their most recent problem: an alleged theft of alcohol from a private residence in Vermont. And according to The Hollywood Reporter, the actor’s behavior over the last year or so is a cause of concern for the new corporate ownership and Warner Bros. Discovery is exploring three options going forward.

The first is an attempt to convince Miller to seek treatment and, eventually, go on a apology tour which will then allow them to promote the film itself next summer. The hope: press will be able to talk about the film without making the actor’s troubles the headline. Of course, this is dependent on Miller’s willingness to seek help and, presumably, answer the various charges against them.

The second option is to release the film without Miller’s participation in the publicity phase. This, at the very least, means the focus won’t be entirely on them. But other actors in the film, like Michael Keaton and Sasha Calle, would likely still field questions about the actor’s behavior on set to glean out some parallel. The film apparently tests well with preview audiences, so there is a desire to release the film and this options seems like the best of the three.

The final path is the ultimate sanction: shelve the film alongside Batgirl and call it a day. This would constitute a $200 million loss for Warner Bros. Discovery. It’s clearly not the most desirable of choices, but it appears to be something the company is considering in the event Miller’s troubles get worse. And should it happen, it would be an ignoble, yet somehow appropriate end to a film that, at times, didn’t want to get made.

Currently, The Flash is still expected to bow on June 23rd, 2023.