In the D.C. movies, Ezra Miller plays the Flash, a superhero defined by his ability move very, very fast.
And Ezra Miller, the actor, has some serious problems. This video from about half a year ago by Midnight’s Edge sums up many of the accusations and rumors arrayed against him before he allegedly ‘got help:’
According to credible rumors, these problems almost cost him the part. Warner Brothers literally might have cut him out of the entire movie or scrapped the movie in its entirety because of his alleged behavior. Not too long ago, the new head of Warner Brothers had cancelled a Batgirl movie, which was nearly finished:
New #DC boss says canceling Batgirl was the right move: 'That film was not releasable' https://t.co/vr4J1GcIRW via @Yahoo #DCU #DCEU #DCcomics
— SnowX2K5 (@Snowx2k5) February 1, 2023
This created a lot of outrage because many people wondered why this Latina-starring superhero movie couldn’t be finished, but they would go ahead with a number of other projects, most obviously including The Flash.
One reason might be that the movie is too pivotal to the long-term plans for D.C.’s movies. They are getting ready to do a reboot, and The Flash was going to be used as the vehicle to reboot their ‘universe.’ You see, this movie is actually going to be based on the classic Flashpoint storyline where our hero, Barry Allen, uses his super speed to go back in time. By messing with time, he changes the world, and not for the better. According to credible rumors, when all this wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff is finished almost everything that happened in the D.C. movies since Man of Steel will be erased. Not long after that a different Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, etc. will emerge, all because of the events in this movie. Thus, getting rid of this movie could screw up those plans. Further, reshooting the movie to take out its main star is allegedly impractical because he’s in practically every scene. They might feel like they are stuck.
Thus, for whatever reason, they have decided go ahead with releasing the movie and to keep Miller in it. Here’s the latest trailer for it and, honestly, if you ignore that this is Ezra Miller, it looks promising:
Watch worlds collide in trailer 2 for The Flash – Only in Theaters June 16. #TheFlashMovie pic.twitter.com/o3G38KXEcW
— The Flash (@theFlash) April 25, 2023
Then again, many movies look good before you actually watch them. We were pretty hopeful about Wonder Woman 1984, and were pretty disappointed by the end of it.
Still, The Flash is about a month and a half from being released. Warner Brothers wants this to be a success and one way they are trying to build up hype for it is with an early screening. This week there was this thing called CinemaCon and at it, a few people were allowed to watch an unfinished version of the movie. They were also allowed to release their spoiler-free reactions to it and if you believe them, this movie sounds great.
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But that’s the rub: Do you believe them?
Take for instance, take this reaction:
DC’s #TheFlash is TREMENDOUS! Forget DC, it is without a doubt among the best superhero films ever made. An all-timer. Inventive storytelling, FANTASTIC action sequences, great cast. SO MANY nerdy details. I’m in tears at the end. Everything you want from a superhero film & more pic.twitter.com/xYSn0zuXMm
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) April 26, 2023
That sounds pretty good, right? Except someone pointed out that this guy has a track record of dubious reactions:
Dude, you praise every movie. Why should anyone trust your opinion? You work for a movie ticket company so you want to sell tickets. Isn't that a conflict of interest? pic.twitter.com/wr34435BAW
— Dan Town (@DanTown22) April 26, 2023
Actually, the term we would use is ‘confluence of interests.’ But everything Town is saying is correct. First, Mr. Davis does indeed work for Fandango, which sells movie tickets.
And yes, he really said that he loved Wonder Woman 1984:
I’m so happy to report that #WW84 is an absolute blast from start to finish. An exceptional compliment to the first film, it’s stuffed w/ heart, hope, love, action, romance & humor. @PattyJenks, @GalGadot & team delivered one of DC's best sequels. I was in tears when it ended. pic.twitter.com/ivPkBFmehd
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) December 5, 2020
I can’t say much about plot because spoilers, but it’s super clever. The opening sequence alone is stunning & every action scene is different & unique. I also think this is among Hans Zimmer’s best scores… and, for those wondering, that Gadot/Pine chemistry is, once again, 🔥 pic.twitter.com/VfgtXTDHJF
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) December 5, 2020
Add to that a terrific ensemble cast; Pedro Pascal & Kristen Wiig were complex & unexpected foes. I was also lucky enough to watch #WW84 safely on the big screen, and it was just everything. I didn't expect the experience to make me so emotional, but it did. I miss it so much. pic.twitter.com/mVq5zRadhX
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) December 5, 2020
Now, if you happened to like the Wonder Woman 1984, good for you. We want you, dear reader, to have joy in your life. But we considered it to be pretty disappointing, Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 58% rating and Metacritic gave it at 60 rating (out of 100) and we don’t know anyone who thought it was great. So, we think that the earlier movie is a good measuring stick: The fact Mr. Davis had such effusive praise for a movie that was actually a dud in our eyes tells us a great deal about whether we can believe him on The Flash.
As for Dan Town, who had Mr. Davis pretty thoroughly nailed, apparently Mr. Davis didn’t appreciate the feedback:
Anddd he blocked me for calling him out. What an embarrassment. I hope people stop giving him attention.
— Dan Town (@DanTown22) April 26, 2023
You owned him bro. Lol. He needs to ask your permission to tweet now.
— Shehzad aka Rare Soccer Cards (@shehzadhassam) April 26, 2023
Indeed. This ‘Wonder Woman’ test works with many of the people who tweeted out their first impressions. For instance, Jenna Busch writes for a couple movie news sites, and she loved The Flash:
#TheFlash is pretty great, and it makes sense to me now why DC didn't shelve this one. Michael Keaton is … chef's kiss. I didn't realize how much I needed Keaton's Batman in my life again. Some really emotional moments here. Sasha Calle is awesome – I want to see more of her! pic.twitter.com/ZcDE6GbYty
— Jenna Busch (@JennaBusch) April 26, 2023
And she really loved Wonder Woman 1984:
Watched Wonder Woman 1984 last night at a virtual press event! It was wonderful! Kristen Wiig is phenomenal as Barbara, the opening 10 minutes will bring tears to your eyes …I absolutely loved it! @pattyjenks and @galgadot knock it out of the park! #WW84 @wonderwomanfilm pic.twitter.com/HVNGmkuorT
— Jenna Busch (@JennaBusch) December 5, 2020
Next, we have Eric Eisenberg. Mr. Eisenberg is an assistant managing editor for CinemaBlend and, yes, he liked The Flash:
I didn't know what to make of the hype before The Flash, but WOW. The movie is an absolute blast from end to end. It's hilarious, thrilling, emotional, and surprising. What an incredible way to launch the next chapter of DC movies. Get excited! pic.twitter.com/4kvf1hWeih
— Eric Eisenberg (@eeisenberg) April 26, 2023
And he also liked Wonder Woman 1984:
Huge news: Wonder Woman 1984 is fantastic! The story is excellent & has a great, timely message; it packs in a ton of surprises; and amazing work is done with both Cheetah & Max Lord (Wiig & Pascal are both stellar). Get hyped, because it's the real deal. #WonderWoman1984 #WW1984 pic.twitter.com/9UQLyxn3gx
— Eric Eisenberg (@eeisenberg) December 5, 2020
He even wrote a full review:
You've read my thoughts on Wonder Woman 1984 summarized in 48 words, but now my full @CinemaBlend review is live! (and totally spoiler free).
I'm so excited for everyone to see this kick-ass movie. #WonderWoman1984 #WW84 https://t.co/RLKqlkpBNe
— Eric Eisenberg (@eeisenberg) December 15, 2020
The review has the headline ‘Wonder Woman 1984 Review: An Excellent Pair Of Villains Makes The DCEU Sequel Soar Higher Than Its Predecessor’ (which has not aged well) and includes such howlers as:
The best examples of [comic book movie sequels that surpass the original] over the last 20 years are Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, and Joe and Anthony Russo’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and now Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman 1984 has arrived to join their ranks.
Oy vey.
At least two others who fail the Wonder Woman test:
Yup. #TheFlash is as good as rumored. It’s Back to the Future meets Spider-Man: No Way Home with all the humor & heart of the former and action and surprises of the latter. If anything, it might be a tad too ambitious but it’s also just incredibly satisfying, heartwarming & fun. pic.twitter.com/Yysb9mjiAm
— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) April 26, 2023
Yesterday I saw Wonder Woman 1984 at home & it was everything I needed & more. The movie is hugely ambitious, incredibly exciting, and full of much needed hope. It's also very long, to a fault at times, but mostly it reminded me how wonderful a big blockbuster can make you feel. pic.twitter.com/6rYbHEzI7E
— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) December 5, 2020
Damn, #TheFlash is good! It’s super inventive both visually and in concept. The dynamic of two Barry Allen’s is crazy well done.
Emotions hit me intensely hard, solid surprises, and it got me wanting to watch again and really eager to see how they follow it. Well done. pic.twitter.com/7QqiHVNAJy
— BD (@BrandonDavisBD) April 26, 2023
even though i do have criticisms at times of it, the beginning and end are really strong. some stuff along the way didn’t work super well but overall, it gave me a lot to enjoy.
— BD (@BrandonDavisBD) April 26, 2023
Not only did he fail the Wonder Woman test:
I've seen #WonderWoman1984!@PattyJenks literally made an 80s movie in every way, making it so unique for today. It feels both bigger than the first WW while simultaneously more contained.
Lots of Diana Prince and some epic Wonder Woman moments as @GalGadot literally soars! pic.twitter.com/QluelKwYly
— BD (@BrandonDavisBD) December 5, 2020
But then later he admitted he wasn’t such a fan of the movie:
My personal DCEU ranking
1. Man of Steel
2. Shazam!
3. BvS: Ultimate Edition
4. Wonder Woman
5. Aquaman
6. Birds of Prey
7. Wonder Woman 1984
large gap
8. Suicide Squad(Theatrical Justice League doesn’t count anymore. If they release the Ayer Cut then SS won’t either)
— BD (@BrandonDavisBD) December 28, 2020
(Please note the dates of each Tweet. Wonder Woman 1984 opened on Christmas Day, 2020.)
What is going on, here? You have to remember this is access media. Some believe that this means there is a quid pro quo: They get access to goodies such as early access to movies so they can get reviews out earlier, access to stars and crew for interviews, and so on, and in exchange they do everything they can to build the hype. For instance, here is Mr. Davis telling us in this tweet how he got access to an opportunity to interview Patty Jenkins and Gal Godot:
Also had a chance to Zoom it up with Patty and Gal yesterday, but more on that later…#WW84 pic.twitter.com/JLIyQ5rxt5
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) December 5, 2020
Did he promise to say nice things about Wonder Woman 1984 in order to get the interview? Or did he just know if he said bad things about it, he wouldn’t get access like this in the future? That’s certainly similar to what Ms. Donaldson thinks about at least one person who shared a positive reaction to The Flash:
A colleague once asked me if Warner Bros. was going to struggle with its Ezra Miller redemption tour for The Flash and I said no because there are too many people in our field who will willingly aid the propaganda for a poster quote and goodie bag. https://t.co/0BsuX0aKbi
— Kayleigh Donaldson (@Ceilidhann) April 26, 2023
But it may be less nefarious than that. It may be simply that when Warner was handing out tickets to The Flash, they knew these people just tended to like the movies more than most people. So maybe these Tweeters honestly loved both The Flash and Wonder Woman 1984, but Warner intentionally selected them because they correctly calculated that they would love these movies.
Either way, if the person said Wonder Woman 1984 is great, and you didn’t think it was great, can you trust them on The Flash? Whether the explanation is corruption or just different tastes, the result is the same.
Of course, the irony is that Ms. Donaldson was singling out Steven Weintraub (editor-in-chief for Collider) for liking The Flash when he was the only person we have been able to locate who passed the Wonder Woman test. Here he is praising the Flash:
#TheFlash is fantastic. I know Ezra Miller has made a lot of mistakes but they are soooooo good in this movie. Loved Keaton, the action, humor and emotion. Andy Muschietti has crafted something special. Thumbs way up.
WB didn’t show the after the credits scenes. pic.twitter.com/J8KsdrKVwz
— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) April 26, 2023
Yes, it is irritating that Mr. Weintraub referred to Mr. Miller as ‘they,’ because that is Mr. Miller’s ‘preferred pronoun.’ But putting that aside, here’s what he said about Wonder Woman 1984:
While I enjoyed parts of #WonderWoman (could have watched an entire movie of Chris Pine trying on clothing) the script had *so many* issues that I was really disappointed with the sequel. For context I loved the first movie except the CGI 3rd act. Hope next one has better script. pic.twitter.com/m8Zsbg0Kxo
— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) December 27, 2020
Also I never understand people attacking other people for loving a movie except Rise of Skywalker. We should all agree that movie is the worst.
But seriously…I'm happy for you if you loved #WonderWoman . Wish I did. Gal is amazing in the role and want franchise to succeed.
— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) December 27, 2020
Finally, it is worth noting that several people who liked The Flash just didn’t express any opinion on Wonder Woman 1984:
Just watched #TheFlash at CinemaCon. It has some stuff in it you will not believe and it showcases much more of Barry Allen’s powers. It is indeed one of DC’s best and fits nicely as a bridge story between the old and new DCEU franchises. It’s also the funniest DC movie. pic.twitter.com/uDepMKVVG1
— Rob Keyes (@rob_keyes) April 26, 2023
The audience at CinemaCon loved #TheFlash. It has some mega CG heavy scenes and I’m curious what everyone will think of the ending.
— Rob Keyes (@rob_keyes) April 26, 2023
The way some things play out in #TheFlash are NOT what you’re expecting. You may think you know, but you don’t.
— Rob Keyes (@rob_keyes) April 26, 2023
BELIEVE THE HYPE! Christopher Nolan movies aside, #TheFlashMovie is the GREATEST DC movie of the last 30 years that belongs in the same conversation as SUPERMAN 78 and BATMAN 89. The movie breaks incredible new ground in superhero cinema & honors DC lore of years past. #TheFlash pic.twitter.com/zGkhpfjlsl
— Umberto Gonzalez (@elmayimbe) April 26, 2023
That is weirdly specific.
Wait, even better than Joker? The Oscar-winning film? Color us skeptical.
In any case, it is fair to note that we haven’t located anyone who actually hated The Flash, either. So, the early reactions are extremely positive, but it’s not clear that one can trust those reactions. It may be just empty hype.
There’s also still the elephant in the room. If the movie is good, given all that Miller has done or been accused of, can we put that aside and enjoy his movie? Is it fair to all the people who worked hard on this movie to basically throw it in the garbage because of one man?
So we’re just gonna ignore the fact that Ezra Miller is an abuser because some of you want to see a 70 year old man in a Batman suit? pic.twitter.com/NGG5zQsJAx
— a (@eligiblewanda) April 26, 2023
On the other hand, can you even stand to watch the movie knowing what you know about Miller? Can you separate the art from the artist?
Ezra Miller proves that the only thing a male predator/abuser has to do to escape being “canceled” in Hollywood is to identify as non-binary.
— Olivia Rondeau 🇺🇸 (@rondeaulivia) April 25, 2023
And naturally how much should we consider allegations that are not yet proven? Like there is no doubt he did this:
cannot stop thinking about ezra miller choke slamming a fan pic.twitter.com/7GS1TdQOq8
— vic (@radioheadbby) July 29, 2020
But did he do the other things he is accused of? How do you evaluate the other accusations and the evidence supporting them?
We don’t pretend there is an easy answer to all of these questions, but we suppose we will hear the people’s answer in about a month and a half. Hopefully, it will be a wise answer.
***
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