The review embargo hasn’t even lifted for The Flash, but positive reactions to DC’s summer blockbuster are already earning backlash online. After CinemaCon attendees saw an early screening of the film on Tuesday, many began tweeting out enthusiastic reviews on social media—leaving some fans peeved at their failure to mention lead actor Ezra Miller’s violent outbursts over the past few years.
In 2020, Miller allegedly choked a woman in an Icelandic bar. Then, in 2022, the actor had a handful of incidents in Hawaii, where they were arrested for disorderly conduct and second-degree assault. Miller was also accused of menacing a 12-year-old and their mother, allegedly “acting inappropriately” to the child.
As Warner Bros. and DC struggled to strategize how to release their completed movie, Miller came out with a statement apologizing for their actions: “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,” Miller said in their statement to The Daily Beast. “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.”
ADVERTISEMENT
That was in August of 2022. Now, as the movie is gearing up for release, Miller is back in the spotlight—and so are their many, many controversies. Nevertheless, the studio and DC execs have had nothing but marvelous words to say about The Flash; James Gunn, the new co-CEO of DC Studios, deemed it “fucking amazing.”
Folks like Gunn, of course, are showering praise upon The Flash because they’re trying to sell a movie. But now, a handful of critics at CinemaCon have shared similar opinions.
“I know Ezra Miller has made a lot of mistakes but they are soooooo good in this movie,” Collider editor-in-chief Steven Weintraub shared on Twitter. “Loved [Michael] Keaton, the action, humor and emotion. Andy Muschietti has crafted something special. Thumbs way up.”
We Live Entertainment’s Scott Menzel shared, “Ezra Miller is the heart and soul of the film. Ezra’s performance carries the entire weight of the story. It is a dual performance and really showcases Ezra’s incredible talent as a performer.”
Some social media users, however, are fed up with the unabashed praise for The Flash, especially all the excuses made on Miller’s part.
“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,” writer Kayleigh Donaldson shared.
More folks fought back against the raves for Miller specifically, as seen in the tweets below.
Though this isn’t really a situation that can be boiled down to “discourse,” considering the arrests and allegations made against Miller, we can surely expect to hear much more discussion about The Flash as more reviews pour in later this year.
The Flash hits theaters on June 16.
