How Amber Heard and Ezra Miller could undo all WB and DC's hard work in one swoop
DC Universe is in dire straits with two of its major stars Ezra Miller and Amber Heard compounded by legal woes. Not just does it threaten their future in the DCEU, but it also risks crumbling down all the hard work the franchise has put in over the last couple of years. Earlier this week, rumor mills churned out reports that Heard was reportedly out of 'Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom' following the public defamation trial where her ex-husband, Johnny Depp sued for a column in a reputed daily in 2018 that said he was physically abusive. Quite recently, the verdict ordered her to pay Depp $10 million and $350,000 in compensatory punitive damages.
And now, Miller, who's been in the headlines for his erratic behavior over the years, just found himself in more soup. His alleged inappropriate behavior against a mother and her 12-year-old nonbinary child saw them granted a temporary harassment prevention order. This was the latest update and a different scenario after last week, when the parents of Tokata Iron Eyes, 18, managed to obtain a protective order that said 'The Flash' star cannot contact their child. Even as both these established actors deal with the scenario, it's a no-brainer that DC has taken some hits.
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The damages are and will be rather decisive should DC not perhaps make some calls of their own. For starters, the 'Aquaman' sequel was reportedly made with a $200 million budget, and should Heard be continued with the role (she was paid $1 million for the first film and was set to make $2 million for the sequel per IndieWire), expect some major blowback from fans. She essayed the role in 'Aquaman alongside Jason Momoa and then reprised the role in 'Justice League' (including the Zack Snyder cut).
While Mera was more of a supporting character, Miller was all set to helm his maiden standalone film 'The Flash' which also had confirmed appearances from Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck. The flick is slated for a 2023 release had a similar budget to that of 'The Lost Kingdom' and has a star who just can't seem to stay out of trouble. The movie has hit quite the snags, and some of it isn't entirely on the 29-year-old. On June 2, a Variety report broke the news that veteran film executives Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy were replacing Toby Emmerich as WB chairs.
"Though the quality of the comic book film franchise has improved under DC chief Walter Hamada’s tenure, any leadership changes at a studio puts the previous regime’s movie slate in limbo. And with Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslow keeping a tight grip on cost controls at the company, the marketing spend for a title as big as “The Flash” remains a question," the report added. Ideally, the backlash the star has been receiving will surely play a role if the project goes pfft. This would mean 'The Flash' will sort of dodge a bullet with an HBO Max release, or maybe even cancel the film in its entirety.
The latter, although possible isn't an easy move, not after the money that was spent in making it in the first place. Will there be a role recast? It's possible and they don't have to look past Grant Gustin who has played the speedster for eight seasons now in The CW's 'Flash', and has done so pretty successfully. Note that there was also a Miller cameo in one of the crossover events, so it's not novel to have a different actor. But should DCEU persist with Heard and Miller, there will surely be some ramifications even if the news eventually pales out over the next few months — and that there is a guarantee that the duo doesn't find themselves in any more trouble they're already in.
DC movies have seen a phenomenal rise over the last couple of years. With the 'The Batman', and 'Joker', the franchise seems to have had a clear direction. The tonality of movies has become significantly darker, gritty, and solid in terms of storytelling. Much of the credit goes to Snyder for his 'Man of Steel' that first gave the somber and gloomy vibes with hope as the key storyline. Reeves took it further when he got Pattinson's Bruce Wayne to believe there was hope for him and humanity. More importantly, the recent string of films has raked in the moolah at the Box office.
For a unit that has struggled to punch its weight with an ultra-brilliant and relentless competitor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the recent successful run is surely marred by the recent controversies its stars have been embroiled in. It's about the image and the money for DCEU as it grapples with the decision it has to make. There's a compromise in whichever move it does make, and one of them is about how two actors pretty much undid all the assiduous work with a one-two punch combo.