Ezra Miller Thanks Warners Leadership at ‘The Flash’ Premiere for “Grace and Discernment and Care”

After staying out of the limelight in the lead-up to The Flash, star Ezra Miller made a rare public appearance at the DC film’s premiere Monday, posing for photos and making brief remarks to the crowd in Hollywood.

“I love you, maestro. I think you are amazing, and I think your work is monumental,” Miller said, addressing director Andy Muschietti in their first public comments since August 2022. Last year, they cited “complex mental health issues” in a blanket apology for past behavior, which included trespassing and choking a woman in Iceland in an incident caught on video.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

• Michael Shannon Says Returning to the Role of Zod Wasn't "Satisfying," Praises 'The Flash' Co-Star Ezra Miller

• Marketing 'The Flash': No Ezra Miller, But Lots of Batman and TV Spots

• 'The Flash' Review: Ezra Miller Brings Kinetic Energy to a Movie Caught Up in Nostalgic DC Fan Service

Miller met with Warners film bosses Pamela Abdy and Michael De Luca after that apology, and on Monday night, Miller thanked them, along with Zack Snyder and Deborah Snyder, who initially cast them as the Flash back in 2014.

Along with Abdy and De Luca, Miller also thanked Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav “and the dynamic duo — Peter Safran and James Gunn — for your grace and discernment and care in the context of my life and in bringing this moment actually to fruition.”

Miller has done no press for the film, and as with many things The Flash, it was not a typical Hollywood premiere. Though stars and executives walked the carpet, the premiere did not feature traditional interviews with talent, which included Ben Affleck and Sasha Calle, as well as Zaslav and DC Studios co-heads Gunn and Safran. (A few broadcast outlets, such as Entertainment Tonight, were granted interviews.)

In years past, Warners has occasionally held premieres with no interviews. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore was one such film, as it faced controversies surrounding J.K. Rowling, the recasting of Johnny Depp and the then-recent arrest of Miller, who also starred in that franchise. Joker, the 2019 film starring Joaquin Phoenix, also held a premiere with no interviews as the film was the center of controversy after victims of the 2012 The Dark Knight Rises shooting in Aurora, Colorado, publicly shared concerns about the movie.

Ahead of its release, The Flash was touted as one of the greatest superhero films of all time, with Zaslav and Gunn pumping it up in the press. Reviews were more down-to-earth, with the feature sporting a solid 71 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.

It has been a long road to The Flash. Miller was first tapped to lead the film in late 2014 and starred in 2017’s Justice League. Along the way, multiple top talents in Hollywood tried to crack a Flash solo film with writers and directors coming and going, including The Mandalorian‘s Rick Fukuyama and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves duo John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. Phil Lord and Chris Miller wrote a treatment in 2015, and Miller attempted to write their own version of the film with comic book scribe Grant Morrison.

Ultimately, it was Muschietti who cracked the code, along with DC favorite Christina Hodson, who penned the script, and his producing partner, Barbara Muschietti.

“We thought this would never happen because it was a real marathon,” said Muschietti, noting they spent three and a half years on it, and others waited even longer for it. “We hope it was worth the wait.”

Best of The Hollywood Reporter

• Natalie Portman at Cannes: "I Need to Leave the Drama for the Screen"

• Diane Keaton: "You’re Gonna Pray to Get Off This Call"

• Ailing ‘Superman’ Star Valerie Perrine Finally Finds Her Hero: "The Guy Should Be Sainted"

Click here to read the full article.