The Flash is just a couple of weeks away from arriving in theaters, and Variety has shared a new piece delving into some of what's going on with the long-delayed movie.
For starters, the trade has confirmed troubled lead star Ezra Miller will make a "low-profile appearance" at the movie's Los Angeles premiere on June 12, posing only for photos and giving no interviews to press.
Ben Affleck, Sasha Calle, and Michael Shannon will also be on the red carpet, though Michael Keaton is missing the event due to other filming commitments.
"Ezra wants the movie to open and the conversation to be about the movie and not about Ezra," one source close to the actor reveals. "They are focused on their mental health and don’t want it to be transactional."
It's also revealed that The Flash boasts a $190 million budget, though there are rumblings it's closer to $330 million after reshoots and a splashy marketing campaign.
As for why the movie is only receiving one premiere, it's in an effort to "keep the 'secret ending' under wraps." It sounds like the scene shown at CinemaCon was only a placeholder, with subsequent screenings either removing or blurring out key elements to maintain the surprise. That may have already leaked online, of course, and it appears no decision has been made about whether The Flash is tied to the new DCU or not.
However, a sequel has been written by Aquaman's David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and, according to this report, it features appearances from Keaton's Batman and Calle's Supergirl. Neither of them is expected to be part of DC Studios' future plans, but if Barry Allen is going to explore the Multiverse, then the hero can obviously be kept separate from whatever's going on in the new continuity.
The Flash finally races into theaters on June 16.