'Flash' Shocker: Ezra Miller Writing Script in Bid to Stay On as Star

In a bid to keep himself involved as the Scarlet Speedster, actor Ezra Miller is taking a hands-on approach to The Flash.


Miller is taking a stab at writing the script for the Warner Bros. project. He has teamed up with Grant Morrison, the acclaimed comics author, to pen a draft that could determine if he stays on as star, playing crimefighter Barry Allen.


The development has bubbled up from a clash of creative visions. John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, who have been on board the project since January 2018, have a light-hearted approach to the material (and even hail from that sort of background, with credits like Spider-Man: Homecoming and Game Night). And, as sources note, that is the general track favored by Warners, which scored a billion-dollar hit with Aquaman by going the fun spectacle route and is seeing strong buzz on Shazam!, which is wearing its “superheroics is fun” on its sleeve .


Miller is said to want a darker take on the material.


The two sides have been working on compromises since last year but Miller took the initiative to tackle the story himself. He partnered with Morrison, with Warners hiring the two to script their take. It is a rare move for an actor to be so invested in a superhero project that they switch hats, but Miller sees himself as deeply committed to the character.


Despite its namesake, Flash has been anything but in its journey to the silver screen, going through several directors and writers. Miller, however, has been a constant, having been first cast by filmmaker Zack Snyder for the role in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and embracing the role fully in Justice League.


The script could be submitted to the studio as early as next week.


But there could be a lot riding on it. If Warners chooses against Miller's take on the hero, the actor could part ways with the project. Additionally, and fittingly for a hero who races to beat the clock, there is a countdown scenario here as well: according to one insider, Miller’s holding deal on Flash expires May.


Despite the clashes on Flash, Miller remains a presence on the Warners lot. He has played a key character in the studio’s Fantastic Beasts movies and is expected to shoot the third installment at the end of this year.