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With The Flash live-action movie proving to be a flop, fans wonder if the film would have been better off if beloved The Flash TV actor, Grant Gustin, had played the lead character. Ezra Miller plays the character in the movie, a role they’ve kept since the live-action Justice League film. The actor’s controversial actions have haunted the production of The Flash film since its inception. Fans clamored for Warner Bros. to recast the role with the less-controversial Gustin, but their pleas went unanswered.
The Difference Between Grant Gustin’s Flash and Ezra Miller’s Flash
Grant Gustin and Ezra Miller each play a version of Barry Allen, AKA The Flash. Gustin played the hero on the successful CW show that lasted for nine seasons. Miller played the character in the films and had a cameo appearance on CW’s The Flash and in Peacemaker.
However, while Gustin’s and Miller’s characters may have shared the same name, they were fundamentally different people. Both versions of the Flash shared the same backstory and motivations. Barry Allen, in both media, had a childhood in which his mother was murdered, and his father was framed for the case, putting him in jail. Barry grew up to be a forensic scientist to prove his father’s innocence.
A lightning bolt struck Allen while working late in the lab one night. The electricity from the lightning, plus the chemicals that doused him as he was hit, gave him superspeed.
On that note, where the two characters diverge is their personalities. Gustin’s Flash is strait-laced and approachable, whereas Miller’s Flash is more neurotic and anti-social. Both are outcasts at the beginning of their stories, but Miller’s Flash has more eccentricities than Gustin’s.
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The films and TV show depict the Flash as a young man that needs a lot of growing up. Miller served as the quirky kid in the Justice League, almost acting as that team’s version of Spider-Man. Thanks to playing the character for many years, Gustin aged into his role, transforming into a superhero veteran by the time the show ended.
The Problem with Ezra Miller as The Flash
Fans campaigned for Gustin to take over the role of Flash in the live-action films when Miller’s troublesome actions became apparent. Miller has been the source of multiple criminal controversies, including assault, disorderly conduct, and potentially grooming a minor. The actor has faced multiple charges, and they had reportedly been causing trouble during production.
The live-action Flash film already had a troubled production start, having been first announced back in 2014. Several creative forces came onto the project and then left, with some rumors pointing to Miller as the reason for their exits. With The Flash movie stumbling at the box office, many fans and onlookers believe Miller’s attachment to the film has been nothing but a curse for the motion picture.
Could Grant Gustin Have Played the Lead Superhero in The Flash?
It’s hard to imagine The Flash movie working better if Grant Gustin was in the lead. Because Miller was attached to the project at such an early stage, the entire film was built around Miller’s version of the character.
Miller’s eccentricities and oddball acting are hard-wired into the film’s writing. Barry’s awkward flirting with Iris West, his chemistry with the rest of the Justice League, and his fanboying over Michael Keaton’s Batman play into Miller’s strength as an actor.
Miller also did double duty, playing two versions of the character in the movie. Both versions of Barry Allen have their quirks, and Miller played them slightly differently to help differentiate the two.
Grant Gustin’s Flash also had the same character arc that Miller goes through in The Flash movie. The early seasons of the CW’s The Flash had Barry getting over his mother’s death. The season 3 premiere of The Flash was even called Flashpoint, the name of the comic book arc that The Flash film is based on.
If The Flash movie did recast Ezra Miller with Grant Gustin, Gustin would have just repeated the same character beats he went through in his show. It would have been redundant, especially since The Flash show only recently ended.
For better or worse, The Flash film is Miller’s movie and plays into the actor’s capabilities.
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That wraps up everything about Grant Gustin and Ezra Miller as The Flash. For more on the movie, keep it locked to The Nerd Stash.