Ezra Miller thanks Warner leadership at ‘The Flash’ premiere for ‘Grace and Discernment and Care’

After staying out of the spotlight ahead of The flashstar Ezra Miller made a rare public appearance at the DC film’s premiere on Monday, posing for photos and making brief remarks to the crowd in Hollywood.

“I love you, master. I think you’re 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 general apology for past behavior, which included breaking into and suffocating a woman in Iceland in an accident caught on video.

Miller met with Warner 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 originally cast them as The Flash 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, insight and care in the context of my life and for bringing to fulfillment this moment.”

Miller didn’t do press for the film, and as with many things The Flash, it wasn’t a typical Hollywood premiere. Though stars and executives walked the carpet, the premiere didn’t feature interviews with talent, including Ben Affleck and Sasha Calle, as well as Zaslav and DC Studios co-directors Gunn and Safran.

In years past, Warners has occasionally held previews without interviews. Fantastic Beasts: Dumbledore’s Secrets was one such film, as it dealt with controversies surrounding JK Rowling, the recast of Johnny Depp, and the then-recent arrest of Miller, who also starred in that franchise. Jokerthe 2019 film starring Joaquin Phoenix, also had a premiere without interviews as the film was the center of controversy after the 2012 victims The Dark Knight is resurrected filming in Aurora, Colorado, publicly shared concerns about the film.

Before its release, The flash was touted as one of the greatest superhero movies of all time, with Zaslav and Gunn pumping it into the press. Reviews were more factual, with the feature displaying a solid 71% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

It’s been a long road to The flash. Miller was first tapped to direct the film in late 2014 and starred in 2017 Justice League. Along the way, many of Hollywood’s top talents sought to create a Flash solo film with writers and directors who came and went, including The Mandalorianis 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 himself attempted to write his own version of the film with comic book writer Grant Morrison.

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

“We thought it would never happen because it was a real marathon,” Muschietti said, noting that it took them three and a half years, and others waited even longer. “Hopefully it was worth the wait.”