Michael Shannon is addressing his “The Flash” co-star Ezra Miller‘s ongoing allegations.
The actor, who reprises his role of villain Zod in the upcoming multiverse DC film, shared what it was like working with Miller, who has multiple assault accusations and arrests. Miller, who identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, was at the center of felony charges and allegations of grooming minors leading up to “The Flash” DCEU tentpole release. The actor has since issued a statement pledging their dedication to mental health treatment.
“I thought Ezra was lovely — very kind to me when I was there,” Shannon told Vanity Fair. “It’s difficult to talk about, but I always give people a lot of slack in this business, because there’s a lot of people in this business that have issues. And some people have more privacy than others.”
Shannon added, “Any time somebody is out in the spotlight getting picked on, I feel for them. Even if it’s warranted, it’s still a horrible situation.”
First reactions to “The Flash” have touted the film as a key installment to the changing the DCEU under new co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran, as well as Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav. The comic book banner has stood by Miller amid their allegations.
“Ezra is completely committed to their recovery, and we are fully supportive of that journey that they’re on right now,” Safran said during the 2023 DC presentation. “When the time is right, when they feel like they’re ready to have the discussion, we’ll all figure out what the best path forward is. Right now, they are completely focused on their recovery. In our conversations with them over the last couple of months, it feels like they’re making enormous progress.”
DC Studios co-head Gunn added, “I also feel like it’s important to point out, thousands of people worked on ‘The Flash,’ and these people dedicated the last few years of their lives to making something really special. Andy Muschietti, the director, Barbara Muschietti, the producer, Christina [Hodson], the writer, Michael Keaton, all of the other people, all of these other people, and to start making it as if a movie is one person that depends on this one person is something that can be frustrating as a filmmaker, especially as a director who knows that often times an actor spends three months of his life on a set and a director spends two years creating it.”
Miller issued a statement in 2022 opening up about enduring a “time of intense crisis” that encompassed years worth of erratic behavior, allegations of child abuse and running a cult, as well as choking a woman in Iceland.
“Having recently gone through a time of intense crisis, I now understand that I am suffering complex mental health issues and have begun ongoing treatment,” Miller wrote. “I want to apologize to everyone that I have alarmed and upset with my past behavior. I am committed to doing the necessary work to get back to a healthy, safe and productive stage in my life.”
