‘Flash’ star Ezra Miller’s apology is not a get-out-of-jail-free card, experts say

Ezra Miller’s apology could be the first step in a potential redemption story, but there’s no guarantee it’ll have a satisfying ending.

On Monday, the actor publicly addressed the ongoing controversy surrounding his recent arrests and allegations of disturbing behavior. Miller, who leads Warner Bros. Discovery’s “The Flash,” due out in theaters June 2023, said they’d “recently gone through a time of intense crisis” and has begun to undergo treatment for “complex mental health issues.”

The statement came one week after Miller was charged with felony burglary in Stamford, Vermont, just the latest criminal offense on the actor’s call sheet, and about two weeks after Warner Bros. Discovery axed its straight-to-streaming “Batgirl” film and said it was eyeing a reset of its DC Comics cinematic universe.

The newly merged company has remained quiet about Miller in recent months, as new and damning reports circled about disturbing behavior that ranged from disorderly conduct and harassment to allegations of child grooming and running an unlicensed cannabis farm. Miller has not specifically addressed any of these claims.

Many speculated that Warner Bros. Discovery would still release “The Flash” theatrically, but wondered whether it would sever ties with its lead in order to save face with the public.

Sources told the Hollywood Reporter prior to Miller’s public statement that there were various outcomes Warner Bros. Discovery was preparing for. One was that Miller would seek professional help, give an interview about their erratic behavior and do limited press for the film before its planned cinematic release.

There has been some indication that Warner Bros. was ready to cut ties with Miller after releasing “The Flash,” which is said to have a budget of about $200 million. The company reportedly held meetings in April to discuss Miller’s string of controversies and how the studio would proceed going forward. At that time, it was determined that the film would remain on the slate, but Warner Bros. would pause future projects involving the actor.

The company didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Now that an apology has been made, the question becomes: Can Miller stage a comeback?

“Is it possible for a redemption? Yes,” said Robert Thompson, a professor at Syracuse University and a pop culture expert. “You point out Robert Downey Jr. and Winona Ryder. Those were much simpler situations. …  As long as one isn’t behind bars, I think there are possibilities that careers can be managed.”

Downey famously reignited his career after a very public fall from grace that included numerous arrests in the late 1990s on charges related to drugs. He spent several stints in jail between 1997 and 2000, and entered a drug rehabilitation program in 2001. Downey slowly rebuilt his reputation, and then came “Iron Man,” a 2008 breakout hit that would go on to spark the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He played the character for more than decade before hanging up the metal suit in 2019.

Ryder’s fall was slightly less serious. She was arrested for shoplifting in 2001, but it was no less damaging. The actress was almost uninsurable following the arrest, which led to a nearly five-year hiatus from acting. She picked up supporting roles over the next decade in films like “Star Trek” and “Black Swan,” but her big comeback was 2016’s “Stranger Things.”