James Gunn and Peter Safran just revealed some major updates for the DC Universe going forward — while also chiming in on some recent controversies involving a pair of legacy cast members.
In addition to announcing 10 of the first films and TV shows under the pair’s new regime at Warner Bros., the two were asked about both Ezra Miller and Zachary Levi and their plans to work with them both in the future.
Miller has found themselves embattled in a series of legal incidents and controversies leading up to the release of “The Flash.” Last August, they released a statement saying they were “suffering complex mental health issues” and started “ongoing treatment,” before apologizing for their past behavior. Earlier this month, they pleaded guilty in a trespassing case.
“Ezra is completely committed to their recovery. We are fully supportive of that journey they are on right now,” Safan said (via THR) when asked about them during a press event on Monday.
“When the time is right, when they are ready to have that discussion, we will all figure out what the best path forward,” he continued. “But right now, they are completely focused on their recovery. And in our conversation with them, in the last couple of months, it feels like they are making enormous progress.”
As for Levi, the “Shazam!” star found himself in hot water after he tweeted out an anti-Pfizer message over the weekend, which many interpreted as anti-vax. Gunn — who faced career backlash and was fired from Marvel in 2018 for a stint over jokes about bout rape and pedophilia — addressed that one.
“Just real simply: Actors and filmmakers that I work with are going to say things that I agree with and things that I don’t agree with,” he said (via Variety). “And that’s going to happen. I don’t have a list of things that somebody should say because of what I think. And you know, I can’t be changing my plans all the time because an actor says something that I don’t agree with.”
“By the same token, if somebody’s doing something morally reprehensible then that’s a different story,” he added. “We have to take all that stuff into account. It’s a balance. It’s modern world and it’s a different place.”
Gunn praised both “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” and “The Flash” in his video presentation to fans on Tuesday — calling the later “a fantastic movie that I really love that resets the entire DC Universe.”
The “Shazam!” sequel hits theaters March 17, followed by “The Flash” on June 16.
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