‘The Flash’ Actor Wanted To “Disappear into the abyss” After Getting Caught in the Most Controversial Crossfire of the Decade
One of the most notable and well-known performances of Kiersey Clemons has been as Iris West in Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021) and The Flash (2023). Even with a limited screen and alongside a star-studded cast of Gal Gadot, Ben Affleck, Jason Momoa, and Ezra Miller, Kiersey Clemons made her mark in Justice League.
When she appeared in The Flash, the chemistry between her and Ezra Miller was palpable. However, Zack Snyder’s DCEU is coming to an end with Aquaman 2, and The Flash actress recently took the opportunity to open up about her experience. It was far from the beautiful dream everyone thought it’d be.
“I felt dismissed and replaceable”- Kiersey Clemons opens up about her experience with The Flash
Initially, Kiersey Clemons was set to make her debut with the Justice League. However, her scenes were cut from the theatrical release, which only started her journey of disappointment with DC. Things turned a new leaf as she featured in Zack Snyder’s cut of the Justice League much more prominently, which highlighted not only the importance of her role but also a new and sparkly romance brewing in the DC universe.
She was auditioned by Rick Famuyiwa, who had worked with her previously in Dope and found her and Ezra Miller to be the perfect duo for The Flash movie.
Then the trouble started. Rick Famuyiwa left the project due to his vision not aligning with DC. DC had so many scripts and directors lined up, and none of them seemed to match what Rick Famuyiwa was looking for. So, the future of The Flash materializing became a huge question. During these uncertain times, there were rumors going around that Clemons had been recast in The Flash. In an interview with Nylon, she opens up and describes how humiliating it was for her.
“I was freaked out because at one point, there were rumors going around online that I was getting recast, which is humiliating,” she says. “It was more embarrassing and hurtful than getting cut out of Justice League, which I was able to understand more than the rumors of being recast. They had to cut the movie down; that’s how it goes. With The Flash, I was so young and was so excited, and the director that I was supposed to be on with was gone. And so, I felt dismissed and replaceable.”
Then came the allegations against Ezra Miller. Ezra Miller had many public breakdowns due to their mental health issues and was even accused of grooming a minor activist. Clemons also took the hit of the controversy, as she was asked to comment on the issue repeatedly, and she was put in an uncomfortable position. When the movie was out, The Flash actor said that she breathed a sigh of relief:
“Now that the movie’s out, I feel like for the last nearly 10 years, I’ve just been smiling and giving so much grace. I think it was to protect my peace of mind. Now I can finally say and admit this whole thing made me cry more than it made me smile. I think I only smiled over this thing at the premiere.” She jokes that she tells people that the whole film has been cursed. “I mean, from my perspective, someone was over there mixing potions. Something was happening.”
At the end of the interview, she said that although “a few days ago, I was wanting to just disappear into the abyss because The Flash fans are making me feel terrible about myself,” she is in a better place now. She has recently been cast as part of the MonsterVerse in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, which deals with the aftermath of the 2014 Godzilla film.
Zack Snyder praises Ezra Miller’s performance in The Flash
Zack Snyder, who did the casting of Ezra Miller as The Flash or the Scarlet Speedstar in the movie Justice League, opened up about Ezra Miller’s performance in the 2023 movie The Flash. Despite Zack Snyder not being a part of DC anymore or The Flash, he still keeps in touch with all the cast members, even though some of them have gone through a heap of controversies. Snyder says in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter:
“[They] did a great job in that Flash movie. It’s very difficult to play against yourself.”
Also Read: The Flash Had an Alternate Ending and It Was Way Worse
This is not the first time he has praised an actor without paying heed to the controversy surrounding them. Amber Heard, who almost disappeared from Hollywood after her controversy surrounding the infamous defamation trial with Johnny Depp due to the public backlash, also received words of kind encouragement from the director. Zack Snyder said that he would work with her in a heartbeat if given a chance.
The Flash can be streamed on Prime Videos.
