due to the number of publicly known writers who previously were attached. Miller participated in "regularly scheduled additional photography" in mid-2022. Following several controversial incidents and arrests involving Ezra Miller throughout 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery (the then-newly formed parent company of Warner Bros. Pictures) began feeling mounting pressure to consider different options for the film after previously hoping that its delayed release would help avoid the controversy. In August, the studio was considering the following options: if Miller received professional help they could give an interview explaining their behavior and then do limited press for the film, which would be released as planned; if Miller did not receive help then they could be excluded from all press for the film and the role would potentially be recast for future projects; or if the situation with Miller deteriorated further, the film could be canceled as a "last resort". The latter would be an "unprecedented move" due to its large $200 million budget, though it would come after Warner Bros. Discovery had already canceled the nearly-complete 90-million-dollar film Batgirl that was being produced for the streaming service HBO Max. The studio was not considering replacing Miller with another actor in this film due to them portraying multiple characters and appearing in nearly every scene. The film was considered to be "key" for the studio's future DCEU plans, and had been received well during test screenings despite Miller's legal troubles. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said at the time that he had seen The Flash, it had received positive responses from the studio, and they were committed to releasing it in theaters. Miller released a public apology through their representative soon afterward and announced that they were seeking professional treatment for "complex mental health issues". Soon after, Miller and their agent met with Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, the co-chairpersons and co-CEOs of Warner Bros. Pictures Group, to apologize for their behavior and the negative headlines the film received as a result. This came after Miller was "spooked" by the prospect of the film being canceled. Visual effects work was expected to potentially be completed by the end of the year. Machliss later stated that the film was the first to use new technology to feature different versions of an actor on screen. In December 2022, the film's release date was moved forward to June 16, 2023, following positive test screenings,