This story contains spoilers for The Flash feature film.
Some of the first fans to watch DC Comics' hotly anticipated film The Flash were left shocked by one very graphic scene, where the superhero puts a baby into a microwave.
Starring Ezra Miller, The Flash was supposed to premiere in 2018 and has had a difficult journey to finally get into cinemas on June 16. From the COVID-19 pandemic, to Miller's commitments to the Fantastic Beasts franchise and the actor's legal woes, there was much fanfare, with comic book fans excited to see what the film would deliver.
Miller plays Barry Allen, aka The Flash, who travels back in time to try to stop his mother Nora's murder. Along the way, he's helped by other DC heroes including Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman, with Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton reprising their roles as Batman. DC also used artificial intelligence (AI) technology to bring back deceased actors, such as the late Christopher Reeve to play Superman.
While many of these cameos were a big talking-point for fans, one scene in particular caught people's attention for all the wrong reasons.
Early in the movie, The Flash is rushing to a hospital skyscraper, which has been attacked by terrorists, and he tries to stop it from collapsing.
As he arrives, The Flash sees hospitalized babies falling from the collapsing building in what he dubs a "baby shower," and begins his efforts to save them. But, in one bizarre moment, the superhero grabs a plummeting baby and puts it into a microwave also falling from the hospital building.
The Flash's logic is that he is protecting the baby because moving at the same supersonic speed as the superhero could hurt the infant, so the microwave acts like a shield.
The sight of seeing The Flash putting a baby into a microwave stuck with fans who described the scene as "not okay," on Twitter.
"The Flash putting a baby in a microwave is an INSANE scene to even think about filming," tweeted another person.
A second wrote: "Almost forgot. SPOILER but this movie has one of the most insane opening action sequences I've ever seen. No idea how this was even pitched. Just soooo wild. The Flash puts a baby in a microwave midair to save it... everyone in my theater was in shock."
The Flash actor Miller, who uses they/them pronouns, made headlines for much of 2022 for their string of arrests and controversial behavior.
They were arrested twice in Hawaii in 2022, once for disorderly conduct and harassment and once for a second-degree assault.
Miller was also charged with felony burglary in Stamford, Vermont. On October 17, they pled not guilty, but could face 26 years in prison if convicted.
The non-binary actor has also been accused of abuse by women across Europe. This includes an incident in Iceland in 2020; an investigation into trespassing in Berlin, since dropped; and accusations of grooming by the parents of Tokota Iron Eyes who have also filed a restraining order against Miller.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Shannon Power is a Greek-Australian reporter, but now calls London home. They have worked as across three continents in print, ... Read more
