Less than a month out from its premiere on CBS All Access, Entertainment Weekly has revealed some surprise casting news for the upcoming Stephen King adaptation The Stand with the news that Justice League and Fantastic Beasts star Ezra Miller is portraying the pyromaniac Trashcan Man. Here’s the first image of Miller in character:
“It’s so different from any way that anyone has seen Erza before, and he’s so committed to it,” states showrunner Benjamin Cavell. “He’s a huge fan of the book and had fallen in love with this character and wanted to play it for a long time. On our first call, he described Trash as ‘the embodiment of pyromania.’ The only thing this guy was capable of, and the only area in life he was comfortable, were with the explosives and instruments of fire and destruction.”
“What excites me is the deception of behavior and appearances,” adds Miller. “Trash is the underestimated and misinterpreted amongst us. ‘Fireproof underwear’ were two of the first words out of my mouth in the first conceptual meeting. I was very interested in working directly with the wardrobe department in creating a look based entirely on the practical demands of the characters pyromania. Trash wears nothing but what is necessary to craft incendiaries, ignite them, and get as close to the flames as possible — in order to revel in the fire.”
SEE ALSO: How The Stand TV show changes Randal Flagg’s powers from the Stephen King book
Miller is currently shooting Fantastic Beasts 3, reprising his role as Credence Barebone, and will also link up with Warner Bros. once again next year as he returns as DC superhero Barry Allen in DC Films’ The Flash.
Written by Josh Boone and Ben Cavell, The Stand is King’s apocalyptic vision of a world decimated by plague and embroiled in an elemental struggle between good and evil. The fate of mankind rests on the frail shoulders of the 108-year-old Mother Abagail (Whoopi Goldberg) and a handful of survivors. Their worst nightmares are embodied in a man with a lethal smile and unspeakable powers: Randall Flagg, the Dark Man (Alexander Skarsgård).
Featuring in the star-studded cast of The Stand are James Marsden (Westworld) as Stu Redman, Amber Heard (Aquaman) as Nadine Cross, Odessa Young (Assassination Nation) as Frannie Goldsmith, and Henry Zaga (13 Reasons Why) as Nick Andros, Jovan Adepo (Overlord) as Larry Underwood, Owen Teague (Black Mirror) as Harold Lauder, Brad William Henke (Orange Is the New Black) as Tom Cullen, Daniel Sunjata (Rescue Me) as Cobb, Whoopi Goldberg (Sister Act) as Mother Abagail, Nat Wolff (The Fault in Our Stars) as Lloyd Henreid, Katherine McNamara (Arrow) as Julie Lawry, Eion Bailey (ER) as Teddy Weizak, Hamish Linklater (Legion) as Dr. Ellis, Greg Kinnear (House of Cards) as Glen Bateman, Heather Graham (Angie Tribeca) as Rita Blakemoor, Ezra Miller (Justice League) as Trashcan Man and Alexander Skarsgard (Big Little Lies) as Randall Flagg.
Originally published November 21, 2020. Updated November 22, 2020.
