Another huge DC movie is officially delayed by the coronavirus

After literal years stuck in development, the DC solo superhero movie The Flash, starring Ezra Miller reprising his role from Justice League, nearly started rolling cameras — until the coronavirus stopped it in its tracks.

In an interview with ScreenRant, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker stunt coordinator Eunice Huthart said she was gearing up to begin work on The Flash "at about the end of April." But with the coronavirus pandemic forcing Hollywood productions to shut down work on The Flash has been postponed indefinitely.

"The project I was due to start is The Flash," Huthart said. "I was supposed to start at about the end of April, beginning of May. I'm not sure what's happening now with that."

The DC film, which had seen a slew of directors and writers enter and exit the project before It director Andy Muschietti took over the project, is still scheduled to release in theaters on July 1, 2022. Even if the coronavirus pandemic is prolonged, there's still potentially enough time to make that release date. But the unpredictable situation casts a large shadow over the film and TV industry even after the pandemic ends.

Set to take place in the DC Extended Universe, or "DCEU," the film will focus on Barry Allen, a forensic scientist who becomes imbued with lighting fast speed after a freak thunderstorm mixes with his laboratory chemicals. The event puts Barry's body in tune with the "Speed Force," an ethereal energy that allows people to run or vibrate at impossible speeds.

After a non-speaking cameo in the 2016 movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Ezra Miller starred as Barry Allen in the 2017 DC ensemble movie Justice League, where he joined Batman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Aquaman, and Superman in a battle against Steppenwolf. In a surprise cameo in the 2019/2020 DC television crossover "Crisis on Infinite Earths," Miller's Barry Allen meets the Barry Allen of The CW television show The Flash, played by Grant Gustin, who unwittingly clues Ezra into the name "The Flash."

The crossover also hinted that the film will deal with a seismic event known as "Flashpoint" (based on a 2011 DC Comics miniseries) that may undo parts of the DC film continuity. For now, though, it seems the only thing doing a number on the DCEU is a global pandemic.

The Flash is still expected to dash into theaters on July 1, 2022.