What Will The Flash Movie Be About?
Mar 3, 2010 by Kofi OutlawIs ‘The Flash’ too simple (or lame) to make for a good movie? We offer some strong ideas that will give ‘The Flash’ movie a great box office run.
“THE GUY WHO RUNS REALLY FAST”
The biggest complaint people seem to have about The Flash movie is that it will essentially be about ‘a guy who just runs really fast.’ Aside from some cool bullet-time-style action sequences, people don’t see how there can be sufficient dramatic weight for a feature-length Flash movie.
Well, we’ve already established that there is a great starting block to launch from – Barry Allen as a cop trying to “outrun” injustice. In that context, The Flash’s super-speed really becomes a metaphor for one man’s desire to right a wrong that was done to him; if Barry can be everywhere at once, fighting crime, he can stop the kind of thing that scarred him from scarring anybody else. Like the incarnation of The Flash we saw in Mark Waid and Alex Ross’s Kingdom Come graphic novel, the scarlet speedster can be a one-man army for justice, provided he never slows down.
But never slowing down causes its own problems in life (as Geoff Johns stated) – namely the inability to form relationships or find love (Barry’s longtime lover/wife Iris West is sure to be a part of the movie). Starting to see where the makings of a good dramatic Flash movie might be found?
Barry and Iris
THE ROGUES
Of course, spending a whole movie exploring one man’s super-speedy quest to right injustice isn’t enough without a good villain to interrupt his efforts. And this is another area where The Flash is facing an uphill battle in the eyes of the average movie goer.
People know that Superman has a Lex Luthor. Batman has the Joker. But what about The Flash? Who is Barry Allen’s nemesis? Well, I’ll tell you: it’s the nefarious NOBODY KNOWS.
Comic book fanboys are familiar with names like Captain Cold, Captain Boomerang, Mirror Master, The Trickster, Weather Wizard, Shade or Gorilla Grodd. However, if you’ve never read a Flash comic, those rogues I mentioned might come across as cheap B-movie knockoffs of other super heroes/villains – or in Grodd’s case, an invention too absurd for a sensible movie plot (a telepathic gorilla from gorilla world?).
The Flash Rogues
The Flash movie needs a good villain. My advice? Why stray from the golden road currently being paved by Geoff Johns? Why not go with Professor Zoom, a.k.a. Eobard Thawne, a.k.a the second villain to wear the mantle of “The Reverse-Flash.”
In the comics, Thawne started out as a guy from waaaay in the future (The 25th Century) whose obsession with the present-day Flash led him to copy his powers. During one of his many sprints through time, Barry Allen discovered Professor Zoom and defeated him, which created a bitter rivalry between the two. Over the course of that rivalry, Zoom has inflicted serious tragedy upon Barry’s life and even forced Barry to cross a line that no hero should (I won’t SPOIL the details for you).
Professor Zoom
During the Geoff Johns era, Professor Zoom has grown to be the primary villain of The Flash comic. We’ve learned that Zoom has always been striking at Barry and his descendants, up and down the timeline. As a potential movie villain, Zoom can do everything Barry can do; he can go anywhere Barry can go and has totally opposing goals, spreading crime and murder as fast as Barry can prevent them.
In terms of the emotional narrative of Barry Allen – a man trying to outrun injustice – Zoom would be the most effective rogue to have onscreen, in my opinion. If need be, Zoom’s origin could certainly be revised and changed from its time travel roots (which may be the best route to go, avoiding all the time-jumping madness).
Flash vs. The Reverse-Flash
That’s it for me: I’ve laid down a good foundation for a Flash movie and even sprinkled in some seeds that will hopefully get you thinking. Should the movie steer clear of time-travel? It would be easier, sure – but then, being able to outrun the limits of time and space are part of The Flash’s powers, so… it’s a tough call to make.
The logistical details still need to be worked out, but there is certainly enough there for an interesting take on an engaging character. Remember guys and gals: once upon a time, long ago, nobody thought that Iron Man would be interesting enough to carry an entire movie…
Artwork Sources: Ethan van Sciver (hat tip to Speed Force), Michael Turner, Ken Lashley, Scott Kollins, Andy Kubert & Jonathan Passow,
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Unfortunately, Marco, DC announced that the actors playing GL, Superman, and Batman will not return for the Justice League movie. Different people playing them means a different take on each character.
I really think they should make a movie about this, I know the difficulties, but definitely go on with it. It needs to be done. I love the flash
If WB and DC want to make a pant load of money, and a truck load of fans happy they will retreat on several of their “on the back burner ideas” and concentrate on releasing a series of “Blackest Night” movies instead.
Flash, green lantern corps, etc etc, that would make for some serious kick ass movies. And after that, “brightest day” series.
And get off your asses and put a justice league on the big screen. For god sakes, if we can put a man on the moon, we can put JL on film.
…And the only reason they are putting new characters in their DC universe for JL is to save a wack of dough for special effects. But whatever, just do it!!!
If the movie is about Wally West then Ryan Reynolds would be good but Ryan Gosling wpuld also be good in my opinion.
Um, Ryan Reynolds does Green Lantern, so if DC puts them together it wont work. Ryan Gosling would be good i agree.
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, KEEP GREG BERLANTI AWAY FROM THIS MOVIE!!!!!! He screwed up Green Lantern, who is my favorite comic book character of all time, so if he screws up Flash too, I swear I might explode. WTF, DC?! You’re gonna have the man who directed Life As We Know It, which was HORRIBLE even by the standards of a romantic comedy, direct a movie for one of your main characters. You know why Marvel movies are more successful? Its because they have people who write the comics themselves, or who are at least familiar with them, writing the stories for the movies. Why don’t you follow their example?!! Greg Berlanti has never written a comic in his life; I don’t know if he’s ever even read one.
Its so frustrating, because I love DC Comics, but every DC character except for Batman has been given crappy movies. I really wanted to love Green Lantern, but it was just okay. I’d honestly just give it 3 out of 5 stars. I still want it to get a sequel, just to fix the mistakes made in the first movie, but I WILL not see any DC movies if Greg Berlanti has any part in them. He’s just not a good writer OR director, so can his untalented butt. Get Geoff Johns to write the script for GL2 and maybe for Flash. Just, get a comic writer, a good one, to write the stories for these movies, not some Hollywood type who doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing.
@Mike: I like the way you nailed it: “…if we can put a man on the moon, we can put JL on film.”
Why not DC or Warner tap Richard Donner again to do any DC comics film. He’d be great.
Good thoughts. If they did use thawn as the villain they could use hunter zolomon in a sequel and have Wally west as the kid flash. Just some extra thoughts.
The Flash could be a great film if the right people were involved with the writing, directing and acting. For all the visual splendor of Superman Returns and The Green Lantern, the stories were very weak and that showed at the box office. If Warner Bros. wants some excellent writers, why not hire those who wrote the various animated Superman movies that were produced over the last several years? The scripts were dark and serious, totally lacking the adolescent, tongue-in-cheek camp we keep seeing in superhero films. Hire the writers who penned the last two Batman films, they weren’t have the method established beyond reasonable doubt. Of course, the real test comes next year when Superman: Man Of Steel comes out. Only time will tell? Oops, there we go with the time travel scenario again.