Flashpoint directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley reveal what drew them to direct the DC film in the first place. Warner Bros. first announced The Flash solo film along with the rest of the initial DCEU slate back in 2014. It was originally scheduled to follow Justice League and hit theaters in March 2018 (a release date that's now being occupied by WB's Tomb Raider reboot), but it kept losing directors in the process and has since been pushed back to an unspecified date.
Both Seth Grahame-Smith (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) and Rick Famuyiwa (Dope) pulled out of directing The Flash film due to creative differences with the studio. It was only when DC revealed plans to use Flashpoint - the 2011 comic book crossover event written by DC Films co-chief Geoff Johns - as the basis for the solo film that it all started to make sense why those previous filmmakers may not have been on board for that type of story arc (i.e. time travel). However, Game Night directors and Spider-Man: Homecoming scribes Goldstein and Daley were up to the challenge, which is partly why they wanted to direct Flashpoint... but it's not the only reason.
Related: Flashpoint Directors Got the Job Thanks to Spider-Man & Game Night
In an interview with Collider, Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley revealed that Flash not having his "sh*t" together and being "relatable" to audiences (just like Spider-Man) is what drew them to direct Flashpoint.
"Just the fact that the character is unique from other superheroes in that he doesn’t completely have his sh*t together like Superman does. It’s more of a ground-level superhero. It’s a relatable way in to a superhero movie in some of the same ways that Peter Parker was for the Marvel side of things.”
The filmmaking duo received critical acclaim for their take on Peter Parker/Spider-Man for Marvel's in-house version of the character. Spider-Man: Homecoming is not only considered one of the most comic accurate adaptations of the character, it's also one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's most critically acclaimed installments. And Spidey's humor, innocence, and relatability to audiences are why the filmmakers are interested in bringing Barry Allen's solo story onto the big screen, hopefully, in the near future.
It's worth noting that Goldstein and Daley were in contention to direct Homecoming for Marvel before Jon Watts got the gig, and Warner Bros. believes they have a winner on their hands with Game Night, which is why they wanted to meet with the duo about potentially directing a DCEU film. That's actually how WB seems to be doing things nowadays with their DC projects: They bring in filmmakers they want to work with and allow them to pick what they would like to direct from their upcoming slate. There's more to it, of course, but the fact that Warners is keen on working with Goldstein and Daley, and that the pair is happy with the current script, means that Flashpoint might finally be on the right track.
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Source: Flashpoint
