The Flash movie’s Flashpoint adaptation is what DC needs on the big screen right now, yet it only works because of the multiple The Flash delays. Announced as part of the original DCEU slate revealed even before Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice premiered, The Flash has taken many forms. Between director exits and release date changes, The Flash movie is finally heading to the screens with an ambitious multiverse story.
Former The Flash directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley revealed that their version of the film featured a “ground-level superhero where it isn’t entirely end-of-the-world stakes. Such a premise is vastly different from the current The Flash movie’s story, which ties into the DC multiverse and features the returns of Michael Keaton’s Batman, Ben Affleck’s Batman, and Man of Steel’s Kryptonian villains Zod and Faora, as well as the debut of Sasha Calle's Supergirl. Curiously, no Flash-related villain, such as any of the Rogues or even Reverse Flash, has been confirmed for The Flash movie.
It’s Too Late For The Flash To Be A Grounded-Level Story
The Flash as a DCEU film has been in development since 2016 when it was confirmed that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice would lead into an interconnected DC franchise that would include not only Justice League but also solo films. The Flash was supposed to be one of the first DC solo movies released after Justice League, as the idea was for the team-up film to set up individual storylines for the DCEU's short-term future. In that scenario, a ground-level superhero adventure would have worked perfectly as The Flash movie’s story. However, it is now too late for a “small” Flash story.
The Justice League failure led the DCEU to distance itself from the main heroes and abandon any major connections between each film. Aquaman, for example, only briefly referenced the events of Justice League, and it worked as a completely standalone story. The Flash could have done something similar, but the multiple delays and director exits made it impossible. The more time passed since Justice League, the more confusing the DCEU canon became, leaving The Flash movie’s role in the franchise a mystery. A self-contained Flash adventure would necessarily ask for a bigger The Flash sequel, yet The Flash 2 was never guaranteed.
Why The Flash’s Flashpoint Adaptation Is Perfect For The Current DCEU
The DC movie brand is struggling at the box office ever since Justice League, albeit with a couple of exceptions. While Aquaman’s box office performance suggested that the DCEU would move on from Justice League just fine, subsequent releases like Shazam! and Birds of Prey went for a different approach and tried to deliver smaller films in terms of budget. Some of DC’s main characters – including Batman and Superman – began to stay away from the big screen, leading to questions of whether another Justice League movie would even happen. Without a big film centered on a major DC character, the audiences’ interest in the current DCEU franchise seems to be fading away.
Aquaman remains the only DCEU movie since Justice League to have made more than $400 million at the worldwide box office. Granted, the pandemic and 2020’s HBO Max same-day release strategy have to be taken into consideration, especially for Wonder Woman 1984 and The Suicide Squad. Still, Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ box office performance is a symptom of a much larger DC movie problem. DC is lacking a major cinematic event, something that involves several characters and has a significant impact on the franchise. This is exactly what The Flash movie’s Flashpoint storyline can deliver, as it brings two Batmen, two Flashes, Supergirl, and Man of Steel’s Kryptonians.
James Gunn’s DC Reboot Makes The Flash’s Story Even Better
James Gunn’s Superman reboot will be the beginning of a new DC Universe. Apart from Viola Davis, who plays Amanda Waller in the DCEU and will star in the DC Universe’s Waller, no other actor from the previous franchise is confirmed to be reprising their role in DC’s Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters slate. Superman: Legacy is essentially a new start from DC on the big screen, yet this reboot will be explained in-universe. During the DC Universe slate announcement, James Gunn confirmed that The Flash resets things, thus setting up this new chronology of movies and TV shows.
Having a Flashpoint-inspired Flash movie releasing right as the DC Universe is being rebooted is a perfect coincidence that can help with the transition between the DCEU and Gunn/Safran's new DC franchise. Though a reboot does not necessarily have to be explained in-universe, The Flash movie can serve as a farewell to the old DCEU and its characters. Ben Affleck’s Batman, for example, could appear for the last time in The Flash ahead of DC Universe’s The Brave and the Bold reboot. As the original DCEU comes to an end amidst DC’s recent box office struggles, The Flash movie’s current form is exactly what the franchise needs.
