by Though plans for a film starring The Flash dated back to the early 2000s, it wasn’t until the now-defunct DCEU – following Man of Steel (2013) – that Warner Bros. and DC Films put the real plans in motion for the speedster’s first big-screen solo adventure. It’s been a long road full of obstacles, but Barry Allen is almost touching the finish line now, and here’s everything we know about The Flash.
We should start by addressing the elephant in the room: the DCEU is on its way out after WB executives failed to chart a course for the cinematic universe. While comic book fans and the general public were able to enjoy a handful of pretty good flicks from this endeavor, the crossover aspect of it all failed terribly, although some might argue that Zack Snyder’s cut of Justice League – a huge drama in its own right – has shown something Promise, but it finally came too late. After a few years of mostly disjointed DC movies, The Flash’s journey into reality in this film is key to rebooting the main continuity.
Protector of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad writer-director James Gunn takes on the creative side of all audiovisual DC projects that evolve, effectively creating DC Studios and creating a (supposedly) coherent and coherent roadmap for the company’s IPs across movies, television and even video games away . The first “chapter” of this new age for DC movies and shows is called “gods and monsters (opens in new tab)‘ and is set to begin in 2025 with a fresh new version of Superman written by Gunn himself. We recommend checking out his full breakdown for a clearer picture, but it seems like some character iterations from the DCEU will survive this reboot, while others have had to be altered to work within the new narrative roadmap. Ongoing Elseworld stories like the sequels and planned spin-offs of The Batman or Joker: Folie à Deux will remain unaffected.
Before we get into all the juicy details about The Flash and the many characters it presents and brings back thanks to DC’s very own multiverse, we recommend checking our list of the DCEU movies ranked from worst to best as well as the huge list of all Marvel movies in order…if you’re more of a Marvel fan.
The flash release date
After many pre-production delays and release calendar shifts to avoid the COVID-19 pandemic and maximize profits, The Flash is finally hitting theaters worldwide on June 16, 2023.
It will be the second (of four) DC movies to be released with Shazam in 2023! Fury of the Gods launches March 17th, Blue Beetle takes over the slot on August 18th, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is making waves on December 25th.
The Flash Plot
While plot details have been kept under wraps, both press releases and previews released so far have painted a clear picture of what to expect in terms of The Flash’s story.
It all begins with Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) using his superpowers to travel back in time – his power level was greatly boosted in Zack Snyder’s Justice League – and save his family, ignoring Bruce Wayne’s (Ben Affleck) warnings . As a result, the future is rapidly changing and the titular racer is trapped in a reality where General Zod (Michael Shannon) has returned and Earth is on the brink of annihilation with Superman nowhere to be found.
This reality’s only hope may be to recruit a very different Batman (Michael Keaton) – who audiences are familiar with – and a troubled Supergirl (Sasha Calle) who could be very different from the Kryptonian escapee we’re used to are. And of course, we’ll also see several Barrys running around, likely causing trouble for our main hero.
The Flash trailer
A first, rough look at The Flash was shared during the 2021 DC FanDome event. You can check it out below:
After the film was pulled from its previous slot in November 2022, further marketing was put on hold. Now we’re just months away from what seems like the ultimate return of DC’s iconic speedster, and Warner Bros. Pictures has finally shared a phat full trailer that debuted during Super Bowl LVII:
Expect more previews in the coming months, especially after the second Shazam! Installment has ended all his theatrical business.
The Flash cast
The Flash has an all-star cast, including Ezra Miller (Barry Allen aka The Flash), Sasha Calle (Kara Zor-El aka Supergirl), Michael Shannon (General Zod), Ron Livingston (Henry Allen), Maribel Verdú (Nora everyone). ), Kiersey Clemons (Iris West), Antje Traue (Faora-Ul), Ben Affleck (Bruce Wayne aka Batman) and Michael Keaton (also Bruce Wayne aka Batman).
While cameos like Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman and even Henry Cavill’s Superman were once rumored to have been made, the final film may not include them, especially after DC Studios’ entire reorganization.
The Flash director, the writers and the crew
Several directors have been involved with the film over the years, but it was Andy Muschietti, the director of It: Part 1 and 2, who managed to crack the vision for the pseudo-adaptation of the famous Flashpoint Comics storyline. Christina Hodson (Birds of Prey) is credited as the last screenwriter to work on the film, with “story by” credits for Joby Harold (Obi-Wan Kenobi series) and Game Night directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 cinematographer Henry Braham worked with Muschietti to come up with the film’s look, which clearly borrowed a lot from Zack Snyder’s view of the character and his powers. Mussetti has also reunited with It composer Benjamin Wallfisch, who is in charge of the original score.
Ezra Miller controversy
In addition to the difficulties that created the universe, The Flash has had to deal with the many controversies and legal issues surrounding the film’s lead, Ezra Miller. These unfortunate events began around 2020 when Miller appeared in a since-deleted video (opens in new tab) (apparently) strangle a woman in front of several fans who approached them.
A handful of incidents were far more damaging to her public image (opens in new tab) in Hawaii, which took place in spring 2022. These included physical altercations and disorderly behavior. Shortly thereafter, in June 2022, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Court issued a restraining order against Miller on behalf of Tokata Iron Eyes, an 18-year-old activist who had had a strained relationship with the actor since 2016.
More allegations related to harassment, theft and drugs, sometimes involving children and teenagers, surfaced throughout 2022, culminating in a representative for Miller releasing a statement apologizing for Miller’s past behavior. The actor is said to be going through an intense crisis and has reportedly begun treatment for “complex mental health issues.”
