The Flash


  • Debut: January 1940
  • Creators: Gardner Fox and Harry Lampert
  • Studio: Warner Bros
  • Franchise: DC
The Flash Movie Cast News

The Flash Movie Was A Box Office Disaster

The production cost for The Flash was a staggering $200 million, with an additional $65 million pumped into marketing. This would necessitate a break-even point of around $550 million in earnings.

Yet, it opened with a disappointing $55 million, a shadow of what blockbusters of its caliber often rake in. By its fifth weekend, this speedster was rapidly fading, headed towards being labeled one of the biggest flops in Warner Bros.’ century-long history.

Further cementing its disappointing run, the film experienced a sharp decline of over 70% in its second weekend. Comparatively, even past films with lackluster performances, like Batman v. Superman and Suicide Squad, managed to cover their production and marketing costs.

Ezra Miller Had Numerous Off-Screen Issues

Behind the film’s tumultuous journey is a series of unfortunate events and decisions. A significant shadow was cast over its release due to controversies surrounding the lead actor, Ezra Miller. Allegations of harassment, assault, and a widely circulated video of Miller appeared to impact the film’s reception, making it a topic of contention rather than anticipation.

Additionally, The Flash had been ensnared in what the industry terms “development hell” for many years. Initially conceptualized during the Zack Snyder era of the DCU in 2013, the film underwent several changes in hands, with multiple writers and directors contributing to its evolution.

This often viewed as a curse in Hollywood, did the movie no favors. The project’s continuity faced further disruption when Zack Snyder, originally at the helm of the DCU’s vision, departed from 2017’s Justice League due to personal reasons, leading to tonal inconsistencies and production challenges.

Adding to the complexity, The Flash ambitiously aimed to be both a solo showcase for Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen and a multiverse-spanning spectacle bringing in a roster of heroes from different eras. This in itself might have been a compelling narrative, had the DC Universe not been in a state of flux.

The Flash was not just a narrative of speed and time-bending scenarios; it also brought together a constellation of actors and actresses from various eras of the DC Universe, assembling alongside Ezra Miller.

Michael Keaton Returned As Batman

Michael Keaton returned to his iconic role as Batman, a nod to Tim Burton’s 1989 rendition of the Caped Crusader. Keaton’s involvement was seen as a potential draw for long-term fans of the franchise and a bridge across multiverse storylines.

Sasha Calle also made her debut as Supergirl, bringing a fresh face and energy to the ensemble and establishing her character for potential future outings in the DC Universe.

James Gunn, known for his work with Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, was ushered in as the new creative head of DC. Under his leadership, the direction for DC was to start afresh, implying that The Flash would be among the last remnants of the old DC Universe or “Snyderverse.”

However, every cloud has a silver lining. As The Flash found its way to the streaming platform Max, its narrative took a turn. Climbing its way to the top 10 and eventually securing the #1 spot, the film seemed to have found its audience in the digital realm. It’s uncertain whether this resurgence in popularity was due to genuine appreciation, curiosity, or a mix of both.

Further, in a bid to capitalize on the NFT trend, Warner Bros. Discovery announced The Flash as a “blockchain movie,” offering fans a new form of ownership and exclusive content. This move, however, has garnered mixed reactions, reflecting the volatile nature of the NFT market and its alignment with film distribution.

In the end, while The Flash might not have been the box office sensation Warner Bros. had hoped for, its story is a testament to the unpredictability of the film industry.

With change, controversy, and digital landscapes redefining the rules, The Flash might just be the precursor to a new era of cinematic experiences.

After years in development, going through multiple directors, stars, and scripts, The Flash finally made it to the big screen. Instead of a solo origin film, though, it was a time travel/multiverse outing that brought together DC heroes of the past (Michael Keaton’s Batman) and those who never were (Sasha Calle’s Supergirl).

Up until the day of release, the studio and fans thought that finally, DC would have another hit movie, but following the disappointing opening weekend, the entire discourse around the film changed.

With a historic second-week drop in ticket sales, all of a sudden, the odds of James Gunn going forward with The Flash 2 dropped to zero.

The Flash 2 Script That Will Never See the Light Of Day

In 2022, before Black Adam was released and before James Gunn became the new co-CEO of the DCU, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that a script for The Flash 2 was already done.

The script was written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, the screenwriter of Aquaman and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

Reportedly, a sequel was a possibility based on the box-office success of The Flash, and after the film became one of the biggest bombs in history, any chance of The Flash 2 was removed from the multiverse along with the Flashpoint timeline.

If another Flash solo film ever materializes, it won’t star Ezra Miller and will have no connection to the Zack Snyder Justice League.

Ezra Miller And The Flash 2

ezra miller the flash ring

Before The Flash hit theaters, director Andy Muschietti insisted that Ezra Miller would reprise their role as Barry Allen for the sequel. Due to the controversy surrounding Miller, Warner Bros Discovery didn’t have the star out on the publicity tour, relying instead on Michael Keaton, Sasha Calle, and Michael Sheen.

Despite everyone who worked with Ezra Miller praising their work ethic and professionalism on set, the reality is that the controversy, justifiable or not, had a part in the failure of the film.

How large will remain impossible to truly quantify, but it was a part, and with all of the other Justice League stars being replaced under James Gunn, it stands to reason that Miller will not be back.

Possible Plots For The Flash 2

Thanks to The CW’s The Flash running for so long, the general public is already aware of The Flash’s villains, from the Rogues to Zoom, but if The Flash 2 ever does happen, it should focus on Reverse Flash.

The arch-enemy to The Flash, Eobard Thawne is from the far future, and he’s either Barry Allen’s biggest fan or the source for everything wrong in the hero’s life, depends on who (and when) you ask.

There are plenty of Thawne stories to use for inspiration, but for a speedster villain less tied to time travel, Godspeed is the perfect villain. A former police officer who worked with Barry Allen, August Heart gets superpowers and immediately uses them to murder criminals.

Going with Godspeed as a villain would let The Flash 2 be more grounded, while focusing on what makes Barry a real hero.

What Went Wrong With The Flash?

When Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull included a scene involving using a refrigerator to survive an atomic bomb, the public ruthlessly mocked the film, and poor word of mouth started to cut off the film’s legs at the box office.

The same thing happened 15 years later, with The Flash and the infamous “baby in a microwave” scene. Within hours of the premiere, social media lit up with people mocking the sequence.

Poor VFX effects have dogged The Flash, especially a scene in which Barry runs through time, and it has been getting called out as having worse graphics than a PlayStation 2 game.

Looking beyond James Gunn rebooting the DCU and the controversy around Miller, it’s ultimately the quality of the special effects that appears to have doomed any prospects for The Flash 2.

When Will The Flash Appear In The DCU?

kid flash

Assuming that The Flash 2 will never happen, that doesn’t mean that Barry Allen will never be part of James Gunn’s DCU.

Whether he’s being played by Ezra Miller or someone else, the Scarlet Speedster doesn’t have a solo movie in the first phase of the DCU, referred to as “Gods and Monsters” by Gunn.

With the lack of a Justice League-style film in the lineup as presented by Gunn, it stands to reason that The Flash won’t be back until 2028, at the earliest.

Even then, there are multiple Flashes that could be used, and given how poorly the film went over, it might be time for Warner Bros Discovery to utilize Wally West as the main Flash.

Is Sasha Calle Done As Supergirl?

supergirl the flash

One of the best parts of The Flash was Sasha Calle’s debut as Supergirl, but because of the timeline shenanigans of the plot, she won’t be part of the DCU moving forward.

The actress has said that she wants to keep playing Supergirl, and there is a film in DCU’s first phase, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, based on the graphic novel of the same name.

Yet there’s been no official word if Calle will continue forward, other than she won’t be part of The Flash 2 if it does happen (beyond more damage to the timeline).

Is Michael Keaton Returning As Batman?

michael keaton batman

As with Sasha Calle, The Flash 2, if it were to happen, would do so without Michael Keaton as Batman. After 30 years, and four different Batman, the original big-screen Caped Crusader finally put on the spandex one last time.

He did such a great job, that The Flash was considered by some fans to be a Batman movie.

By all acounts, Keaton enjoyed his time back on screen as Batman, even asking for an on-set photo in the Batcave for his grandson. The canceled Batgirl film was also going to include Keaton, coming back as Bruce Wayne to mentor Barbara Gordon in a role similer to that from the animated Batman Beyond series.

But now that he was back on the big screen, and with a whole new generation of fans, there’s nothing left for Michael Keaton in the DCU.

Latest The Flash Stories


nicolas cage

Nicolas Cage Sounds Done With Superheroes And We Can’t Blame Him

During his incredible and – quite frankly – legendary career, Nicolas Cage has appeared in every genre and subgenre under …

4 days ago

Grant Gustin Joining James Gunn DCU? Director Drops Definite Hint For Fans

With the upcoming DCU reboot just around the corner, we’re left wondering if there will be future iterations of the …

7 days ago

code 8 part ii

Netflix Cyberpunk Superhero Sequel Is Finally Streaming

Stephen and Robbie Amell’s 2019 dark cyberpunk superhero sci-fi Code 8 was an unexpected and underrated film that came out …

3 weeks ago

leslie grace batgirl directors feature

Warner Bros. Is Deleting Movies From Existence, And That Should Make Them Criminals

The last few years have been tough on every studio out there, between the financial setback caused by the COVID-19 …

3 weeks ago

grant gustin the flash

Grant Gustin Returning To Save The Flash?

After nine seasons starring as Barry Allen on the CW’s The Flash, Grant Gustin has indicated that he would be …

3 weeks ago

James Gunn DCU

James Gunn Is Going To Direct More DCU Movies And That’s Dangerous

During a recent interaction with fans on Threads, James Gunn confirmed that he will be directing a number of upcoming …

1 month ago

DC’s Next Big Release Already Looks Like A Flop

DC hasn’t been doing well on the film side of things, and now it looks like their next big video …

2 months ago

Five Nights At Freddy’s Defeats An Iconic Superhero With Massive Box Office

Now heading into its first full month in theaters around the world, Five Nights at Freddy’s is continuing to dominate …

4 months ago

brie larson

The Marvels Is Looking A Lot Like The Flash

Things haven’t been looking good for Disney and Marvel’s upcoming feature, The Marvels for quite some time, and now, the …

5 months ago

the flash ring

Tim Burton Is Not Happy About The Flash

DC and Warner Bros.’ The Flash, directed by Andy Muschietti, generated significant buzz, largely driven by its multitude of cameo …

6 months ago

indiana jones and the dial of destiny

The Summer Blockbuster That Beat Indiana Jones And The Flash Is A Total Shocker

Six months ago, everybody would have thought that The Flash and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny would have …

6 months ago

The Flash Movie On Streaming You Should Actually Watch

The 2013 direct-to-video animated superhero film Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox is currently streaming on Max. The film is based on the …

6 months ago

the flash 2

Ezra Miller Needed CGI For Awkward Body Part In The Flash

DC might want to change the Flash’s nickname to The Flattest Man Alive. An X (formerly known as Twitter) account, …

7 months ago

DC Loses Shocking Amount Of Money From Its Terrible Movies

DC needs a hero to save it from its most dastardly villain, its archnemesis, the one hellbent on ruining the …

7 months ago

The Flash Finally Finds An Audience Now That It’s Streaming

When Andrés Muschietti’s The Flash first premiered back in June, the film failed to garner the necessary fanship required to …

7 months ago

Blue Beetle Finally Unseats Barbie While Making DC History

You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both, and then you have…the Blue Beetle? According to …

7 months ago

the flash

The Flash Is Coming To Streaming Sooner Than Expected 

Warner Bros. Pictures and DC’s The Flash, which was released earlier this summer, is already set to make its streaming …

7 months ago

The Flash Is Going To Hurt The Next DC Superhero Blockbuster

The Flash was a film that was riddled with baggage before it even hit theater screens, and the film’s poor …

7 months ago

nicolas cage

Nicolas Cage Gives Hilarious Response To Superman Cameo In The Flash

It was the moment fans had been waiting decades for – Nicolas Cage flying into the role of Superman – …

8 months ago

The Flash Still Isn’t Done Embarrassing Itself

At this point, if you told us Reverse Flash was real and he really did change reality to make the …

8 months ago

The Flash Is The Biggest Flop In Superhero And Warner Bros. History

As it enters its fifth weekend, The Flash is on track to be the biggest flop not just among superhero …

8 months ago

the flash villain

Ezra Miller Out At DC Because The Flash Was Such A Bomb?

It’s been almost a month since The Flash, previously dubbed one of the greatest superhero movies ever made, was released in …

8 months ago

Sci-Fi Shows That Should Have Ended Sooner

Sci-fi tv shows that went on too long include Lost, Supernatural, and ALF.

9 months ago

the flash

The Flash Could End Up Costing Warner Bros. $200 Million

The Flash isn’t just a box office failure; it could end up costing Warner Bros. over $200 million.

9 months ago

The flash 2

Why The Flash Is Bombing At The Box Office

The Flash’s failure comes from a perfect storm of different factors.

9 months ago

the flash

The Flash Continues Flopping In Awful Box Office Weekend

The Flash’s box office take drops 73 percent in its second weekend.

9 months ago

The Flash Continues Historic Box Office Collapse

The Flash has had a second-weekend collapse of over 70 percent at the box office, ensuring it will lose Warner Bros. Discovery a historic sum of money.

9 months ago

The Flash Suffers Another Humiliating Defeat At The Box Office

The Flash was beaten out at the box office this past week by Pixar’s Elemental.

9 months ago

the flash ring

The Flash Gets The Worst DC Audience Score Ever

The Flash is now tied with Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice with the lowest audience score ever in the DCU on Cinemascore.

9 months ago

The Flash Is A Box Office Disaster

The Flash earned a disappointing $60 million at domestic box offices during its opening weekend.

9 months ago