With Marvel Studios cracking open the multiverse with Loki, Spider-Man: No Way Home and the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, DC fans will soon be able to enjoy their own spin on the concept when the Ezra Miller-led The Flash solo movie blows open the doors to DC’s own multiverse.
The long-awaited film, inspired by DC’s Flashpoint storyline, is expected to have huge ramifications for the DC Extended Universe going forward. We already knew that Michael Keaton will be donning the cape and cowl once more to portray Batman for the first time since 1992’s Batman Returns, with Ben Affleck also making what’s believed to be his final appearance as the Caped Crusader. And, with Keaton now confirmed to feature in DC’s Batgirl movie, it appears the DCEU may have a new Dark Knight post-Flash, and the latest bit of casting news for the movie also hints that Henry Cavill’s Superman could be on the verge of being Flashpointed out of existence.
As per an official announcement from Warner Bros., Man of Steel stars Michael Shannon and Antje Traue are set to return as the Kryptonian warlord General Zod and right-hand woman Faora-Ul in The Flash. Given Zod’s demise at the (literal) hands of Kal-El, it seems safe to assume that Shannon and Traue will be portraying alternate versions of their characters, presumably tied to Sasha Calle’s Supergirl.
Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean that Supergirl will be replacing her cousin as the DCEU’s Kryptonian champion going forward. It’s entirely possible that both characters could co-exist, and Henry Cavill has been making plenty of noise lately about wanting to don the cape once more. However, it was reported a while back that WB and DC Films were considering switching up Affleck’s Batman and Cavill’s Superman for Keaton’s Bats and a then-uncast Supergirl, and so with the Keaton half of the rumour looking like it’s panning out… who knows? We’ll just have to wait until November to see…
Along with Ezra Miller as Barry Allen alongside his Zack Snyder’s Justice League co-stars Ben Affleck (Batman) and Kiersey Clemons (Iris West), The Flash will see Michael Keaton making his return as Batman along with Ron Livingston (Office Space) as Henry Allen, Maribel Verdu (Pan’s Labyrinth) as Nora Allen, and Sasha Calle (The Young and the Restless) as Supergirl.
The Flash is set for release on November 4th, 2022.