For a movie about the fastest man alive, it’s taken almost a decade for Warner Bros. to get The Flash into cinemas, having announced the film as part of the initial DC Extended Universe line-up to follow Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. And, well, they probably shouldn’t have bothered…
Despite the nostalgic inclusion of Michael Keaton’s Batman – and a whole bunch of live-action/CG-recreated DC cameos – it seems the DCEU is completely done as a brand post DC Studios takeover/relaunch, with The Flash debuting with just $130 million worldwide – the lowest three-day global opening for the DCEU behind Shazam! Fury of the Gods, which also tanked with just $133.4 million back in March.
Domestically, The Flash is on track for a $55 million three-day weekend (with Warner Bros. touting a predicted 64 million with Monday included in the four-day holiday weekend) putting it in first place ahead of Disney-Pixar’s Elemental, which itself opened soft with just $29.5 million. The Ezra Miller-led multiverse adventure also looks to add a further $75 million over Friday to Sunday from the international markets, bringing its three-day gross to $130 million.
Issues with Ezra Miller and their behaviour over the past year or so aside, the announcementthat James Gunn and Peter Safran would be rebooting the DC Universe seems to have killed any interest in Warner and DC’s 2023 slate with audiences turning away from both of the studios’ offerings so far. Next up is Blue Beetle, which was originally intended as an HBO Max originally and looks to be retconned into the new DC universe, while Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will officially bring the curtain down on the DCEU slate in December but also seems to have been reworked to fit into the upcoming plans.
Will either of those be able to stem the tide, and where’s this all going to leave Superman: Legacy and the rest of the rebooted DC Universe when it comes to audience interest?
Worlds collide in “The Flash” when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past. But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. That is, unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian… albeit not the one he’s looking for. Ultimately, to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry’s only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?
The Flash is directed by Andy Muschietti (It) and stars Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/The Flash alongside Kiersey Clemons (Iris West), Ben Affleck (Batman), Michael Keaton (Batman), Sasha Calle (Supergirl), Michael Shannon (General Zod), Antje Traue (Faora-Ul), Kiersey Clemons (Iris West), Ron Livingston (Henry Allen), and Maribel Verdu (Nora Allen).
The Flash is out in cinemas now.
