Barry Allen is in dire straits, at least on the big screen. The Flash solo movie has continuously hemorrhaged directors over the course of the last year, leaving the film with almost no sense of momentum or direction. As of right now, The Flash is simply trying to keep a single filmmaker locked down -- with Robert Zemeckis and Matthew Vaughn currently standing as the frontrunners to step behind the camera -- but even those possible replacements don't necessarily feel right. Against seemingly insurmountable odds, one clear path to success appears to have surfaced that DC should take full advantage of: The studio should hire Wonder Woman's Patty Jenkins to get the project back on track.
There's no question that directors like Robert Zemeckis or Matthew Vaughn could probably make a phenomenal Flash movie. Both of them have proven time and time again that they know exactly how to construct fantastic blockbusters, and each of them has established a legacy that will live on long after either of them stops making movies. However, both of them are at a disadvantage because they're both unknown quantities in the DC realm, and there's no way to tell whether or not they will work well with DC and Warner Bros. That's not the case with Ms. Jenkins. She has already delved into the world of DC, with fans and critics who have seen early showings nearly universally praising her work.
Patty Jenkins hasn't just proven that she knows how to craft a slam dunk DC film. She has also established that she knows how to play nice with DC insiders, work within the system set up by Warner Bros. and workshop the hell out of her movie to get it right. DC has an anticipated success on its hands when Wonder Woman debuts next month on June 2, but there's no way of knowing how Justice League and James Wan's Aquaman will perform. Rather than swing for the fences and take a serious risk with The Flash, the comic book giant should simply try to get a runner on base with an established, comfortable director.
Of course, this idea raises another question: why not get Batman V Superman's Zack Snyder or Suicide Squad's David Ayer for the job if DC needs an insider? For starters, the odds of getting Zack Snyder back behind the camera anytime soon seem remote -- and rightfully so, as the man deserves time to mourn the recent passing of his daughter. As for Ayer, he's already involved in the development Gotham City Sirens, and the last thing we want anyone at DC to do is stretch themselves too thin. With the prospect of Wonder Woman 2 still a long way off (we will likely get Batgirl AND Sirens before it becomes a reality, based on recent rumors), Patty Jenkins has plenty of time to knock Flash out of the park and then go back to the world of Diana Prince.
Beyond that, it's worth noting that Zack Snyder and David Ayer have proven themselves incredibly polarizing when compared to Patty Jenkins. The stylish nature of their respective films hasn't managed to match broad appeal achieved by Jenkins on Wonder Woman (if we're to believe early reactions), which makes her seem like the strongest contender among the pack. There's no guarantee that this will ultimately happen, but it's something that Geoff Johns and the folks at DC should seriously take under advisement.
We will bring you more information related the development of The Flash as more details related to the project become available to us. For now, Barry Allen is set to make his proper DCEU introduction when Justice League debuts on November 17, 2017. If you're on the lookout for more information related to the rest of this year's most highly anticipated movie premieres, check out our comprehensive premiere guide!
