For as long as the DC Extended Universe has been a thing, there's been the promise of a Flash movie. With Ezra Miller's Barry Allen now having appeared in three movies, as well as Grant Gustin's version of the Scarlet Speedster still enjoying popularity in the TV world, now is a great time to finally spotlight the character in his own movie. However, the project has hit several behind-the-scenes obstacles over the years, most notably losing two directors. But now it looks like The Flash movie's luck is finally starting to turn around.
It was reported last week that Spider-Man: Homecoming writers John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein are in negotiations to direct Flash's movie, which is now called Flashpoint. Assuming a deal is finalized, this will finally put the Fastest Man Alive's cinematic adventure back on track. That being said, there are still a few questions on our minds concerning Flashpoint that we'd like to be answered as the year progresses. Starting off, let's talk about the movie's lack of a release date.
When Will It Open?
For a long time The Flash movie was expected to race into theaters sometime in March of 2018, but it became increasingly clear with each new behind-the-scenes setback that it wasn't going to make that date. Now Flashpoint is undated, although some rumors indicate DC and Warner Bros want to release it in 2020. When the initial DCEU slate was announced, Cyborg and Green Lantern Corps were slated for that year, but a lot has changed since then, and it wouldn't be surprising in the slightest if one or both of those movies have been delayed. Since Shazam! and Suicide Squad 2 are already scheduled to begin filming this year, it's highly unlikely that a Flashpoint shoot will be crammed in as well so it comes out in 2019, leaving 2020 as the earliest we could see it. However, if the creative forces involved want to take a little more time with perfecting the story, then it's possible that it may not arrive until 2021 or even 2022. We'll have to wait and see.
What Supporting Flash Characters Will Be Introduced?
Aside from Barry Allen (obviously), the only character from the Flash mythos who's been seen in the DCEU so far is Henry Allen, who, like his comic book counterpart, is languishing in prison due to being wrongly convicted for the murder of his wife, Nora Allen. Kiersey Clemons was supposed to appear in Justice League as Iris West, but her scenes were cut for the theatrical release. Presumably Henry will be back for Flashpoint and Iris will finally be introduced, although it remains to be seen if Clemons will still be inhabiting the role. But what other Flash supporting characters could we meet? Now that Barry's working with the Central City Police Department, perhaps we'll see some of his fellow co-workers/bosses, like David Singh, Gregory Wolfe, Patty Spivot, James Forrest, etc. Maybe the movie can find a way to fit Jay Garrick into the story without having his background as the Golden Age Flash. Above all else, I'm hoping that Flashpoint can bring back Jai Courtney to reprise Captain Boomerang so that the Scarlet Speedster can kick his ass once again.
How Much Time Will Have Passed Since Justice League?
Although Ezra Miller previous cameoed as Barry Allen in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad, Justice League not only marked the character's full-fledged introduction, but his graduation from guy who pushes people and runs away to proper superhero. Now the question is how much time will have passed since Justice League when we reunite with Barry in Flashpoint? Will it only be a couple weeks or months after he and his fellow superheroes defeated Steppenwolf, or will it be approximately the same amount of time for him as it has been for us, i.e. a few years. I suspect it will be the latter, as Barry will need to be more experienced as The Flash rather than still learning the swing of things. Hopefully by that point he's also gone at least several more Justice League missions, as one just isn't enough for Flash to build a proper dynamic with his teammates, several of whom are expected to appear in Flashpoint (more on that later).
What Kind Of Tone Will It Go For?
The Flash is generally considered to be one of the more lighthearted characters in the DC universe. So even though he's been the central character in many a serious story, he usually keeps an optimistic perspective, and rarely does he approach Batman levels of darkness. And with John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein being lined up to direct Flashpoint, one would imagine that the Flashpoint movie would have a comedic feel to it given the duo's previous credits like Vacation and the upcoming Game Night. However, the original Flashpoint story is fairly dark, so it's certainly possible that Daley and Goldstein will operate outside their wheelhouse in order to properly make this movie. That said, given that part of the appeal of Ezra Miller's Flash was his humorous personality, ideally Flashpoint will be strike a good balance between lightheartedness and seriousness, rather than delve heavily into dark territory.
How Faithful A Flashpoint Adaptation Will It Be?
Obviously superhero movies take creative liberties when adapting stories from the comics, but considering that The Flash TV series only dedicated one episode to a loose Flashpoint adaptation, it's not unreasonable to ask how faithful the Flashpoint movie will be. So far, all signs point to this movie leaning comfortably on the source material, as Gal Gadot will reportedly appear as Wonder Woman and DC president Geoff Johns says there will Batman elements. The original Flashpoint story saw Barry Allen waking up in a drastically different version of the main DC timeline, with changes that included Thomas Wayne fighting crime as Batman, Wonder Woman and Aquaman being at war with one another and Superman being held captive by the U.S. government since he landed on Earth as a baby. It still feels weird for Flashpoint to be the first "standalone" Flash movie out the gate, but this has the potential to be just as big in scale as Justice League, if not bigger, so it will be interesting what elements from the comics are kept and which ones are tossed aside.
Will It Be A Reset For The DCEU?
Besides being a captivating alternate continuity tale, Flashpoint is remembered as being the catalyst for the New 52 reboot. As Barry raced back in time to (SPOILERS) stop his past self from saving his mother from being killed, the main DC universe was recreated into something that felt familiar, but was packed with numerous differences. The DC Rebirth relaunch later revealed that it was Doctor Manhattan who was responsible for these changes, but just like The Flash TV series and Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, the movie would easily lay the blame for any timeline changes at Barry's feet. Of course, it remains to be seen if Flashpoint will actually be rebooting any of the DCEU, whether that's by altering the history of heroes or recasting certain characters. This could be a way for Warner Bros to help set this franchise on a more steady path, but on the other hand, maybe the creative minds at work will leave well enough alone and have Barry put everything back in its proper place in the end.
