The DC Extended Universe is a tricky place. While it's hard high moments with Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman, the development of its blockbusters always seems to be a bit rocky. The DCEU had seen quite a few directors unceremoniously depart projects, after their announcement made serious news. There's no better example of this than the long gestating Flashpoint movie, which has already seen two different come and go. The studio seems to be hoping the third time is the charm, as directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein have been in talks to take on the project. Now it looks like it's actually happening, as Daley tweeted a not so thinly veiled confirmation on Twitter today. Check out his post below.
While not exactly a press release, there aren't many ways to interpret John Francis Daley's tweet. Alongside a GIF of the Scarlet Speedster running up a mountain, he simply told cinephiles and comic fans that it's actually happening. Cue the Hallelujah chorus.
It appears that John Francis Daley and his collaborator Jonathan Goldstein will be taking on The Flash's first solo movie within the shared universe. And given their respective comedic sensibilities, it's a solid choice by DC. The duo has worked together for years, writing the screenplay for movies like Vacation and Horrible Bosses. They also recently directed Game Night. Since Barry Allen is a naturally comedic character (especially with Ezra Miller's natural charm and quirkiness), having comedy-focused directors makes a great deal of sense.
John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein also recently received acclaim as two of the writers on Spider-Man: Homecoming. This once again speaks to their qualifications to take over Flashpoint, as The Flash is basically DC's answer to Spider-man. Both heroes are bright eyed and inexperienced, and watching their fish out of water attempts at superheroics brings natural comedy.
Hopefully Flashpoint has finally found its directors, and no unexpected departures are heading out way. The Flash movie was first announced with director Seth Grahame-Smith attached. He ultimately departed the project, with Dope director Rick Famuyiwa taking over, casting Kiersey Clmmons as Irish West along the way. But Famuyiwa would also end up dropping out, leaving the movie in apparent jeopardy.
While John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein have been long rumored to be directing Flashpoint, it's a relief to hear that the deal is done. The DCEU is going to have to move fast in order to keep up with the behemoth Marvel Cinematic Universe. There's only one film set to release this year: James Wan's Aquaman in December. Shazam! and Wonder Woman 2 should arrive in 2019, so it's clearly going to be quite a while before Flash finally get a solo outing.
Aquaman will arrive in theaters December 21st. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your trips to the movies.
