If you tuned into Zack Snyder’s Justice League, chances are you’re a lot more intrigued to see what’s next for Ezra Miller as The Flash in the DC Extended Universe’s future. Well, something big is definitely coming for the Scarlet Speedster real soon in the form of Andy Muschietti’s Flash movie, which is expected to arrive next year. We don’t know much about what’s ahead for Barry Allen, but the movie will be opening up the multiverse. So bring on the CW Arrowverse comparisons!
CW’s The Flash series is well-loved and has successfully brought together some incredible storylines within the comic book character’s career throughout its seven seasons on the air. Warner Bros’ big-screen adaptation of the zippy superhero shouldn’t copy the CW’s homework, but when it comes to building out the DCEU’s multiverse, there are a few takeaways the TV show can teach the movie. Let’s talk it through:
The Multiverse Can Be A Tool To Bridge Gaps Between DC Projects
Just in case you need a refresher or are just now joining us in the DC world, the multiverse, in short, refers to a number of different universes that exist, which Flash can visit thanks to his super speed. One major development for CW’s The Flash that lent itself well to the multiverse was how it used the concept to allow Barry Allen to travel to the universe that was home to another one of the sister properties within the Arrowverse, Supergirl. Supergirl initially was a CBS show before it switched to The CW, and it made sense for the Arrowverse to have different superheroes split up among different versions of Earth. Oh, and let's not forget how Grant Gustin's Barry briefly met Ezra Miller's Barry in the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover.
Looking to the DCEU, the multiverse could be the perfect secret weapon for the franchise to connect some dots between the breadth of visions being explored within Warner Bros’ umbrella. For example, The Flash will reportedly feature multiple versions of Batman from different universes. One will be Ben Affleck from the universe Ezra Miller’s Flash is from, and another will be Michael Keaton’s Dark Knight. (Matt Reeves’ The Batman starring Robert Pattinson will also take place on another Earth in the multiverse, but Pattinson's Bruce Wayne isn't expected to show up.) The Flash should learn the power it has here. Theoretically, something like the SnyderVerse could play out while the main DCEU continues its current trajectory by the rules of the multiverse. Multiple types of DC projects can flow freely once The Flash’s explores the multiverse, and Warner Bros should take advantage of this.
The Multiverse Could Allow Flash To Be In DCEU’s Fun Side
The DCEU tends to be the more serious one when it comes to Marvel vs. DC, but that doesn’t mean everyone of its heroes have to be dark and brooding. The Flash has a tragic backstory involving the death of his mother and his father being sent to jail after he's framed for murdering his wife. Yeah… like I said, dark. While CW’s The Flash does recognize the tragic elements of Barry Allen’s story, as far as the Arrowverse goes, the TV show has taken a looser and more good-time approach to its established world at the same time. It’s an admirable balance that The Flash does better than some of the other shows in the CW universe. And things tend to get really fun when Barry and his STAR Labs team venture into the multiverse.
The DCEU’s Flash can learn here that the multiverse can be a gateway to a good time for Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen. We’re talking about multiple universes here. I would sincerely hope The Flash movie doesn’t get too sincere when it’s inherently more amusing than terrifying that there are different worlds out there. Aquaman may be fiercely protecting the seas and the new Batman looks to be solving grisly crimes in Gotham City – Barry is discovering new variations of worlds. That’s the perfect ticket to invite lightness to his world.
The Rogues Gallery Needs Time And Space To Be Built Up
CW’s The Flash has had an impressive run when it comes to its use of building the character’s rogues gallery over the years. Typically, the series has a central big bad that is developed throughout the season amidst Barry Allen defeating villains of the week, along with recurring threats like King Shark. The series has built a solid lineup of heroes and villains over its seven seasons to draw on, and fans are on board for that because many of these characters have each been given the room to be developed over multiple episodes. With the multiverse, The Flash has gone so far as to introduce different versions of characters from other worlds who we can still follow.
The DCEU’s Flash movie should watch back the CW series and take away the benefit of time the Arrowverse show has that it does not have in a single movie. Comic book movies have a tendency to overpack its heroes and villains in order to get fans hyped and set up a number of storylines, and leave its films overstuffed. On the surface, it may look like CW’s The Flash is overstuffed, but it’s really not; it has had the beauty of time and space to develop its many characters. In turn, I hope the Ezra Miller-led movie realizes this and prioritizes developing great arcs over a lot of them, especially when it comes to the multiverse, because it can be super confusing.
How To Recycle Familiar Actors With New Characters
Last, but not least, something that has somehow worked really well for CW’s The Flash is using the multiverse to implement the same actors to play a variety of roles. The multiverse means that a Barry Allen in one universe could look the same as one from elsewhere in the multiverse, but lead a completely different life. Seeing how the CW show does this over the years has been an unexpected strength of the show. Tom Cavanagh playing around each season with variations of Harrison Wells, as well as popping in and out as the nefarious Eobard Thawne, has been a clever way for the actor to stick around, but keep us guessing with new performances.
We know The Flash movie will use the multiverse to show off multiple actors as Batman, but going forward, the franchise could even take another familiar actor, such as Henry Cavill, and place him in a completely random and different role. The multiverse allows for some really fun shakeups, and it's something I’d imagine a lot of actors would enjoy playing with.
Andy Muschietti’s Flash movie and the continued use of Barry Allen in the DCEU has a lot of potential, and I hope it learns a little something from having the CW Flash series before it. At the same time, it will surely be its own animal with its own vision, and I’m excited for what’s to come for a big screen Scarlet Speedster. The Flash is coming to theaters on November 4, 2022. Check out the entire upcoming DC lineup here on CinemaBlend.
