The DC Univere is going through a ton of changes, as new CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran are crafting their vision for the next decade of projects. But a few upcoming DC movies are already in the can, including Andy Muschietti’s The Flash. Of course, he wasn’t the first filmmaker, as a variety of names entered negotiations and dropped out of the gig. And former Flash directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley recently revealed why the dropped out of Ezra Miller’s DC flick.
Goldstein and Daley entered negotiations to direct The Flash in 2018, following the departure of both Rick Famuyiwa and Seth Grahame-Smith. This was just one chapter in the movie’s long journey to theaters, and they would eventually drop out after reportedly having disagreements with both Ezra Miller and the studio. The pair of filmmakers recently spoke to Variety about about that process, with Daley saying there were a few major creative differences. Goldstein offered his thoughts, saying:
If we feel like the powers-that-be aren't excited about making the same movie as we are, we're not going to win that battle.And so it's better to cut your losses and get out of there.
Honestly, that does seem like a pretty big pill to swallow. If you can’t agree on the heart of the movie’s story, I can only imagine how many other disagreements might have occurred if production began on The Flash with Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley as planned. With so many different directors dropping out, it’s a wonder the movie was completed at all.
So what exactly were the specific creative choices that Warner Bros. clashed with Goldstein and Daley over? The latter filmmaker also shared their vision for The Flash, which feels like almost the polar opposite of what we’re being given this summer. In Daley’s words:
We pitched this idea of a ground-level superhero where it isn't entirely end-of-the-world stakes. He's just learning his powers and is also somewhat dysfunctional with his life. The more imperfect we can make a superhero, the better, because that's the inherent challenge: How do you give imperfection to someone that is, you know, physically perfect?
If you’ve been paying attention to the marketing for Andy Muschietti’s The Flash, you’ll know that the movie looks anything but ground-level. The multiversal movie’s scale looks massive, including two different Barry Allens, the introduction of Supergirl, and return of both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton as Batman. Oh and Michael Shannon is totally back as Zod. As a reminder, you can check out the trailer below:
In the end IT filmmaker Andy Muschietti made The Flash into a reality, and it looks like it’s going to be a truly wild time at the theater. The movie is expected clarify the timeline of the DCEU moving forward, so the stakes definitely feel high.
On top of the director shakeups, The Flash’s journey to theaters has also been precarious thanks to controversies surrouding the movie’s star. Ezra Miller got involved in a number of legal scuffles over the past year, before issuing an apology and seeking treatment for mental health issues. They’ve been seemingly keeping on the staright and narrow, although certain lawsuits are still playing out.
The Flash will hit theaters on June 16th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
