To say we’ve been waiting a long time for The Flash movie would be an understatement, as the DC Extended Universe incarnation of this project was officially announced a week after The CW’s Flash series premiered in 2014, and that show is now in its ninth and final season. Fortunately, it’s looking like the solo movie for Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen is still on track to hit its summer 2023 release, and just a few days after the release of The Flash’s poster, the Super Bowl trailer for the upcoming DC movie has arrived.
Following cameos in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad and the Peacemaker Season 1 finale, and being one of the central players in both versions of Justice League, the time has finally come for the DCEU’s Barry Allen to shine in his own movie. Loosely adapted from the Flashpoint storyline, The Flash sees Barry going back in time to prevent his mother from being murdered. This action causes consequences to his timeline, and we now know what those are.
By saving his mother’s life, Barry Allen has created a world where there are no metahumans, which means that when a certain Kryptonian general from Man of Steel arrives on Earth in this reality, the world’s population is a lot worse off than it was when Superman was around. Fortunately, this preview reveals that there’s a different Kryptonian on Earth who can be of assistance, but as far as The Flash himself is concerned, he’ll need to team up with his doppelgänger and a different version of Batman to save the world, though how Barry returns things to normal is another matter entirely.
If the full-length trailer for The Flash wasn't enough for you, take a look at the TV spot that dropped during the Super Bowl too.
Among the ways The Flash stands out is featuring two versions of Batman; in addition to Ben Affleck reprising the Caped Crusader who fought alongside Barry Allen to defeat Steppenwolf and his Parademon army, Michael Keaton will don the cape and cowl again for the first time since 1992’s Batman Returns. The Flash’s cast also includes Sasha Calle as Supergirl, Michael Shannon and Antje Traue respectively reprising General Zod and Faora-Ul, Kiersey Clemons as Iris West, Ron Livingston taking over as Henry Allen from Billy Crudup, and Maribel Verdú as Nora Allen, among others. IT’s Andy Mushcietti directed The Flash off a script written by Birds of Prey’s Christina Hodson.
As seen in the trailer that aired during the Super Bowl, The Flash won’t be lacking for pulse-pounding superhero action, though we’re still in the dark on some key story details. And lately it’s been rumored that the movie is still being tweaked, namely with certain character teases in The Flash’s ending being removed. Whether that’s the case or not, The Flash already has a lot of positive buzz surrounding it. It reportedly was “extraordinarily well received” in test screenings last summer, and DC Studios co-head James Gunn described it as “one of the greatest superhero movies” he’s ever seen. Warner Bros. is even allegedly expecting The Flash to be a summer hit on the level of 2008’s The Dark Knight.
The Flash races into theaters on June 16, and you can catch up on the title character’s past DCEU adventures with an HBO Max subscription.
