The Flashproducer Barbara Muschietti participated in a fan Q&A session duringthe second day of Warner Bros.' DC FanDome event. During the session, Muschietti addressed the rumor suggesting the Ezra Miller superhero film will restart the DC Extended Universe film series.
While Warner Bros.' DC Extended Universe film franchise has enjoyed critical or financial success withWonder Woman,Aquaman, andShazam!, the rest of the DCEU library has not fared as well with audiences or at the box office. AfterJustice Leagueunderperformed upon its release in 2017, the studio scrapped directorZack Snyder’s original five-film visionfor the DCEU and reassessed its plans for the future for the franchise. Those plans include a standaloneThe Flashfilm starring Ezra Miller as the Scarlet Speedster following his previous appearances inJustice Leagueand David Ayer’sSuicide Squad.
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Andy Muschietti, who helmed the recent two-part adaptation of Stephen King’sIT, will directThe Flashand has alreadyconfirmed the film adapts the famousFlashpointstorylinefrom the comics. The comments by Muschietti fueled the already-existing fan theory thatThe Flashwould be used to jettison the less successful elements of the DC Extended Universe while keeping the aspects of the franchise that worked. While Barbara Muschietti did not outright confirm this theory, she did note thatThe Flashwill restart the DC Universe in some form during the Q&A session. “Well, I want you to go see it, so I’m not going to tell you a lot. But what I will tell you is that it’s a ride,” she said. “It’s going to be fun and exciting and there are a lot of DC characters in it. Flash is the superhero of this film because he is the bridge between all of these characters and timelines. And in a way, it restarts everything and doesn’t forget anything.”
Written by Geoff Johns in 2011, theFlashpointstoryline begins with Barry Allen waking up in an alteredDC Universein which he seems to be the only one who is aware of the changes. Upon learning that this new timeline was created after he traveled to the past to prevent his mother from being killed by Reverse-Flash, Allen attempts to undo the changes he made to history but ends up dramatically altering the DC Universe in ways that are irreversible. The storyline and subsequent changes to the DC Comics lore were used by the publisher to relaunch its titles under the New 52 banner.
The probability of seeingThe Flashrestart elements of the DC Extended Universe is not all too surprising considering Warner Bros. has already started playing around with the concept of alternate timelines. While Zack Snyder’s cut ofJustice Leaguewill be released on HBO Max next year, the director has already confirmed the new version ofthe film will exist in its own continuity.
There are already signs that certain heroes may make their final appearances beforeThe Flashrestarts the DCEU timeline as well. While Ben Affleck had previously announced his retirement from the role of Batman, the actor later signed on toappear inThe Flashfilmin what is widely believed to be a chance to properly bid farewell to the Caped Crusader.
The Flashis scheduled to be released in theaters on July 14, 2025.
