The Flash: Release DateTrailersCast & More

In the summer of 2014Warner Bros. Pictures announced an ambitious film lineup featuring the Justice League heroes. Some of itlike Wonder Woman and Aquamaneventually made it to theatersbut projects like a second part of Justice League and Cyborg vanished into the dusts of Multiversal upheaval and ongoing studio Crises. And for much of the timeit seemed the feature film version of The Flasha project under development even before the 2014 announcementswould suffer the same fate.

Directors like Seth Grahame-SmithThe Mandalorian‘s Rick Famuyiwaand the Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves pair of John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein signed on to make the filmbut left due to creative differences with (depending on who you talk to) the studio or star Ezra Miller. Soonthe film’s original 2018 release date was in the rearvieweven if the project was still slated to occur.

Flash forward to the summer of 2023 and The Flash is finally coming to theaters. Sureit may be carrying the baggage of that prolonged development and the headline-making behavior of its star in the last few yearsbut according to reportsit issomehowa good superhero movie.

Beyond its alleged qualitywhat else do we know about the film? Did its cast survive the Crisis of Infinite Creatives? Will it be part of the larger narrative Warner Bros. has been trying to jumpstart for the DC heroes since 2014? Let’s take a look at all the information we’ve collected over the years about The Flash to discern if it will be the cornerstone superhero movie of 2023.

The Flashpoint Paradox

(Photo by ©Warner Bros.)

As mentioned abovedevelopment of the film dragged on for nearly a decade (in this iterationanyway) and saw the movie shift from an origin story to a universal reset to a “dark tale” toonce againthe universe restart.

The plot concerns itself with Miller’s FlashBarry Allen – the Fastest Man Alive – as he uses his superhuman speed to undo the great pain of his life: the death of his mother. But as seen in the film’s trailers and the Flashpoint comic book event series upon which the movie is ultimately basedBarry’s choice to save her leads to unintended consequences.

(Photo by ©Warner Bros.)

The Flash now finds himself in an unfamiliar world where the Age of Heroes never came to be. Wonder Woman remains incognitoBatman is much older and more isolated than the one Barry knewand the Man of Steel seemingly never made his presence known. It could be a brighter world except for the fact that Kryptonian General Zod (Michael Shannon) has arrived on Earth to claim it for his own.

To stop the Kryptonians from reshaping the world in their imageBarry must team up with a version of himself from the new realitythe older Batmanand a Kryptonian refugee named Kara Zor-El (Sasha Calle) to stop Zod and find a way to send Barry home.

Althoughif you’ve read Flashpoint or seen the animated film adaptation The Flashpoint Paradoxyou may have some idea what Barry might find if he leaves the Flashpoint reality behind…

The Central City Of Two Worlds 

(Photo by ©Warner Bros.)

Barry’s Flash usually sets up shop in Central Citya vaguely midwestern city with a surprising amount of tech firms like S.T.A.R. Labs and Mercury Labs. Of courseit is unclear just how much time Barry will spend in Central City as the trailer suggest his journey in the new world he made will take him to Gotham City to recruit Batman and a government black site to rescue Kara.

Neverthelesswe know he will spend some time in Central City convincing his other self that all of this is happening andseeminglyhelping him acquire speed. Presumablythis also means spending some time in his home reality’s version of the city to seed some noticeable differenceslike where the Big Belly Burger is located.

And as all of this has Multiversal implicationsit is possible we may see one or two other Earths and their versions of the Justice League characters. Alsopresume at least one Metropolis will be destroyed before the final moments of the film unspool.

The Rogues Gallery 

(Photo by ©Warner Bros.)

Miller stars as Barry Allen/The Flash. They were first announced in 2014ahead of a cameo in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and the filming of Justice Leagueand stayed committed to starring in the film through all of the upheavalbe it at the studio level or their own actions. In the last few yearsthe actor has been accused of strange behavior like allegedly choking a fanhosting a family in unsafe conditions on their farm in the Northeast USandultimatelycreating a spree of legal troubles across the US in 2020 and 2021. ReportedlyMiller entered treatment last year at the studio’s behest so they could be cleared to promote the film in the coming weeks.

Joining them in the film as Barry’s one true loveIris Westis Kiersey Clemons. She also survived various rethinks and the departure of Famuyiwawho cast her in the partto appear in Zack Snyder’s Justice League and renegotiate her Flash contract. It is ultimately unclear how much screentime she will havethoughas The Flash is seemingly more invested in Barry’s greatest mistake than the romance with the woman he will ultimately marry.

(Photo by ©Warner Bros.)

Filling out the Central City cast are Ron Livingston as Barry’s fatherHenry Allen – replacing Justice League‘s Billy Crudup – and Maribel Verdú as Barry’s deceased mother Noraalthough she will be very much alive in the alternate world. AdditionallyMiller will play a depowered and seemingly less mature version of Barry from that other world. His yellow hoody in the trailers suggests he may also turn out to be the reverse of Barrybut that’s just speculation.

The big-name return appearance set for the film is Michael Keaton as Batman. The actor first played him in 1989’s Batman and returned for 1992’s Batman Returns before handing the cowl to other actors. His returna feature of speculation about the film for yearshas been welcomed by fans of Miller’s FlashBatfansand moviegoers alike. We dare say it is the most exciting element of the pre-release hypeeven if the Batman of the film isn’t exactly the character from the ’89 film. IndeedKeaton was said to recur in subsequent pictures as an almost Nick Fury-like presence to unite the next generation of heroes. That plan has since been abandoned – and his work in Batgirl completely shelved – but we at least get to see him in the part here one last time.

(Photo by ©Warner Bros.)

Ben Affleck will also appear as his Batman for part of the filmpresumably setting up the end of the world Barry knew before trying to save his mother. Reports indicate he will reprise the part one more time in December’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdombut as DC film projects are malleable until just before releaseit is unclear if this is still true. He has been spotted in Flash trailersthoughso we know he will both discourage Barry’s attempt to alter time and fight something.

Other actors appearing in the film include return appearances by Michael Shannon as Zod and Antje Traue as his chief lieutenant Faora-Ul. The pair first played the parts in Man of Steel. Temuera Morrison is also set to appear as Aquaman’s fatherArthur Curry.

(Photo by ©Warner Bros.)

The one key new player in the film is Sasha Calle as Kara. Based on the trailersthe character appears inspired by the isolated and strange Superman from the Flashpoint comic andthereforeis markedly different from the popular image of Supergirl. When her part in the film was first announcedmost assumed she would go on to lead the Supergirl film that was in development. This is now unclear as that project has been abandoned and The Flash will indeed serve as a reset for the DC film universewith parts getting recast and vast elements of the films from Man of Steel onward deleted from continuity.

Additional new faces include Saoirse-Monica JacksonRudy Mancusoand Luke Brandon Field in as-yet undisclosed roles.

The Speed Force  

(Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffi/Getty Images)

After so many directors attempted to make the movieIt‘s Andy Muschietti ultimately saw the project through to the end. The script is credited to Christina Hodsonwho wrote Birds of Prey and the shelved Batgirl filmwith Francis Daley and Goldstein and Obi-Wan Kenobi‘s Joby Harold receiving screen story credits. Michael Disco produced the film with Toby Emmerichformer DC Film president Walter Hamadaand Galen Vaisman serving as executive producers.

Joining Muschietti’s crew are director of photography Henry Braham of Guardian of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and The Suicide Squad fameproduction designer Paul D. Austerberrycostume designer Alexandra Byrneand editors Jason Ballantine and Paul Machliss. AdditionallyIt Chapter 2 composer Benjamin Wallfisch provides the score.

The Finish Line

(Photo by ©Warner Bros. Pictures)

After one of Barry’s longest runsThe Flash will arrive in theaters on June 16th. The film series’ futurethoughare less definite. Barry’s adventure signals the end of the shared DC film reality that began with Man of Steel. It will be replaced in with DC Studio’s co-CEO James Gunn’s new DC Cinematic Universeset to begin with a Creature Commandos animated series and Gunn’s next filmSuperman: Legacyin 2025. As of nowa Flash 2 is not on the studio’s development calendarbut we imagine a big box office success may change thateven if Barry ends up with a new face or hands his racing shoes off to another character. Barry isn’t the only Flashand fans of Wally West always hope he’ll get a chance to lead a film or series.

The Flash opens everywhere on June 162023.

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