The upcoming Flash movie has been generating quite some buzz, ever since it was confirmed to finally be back in production during the DC Fandome event on August 22nd of last year.
During the event, the team confirmed that the film would be released in 2022, and Andy Muschietti (of IT and IT Chapter 2 fame) was confirmed as the director.
Another interesting development revealed during the event is that Micheal Keaton will be reprising his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman from the 1989 Batman.
At the same time, Ben Affleck’s version of Batman was also confirmed to be in the movie. The film is said to be an adaptation of the 2011 crossover-slash-reboot event in the DC Comics' ‘Flashpoint.’ The arc deals with the complex comic book concepts of the multiverse and alternate timelines.
DC Films seems to be doubling down on the multiverse concept as it looks to get rid of the Snyderverse plot elements set up in Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, and Justice League, as well as some other existing film versions of DC stories, while not completely rebooting the continuity. This lines up with the casting confirmation of Keaton and Affleck.
There is another rumor that has recently surfaced that states that Warner Bros. is courting Christian Bale to reprise his version of Batman from The Dark Knight Trilogy. The role is said to be just a cameo, and WB has reportedly offered Bale a handsome amount after the actor had previously rejected their bid.
It is highly unlikely that this will come through, as Bale is not known to be motivated by money, and his schedule is already jam-packed with the shooting of Thor: Love and Thunder, as well as a mysterious upcoming David O. Russell project.
The situation is not without hope, however; according to sources, he has agreed to cameo on the film on one condition - Christopher Nolan gives him the seal of approval. Nobody knows whether or not that will happen, but it is certainly keeping things suspenseful.
This would be the first solo outing for Flash on the silver screen, and it is shaping up to be DC’s version of MCU’s untitled Spider-Man 3, with a number of characters from the older movies set to be reprising their characters.
However, the horizon seems broader for DC, as they have already embraced their TV show universe as well, back when Ezra Miller’s version of Flash cameoed in The Flash TV show in 2020. This sets up the potential for even more interesting characters and storylines to join the fray.
Marvel, on the other hand, has actively avoided acknowledging their TV show continuity in their films save for a few nods here and there - although the advent of Disney+ and their already-popular, Easter egg-filled series Wandavision, that may soon change.
The Flash will be a soft reboot of the DCEU, using the multiverse as an explanation for all of the preceding events. This will enable the studio to retain elements that were successful in the franchise and retcon the ones that weren’t, so they can be more cohesive - like the MCU - in the future.
The Flash debuts in theatres in 2022.
