Movies News Talk
Though it now falls to the DCU to do character justice and make him a proper hero, The Flash is among Dc's most loved and identifiable heroes. The updated DCU from DC Studios has the chance to change many cherished characters, thus hopefully the Flash will once more be a suitable hero.
Inspired by Man of Steel, which debuted the DcEU in 2013, Superman will open the new cinematic DC Universe in the summer of 2025. Unlike its predecessor, Superman seems poised to present a quite more vivid interpretation of the titular hero flanked by several supporting characters that have yet to be seen in live-action in its first phase of films entitled Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.
Flash's live-action excursions in the DCEU chronology mostly included some sort of time travel. Flash's first two appearances in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and the theatrical cut of Justice League saw him use time travel advantageously, both to help stave off the approaching threat of Darkseid, albeit the precise nature of Flash's time travel abilities in the DCEU is quite unclear. His first DCEU performance saw him warn Bruce Wayne of Superman's plunge into villainy at Darkseid's side; the second saw him reverse time to stop the Unity from materializing.
Flash's first solo trip in his self-titled film in 2023 saw the hero discover the Chronobowl, so enabling him to freely travel back in time far beyond past. Flash breaks Bruce Wayne's advise and starts a doomed timeline after realizing he could stop his mother from dying with this newly acquired power. Later on in this new timeline, a future version of herself is revealed to be a de facto villain (Dark Flash), whose relentless attempts to avoid a "intersectional inevitability" heralded the destruction of the multiverse.
Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox also adapted this Flashpoint narrative; only this animated timeline saw Earth beset by Justice League members who turned bad. One of Flash's most gripping narratives, this adaptation of the Flashpoint Paradox is not novel. DC, however, doubled down on Barry Allen fumbling his time travel ability in the later Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part 3. This time, Barry Allen destroyed a newborn Darkseid - who is herself a nexus being - so ruining an entire multiverse (albeit via Constantine's influence). This once more makes Flash and his time travel accountable for doom of a whole multiverse. By now The Flash is more like a one-trick pony, and it doesn't seem especially heroic.
Flash has stayed too long in the shadow of DC's golden children; if its confirmed release slate is anything to go by, it seems like a trend the Dcu is headed to continue. Flash's recent appearances have made him seem as a hapless Speed Force handler whose fumbling timeline makes him a clearly dangerous figure. This contradicts his reputation as one of DC's most central superheroes, one that Superman and Batman have enjoyed for decades across all media, particularly live-action films. Flash still feels too much like an afterthought, though, even when compared to live-action arrivals like Aquaman and Wonder Woman - which is an odd situation given his abilities.
The DCEU did a fantastic job of highlighting Aquaman, a character whose unusual abilities have historically been laughed at and underused. Meanwhile, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are routinely highlighted across all of DC media as the "Big Three." Although these three are fantastic, the Flash has spent too much time in the shadow of DC's golden children; it seems like a trend the Dcu at risk of carrying forward if its confirmed release slate is anything to go by.
Confirmed projects for a number of lesser-known DC characters including Booster Gold, Swamp Thing, and the Authority—a hopeful indication that the new cinematic franchise is trying to modernize things—have come out from the DCU's Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. Still, DC's Big Three have confirmed initiatives under development including Paradise Lost, The Brave and the Bold, and Superman. James Gunn has been cited as stating that although the DCU's confirmed slate for Chapter One is not yet complete, there is clear lack of a Flash project.
Diana Prince herself will not be starring in Paradise Lost, yet it will still examine the Wonder Woman mythos. Flash is arguably one of DC's most underrepresented characters, yet he has been marginalized in the DCU by both many newbies like Booster Gold and the most prolific superheroes in live-action film. This bothers me. This is notwithstanding the expectation that the DCU will modify the Justice League going forward—almost entirely based on a shared universe. Given how much comic book readers love the character, DC must start putting Flash first sooner rather than later since he is now under risk of being among the most forgettable heroes to casual viewers.
The Flash is among DC's most identifiable heroes, thus even if he might not have as much of a cinematic legacy, he should be valued as his fellow Justice League members. Though he can still be the go-to comic relief font—especially when paired with Batman—that does not mean he is clumsy or primarily motivated by mistakes. While there is every reason to believe that James Gunn's DCU will facilitate this humor, the franchise should really lead with Flash being a true hero deserving of his spot among the Justice League's top brass.
Fortunately, given the early launch of the DCU's Authority, there is a good likelihood of this happening. Unlike the Justice League, this team consists of heroes who have far less objections about killing offenders. Particularly in relation to Superman, their DCU debut could be trying to emphasize the moral qualities of their Justice League colleagues by comparison. Still, this depends on DC Studios elevating Flash to the forefront of its main story with a strong DCU debut proving his heroic credentials - only this time without almost destroying the multiverse.
One of the most popular comic book series, the DC Universe regularly rivals Marvel. Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson launched National Allied Publications in 1935, then changed it to DC Comics. Thousands of comic books, movies, TV shows, and video games have exploded from the franchise since then. With Zack Snyder introducing Henry Cavill as Superman, 2013 signaled the start of the most recent version of the superheroes. After several movies with mixed reviews, DC underwent a soft reboot under the helm of James Gunn and Peter Safran.
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