Although DC released some outstanding films in 2022, and more are on the way this year, the majority of them are rendered irrelevant for coming-of-age stories owing to James Gunn and Peter Safran rebooting the whole DCU. Especially Black Adam was an intriguing twist on the anti-hero and provided fans with a dramatic post-credit scene by bringing Henry Cavil's Superman to deal with the Kahndaq's guardian. Given Marvel's recent struggles with lackluster projects like She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel, now is the time for DC to shine with the new eight to ten-year plan Gunn and Safran have devised.
Regardless of the fact that a DCU reset is much-needed, devoted fans who have admired Henry Cavil as Superman and The CW shows like Arrow and The Flash will miss the good old days. Nonetheless, The Flash movie is the perfect farewell to lifelong DC fans that brings nostalgia to the big screen. While it has not been announced whether The Flash film will have any connections to the new DCU, here's how we believe it will reset the existing DCU while also making us, the passionate DC fans, feel good for one last time.
The Classic Flashpoint Premise
Flashpoint has long been one of DC's most iconic storylines, whether in live-action or comics. In fact, every significant crossover involving popular superheroes like Green Arrow (Stephen Amell), Supergirl Kara (Melissa Benoist), and even the Justice League that saved the world when it was at its worst, was caused by Flashpoint. The Flash movie, like The Flash television series, centers on Flashpoint, in which Barry (Grant Gustin) travels back in time to when his mother was killed by Reverse Flash (Tom Cavanagh) and his father was imprisoned for false accusations.
The upcoming film is heavily inspired by the comic event series Flashpoint, in which Barry wakes up in an altered reality after attempting a Flashpoint to rewrite the past but ends up incurring more trouble — a generic time travel concept. Contrary to popular opinion, the comic was originally intended to be a summer fun story but has now been settled as a reboot of the DC Universe. Despite reverting to the same concept rather than creating something new, this story serves as a fitting send-off for fans of the Flash as well as a planned reset for the DC Universe.
Circling Back to Man of Steel
Even though it has been nearly ten years since the film Man of Steel, which created the Zack Synderverse, came out, it feels like it was only a few years ago. The film also served as an excellent starting point for Superman, introducing fan favorite Henry Cavil to the DC universe. As shown in the trailer, the world is thrown into turmoil as a result of the Flashpoint, and we see General Zod (Michael Shannon) step out of the Fortress of Solitude, Krypton's spaceship. He was the main antagonist in Man of Steel and, arguably, the most intriguing character in the film after Superman. Bringing back events from Man of Steel would instill enormous affection in the hearts of viewers, and since the film alters the events of the DCU continuity, it will once again act as a reset point for the DC.
Return of Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck as Batmans
The first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions DC is the Caped Crusader of Gotham, Batman. The first live-action film featuring the famed hero was Tim Burton's Batman (1989), followed by a sequel titled Batman Returns in 1992. While many people have different personal favorites in Batman roles, such as Christian Bale, who skillfully represented The Dark Knight, or Robert Pattinson, who captured the true Batman from the comics, many still believe Michael Keaton is the best Batman ever to play the role because both films were classics. More than that, Ben Affleck cemented his role as Gotham's Knight in Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice.
The upcoming film The Flash will feature both iconic actors, demonstrating that the film is more than just a farewell to longtime fans but rather an homage to DC's rich history. Interestingly enough, we've seen multiple speedster team-ups in The Flash, but there have never been two Batmen in a single live-action film. One of the most memorable lines from The Flash trailer is Michael Keaton's "Yeah, I'm Batman," which brought back memories for many fans.
Ben Affleck, on the other hand, was portrayed as a righteous and mentoring character as he helps Barry in fixing what he messed up and also partakes in some spectacular action sequences reminiscent of Batman from the Batman: Arkham Knight video game. Hopefully, we'll see both Batmen working together in some way rather than just Barry visiting them separately because it would be twice as scary and fun to see them fighting together against criminals. It has the potential to evoke the same feeling of nostalgia as Spider-Man: No Way Home, in which Garfield, Maguire, and Holland literally made audiences scream throughout the film.
The Flash movie is expected to be released on June 16, marking the end of the old DC Universe and the beginning of the new, thrilling adventures that James Gunn and Peter Safran will bring to the DCU Franchise with their reboot.