Ten years ago, Man of Steel founded the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). A year later, The Flash was announced, which is now in cinemas. It wasn’t the first time Hollywood had tried to make a film about the lightning fast DC heroes to produce. There were already plans for a film adaptation of the comic character in the 1980s, but so far every cinema project has failed.
When The Flash embarked on its journey in 2014, the DCEU was brimming with potential and ambition. Now that the movie is finally starting the universe is dying. Along with Blue Beetle and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, The Flash marks the DCEU’s final breaths before Superman: Legacy kicks off a full reboot. We’ll tell you how the new superhero blockbuster turned out.
Multiversal escalation with Batman and Co.: The Flash is DC’s Spider-Man: No Way Home
In Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice we first saw Barry Allen aka Flash (Ezra Miller), before he had his first big DCEU adventure in the course of Justice League or Zack Snyder’s Justice League. The Flash builds on those events while also answering important questions about the origin story of the superhero who lost his mother as a child and has suffered from it ever since.
You can watch the trailer for The Flash here:
The Flash – Trailer 2 (German) HD
Although the title promises a solo film, The Flash is a much larger project. Similar to Spider-Man: No Way Home, it’s a crossover that different DC generations united, who have never been represented together on the big screen. In addition to Ben Affleck’s Batman from the DCEU, Michael Keaton’s Batman, which we know from the Tim Burton films, appears.
As a multiverse movie, The Flash shows us one too alternative version of the DCEU: Replacing Henry Cavill’s Superman is newcomer Sasha Calle as Supergirl. The trailers for The Flash have also revealed that the great villain from Man of Steel is returning: Michael Shannon is once again up to mischief as General Zod and terrorizes mankind with his terraforming machine.
But who appears for how long? Keaton is actually more than a guest star. He is developed into an important supporting character, while Calle’s Supergirl appearance is unfortunately far too short. Shannon’s Zod makes a casual appearance, but we get two versions of it from Barry Allen. And if you haven’t already read all the leaks and spoilers, there will be some surprises as well.
More than Easter Eggs and Batmen, The Flash touches on a tragic DC story
In a way, The Flash is the ultimate DCEU film. He is tied to the beginning and end of the franchise and links to legacy characters. That sounds very confusing at first. But the film succeeds surprisingly well, the many worlds and characters in one understandable story to bundle, which – similar to the Back to the Future films – combines the drama with a lot of humor.
Warner Bros.
the flash
DC is known for its dark tones. Right from the start, The Flash turns out to be a playful superhero adventure that doesn’t shy away from weird ideas. An early highlight: The rescue of several babiesthat are in free fall. Without revealing too much: A microwave plays a crucial role. Here The Flash is closer to Batman holding the world in suspense than Man of Steel.
Director Andy Muschietti enthusiastically leans into all sorts of silliness. Still, he doesn’t forget the emotional core of the story: Barry’s desperate attempt to save his family. As the superhero The Flash, he crosses entire continents in a split second, but he cannot prevent the death of his mother and the conviction of his father. The Flash lies one tearing tragedy perish.
The DCEU may end quietly with The Flash, but one question will always remain
Just as quickly as the Flash moves through the multiverse, the mood of the film shifts. The brief saving of the world with Batman and Co. becomes one touching wrestling with one’s own fate. This part of the story also works without you understanding the numerous references and allusions. Still, The Flash is most interesting as a DCEU graduation film.
While it’s not technically the final installment in the franchise (that credit goes to Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in December), the many Man of Steel references make for a thoroughly poetic franchise layer. The Legacy of the Snyder-Verse condensed into 140 minutes: After eleven years, The Flash wants to bring peace to the DCEU and still flirts with the question: “What happened if … ?”
The Flash starts on June 15, 2023 regularly in German cinemas. The first previews and special performances are already taking place today.
*. .