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One of the final entries in the DCEU was The Flash, which was a box office flop after grossing just $271 million.
Director Andy Muschietti knows that it flopped, and he may have a reason why. During an interview with Radio TU (via DiscussingFilm on X, formerly Twitter), Muschietti reflected on the movie. It flopping may have been due to it not being a “four quadrant” blockbuster and the title character not being popular enough to carry a movie.
“The Flash failed, apart from all the other reason[s], because it wasn't a movie that appealed to the four quadrants. It failed at that,” he said. “When you spend $200 million making a movie, Warner [Bros] wants to bring even your grandmother to the theaters.
“And I found out in private conversations that a lot of people just don't care about The Flash as a character, particularly the two female quadrants. All that is wind going against the movie that I learned about,” he continued.
Either way, The Flash was one of the last installments in the DCEU before its reboot. James Gunn and Peter Safran are spearheading the DCU, which will introduce new versions of heroes like Batman, Superman, Supergirl, and probably The Flash.
At least Muschietti is still busy after The Flash. He developed the IT prequel series Welcome to Derry for HBO, which will premiere in 2025.
Was The Flash a flop?
Unfortunately, The Flash was a flop for the DCEU and Warner Bros. Making just $271 million on a blockbuster movie budget is not going to get it done.
Blue Beetle and Aquaman and the Los Kingdom followed The Flash in 2023. Both were also flops at the box office, grossing just $130 million and $439 million, respectively. Earlier in the year, Shazam! Fury of the Gods also flopped, grossing $134 million worldwide. 2023 was a bad year for DC movies.
The Flash was Ezra Miller's first solo adventure as Barry Allen. It teamed them with Michael Keaton's Bruce Wayne/Batman. Sasha Calle, Michale Shannon, and Ron Livingston also starred in it. Keaton's return was notable, as he hadn't played the role since 1992's Batman Returns.
Previously, Miller was introduced into the DCEU as Barry Allen in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. They would later appear in Suicide Squad and Justice League (and Zack Snyder's Justice League director's cut). Miller also had a cameo in the DCEU series Peacemaker.
Muschietti directed The Flash while his wife, Barbara, produced it. Christina Hodson, who previously wrote Bumblebee and DCEU movie Birds of Prey, wrote the script.
