So-called “fans” of the comic book genre have a penchant for turning on a movie when it either hits theaters or lands on streaming, a phenomenon that’s pulled both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and DCU into its vice grip. The Flash doesn’t even arrive on the big screen for another nine days, and yet the tides of opinion have already started to turn.
Admittedly, that may be at least partly down to everyone repeatedly telling the world that the Scarlet Speedster’s solo debut is destined to be remembered as one of the greatest comic book adaptations ever made, which it doesn’t seem to be. In fact, based on the movie’s current Rotten Tomatoes score, it’s not even in the Top 20 of DC features, never mind the entire genre.
There’s also an element of fatigue setting in, with The Flash holding so many test screenings and advance previews that a lot of folks are sick of hearing about it anytime they open their social media app of choice. Then, of course, there’s the ongoing debate over whether the CGI in its finished form is going to sink or swim, although there’s no guesses for where some have fallen on the debate.
Should The Flash underperform at the box office to go with its weaker than expected critical response, then we could be talking about a huge embarrassment for DC. After all, Shazam! Fury of the Gods cratered in the face of tepid responses and a failure to shake off the stigma that it was unnecessary, something that also technically applies to Andy Muschietti’s multiversal adventure given that it hits the big red reset button ahead of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s overhaul.