In spite of the constant delays, reshoots, boardroom reshuffles, and negative headlines being generated by star Ezra Miller, one constant throughout The Flash‘s lengthy stint in the spotlight is the chatter claiming the movie is very, very good.
Early reports likened it to Spider-Man: No Way Home – which generated exactly the sort of reactions you’d expect from a fandom that still needs to be completely won over – but the latest prognosis from Variety has indicated that the top brass at Warner Bros. and DC are more enraptured for Andy Muschietti’s flick than they have been for any comic book adaptation since The Dark Knight.
“Director Andy Muschietti is hot off of the It movies, Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck are returning as Batman, and the plot hinges on time travel and multiverses, two of the hottest things going in superhero storytelling. Studio insiders haven’t been this excited for Warner Bros. superhero movie since The Dark Knight movies. In fact, almost everything about The Flash points to a massive summer sensation. Almost.”
“Almost” clearly being the operative word, seeing as you can never guarantee success for anything, especially a long-gestating blockbuster that’s been through countless writers and suffered its fair share of problems ever since being first announced all the way back in October of 2014.
Of course, it goes without saying that the middle chapter in Christopher Nolan’s trilogy is arguably the single greatest superhero that’s ever been made, and it’s unquestionably one of the most influential. Needless to say, though, The Flash‘s turbulent existence and ongoing confusion over how and why it factors into James Gunn’s new DCU has raised the eyebrows of skepticism.
We’d love to be proven wrong and see The Flash deliver an instant classic that justified the hype, but we’ll reserve judgement until we actually get to witness it for ourselves. Beyond that, with Henry Cavill and Gal Gadot reportedly cut, Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton on the way out as their respective Batmen, and Miller’s own future heavily in doubt, it might end up meaning nothing in the long run beyond a fun-filled standalone cinematic adventure.