The Flash Movie Will Reset the DC Universe

Confirming fans' suspicions, The Flash movie starring Ezra Miller will mark a reset point for the 10-year plan developed by new co-heads of DC Studios James Gunn and Peter Safran. Since the upcoming movie deals with the multiverse and time travel, it gives Gunn and Safran the perfect excuse to start their new DCU story from scratch.

During a press conference to reveal the future of the DCU, Gunn and Safran explained how the upcoming movies developed under Hamada’s command will actually help then to reset the universe smoothly. There are currently four DCU movies on the Warner Bros. Discovery calendar, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Blue Beetle, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and The Flash. And according to Gunn, they’ll all fit in the new narrative somehow. As Gunn puts it:

“So, how can we take these things together and make them make sense and have them unified and have it one real universe?...I think that we've gotten lucky with the next four movies, frankly, because we have Shazam, which leads into Flash, which resets everything which then goes into Blue Beetle, which is totally disconnected…But the one thing that we can promise is that everything from…our first project forward, will be canon, and will be connected. We're using some actors from the past, we're not using other actors from the past. But everything from that moment forward will be connected and consistent.”

A solo movie for the Flash was announced in 2014, the same year Miller joined the DC Extended Universe as the Scarlet Speedster. A lot has happened since then, with Zack Snyder being pushed away by Warner and Walter Hamada taking over the DCU. As for The Flash, the movie underwent several changes until it became an adaptation of the beloved Flashpoint storyline. In the story, the Flash uses the Speed Force to travel back in time and prevent his mother’s murder. However, he inadvertently breaks the multiverse and ends up in a reality where old allies have become deadly enemies.

Since The Flash movie would adapt the Flashpoint storyline, it makes sense to use it as an excuse to tidy some things up and move forward with a unified version of the DCU. We all know things have been chaotic in the past few years, as the DCU failed to find a tone and keep a single coherent narrative. So, a clean slate sounds like the perfect opportunity to build solid foundations for the future.

Who’s Involved in The Flash?

Besides Miller, The Flash's cast also includes Michael Keaton as Batman, Kiersey Clemons as Iris West, Maribel Verdú as Nora Allen, and Ron Livingston as Henry Allen, replacing Billy Crudup as Barry’s father after his appearance in Justice League. Sasha Calle will also be showing up as Supergirl. Social media stars Rudy Mancuso and Saoirse-Monica Jackson are also involved in the project in undisclosed roles. The Flash is directed by It's Andy Muschietti from a screenplay by Bumblebee's Christina Hodson.