by Life moves pretty fast but not as fast as The Flash, DC’s latest superhero.
In the wake of James Gunn’s DCU shake-up, complete with a new slate and a confusing connection, the DCEU irregular has three more leftovers from the franchise formerly known as the Snyder-verse to hit theaters.
So, even as we try to figure out what The Flash means to restore DC movie continuity, we bring you need to know information about the biggest and most important film in the Justice League series.
The release date of Flash
The Flash hits theaters on Friday, June 16, 2023 after being moved up a week from its June 23 release date.
The change, we assume, is to avoid competing too heavily with James Mangold’s Indiana Jones and the Quadrant of Destiny due out on June 30th.
It’s been a long way to go after losing a string of directors including Dope director Rick Fukuyama, but now it comes to us via It and Mama director Andy Muschietti.
To know more: All upcoming DC movies and TV shows
The official running time was two hours and 30 minutes, a mammoth length, but given that the storyline is all about time and features the return of some previous franchise villains as well as new threats, perhaps that’s to be expected.
The Flash cast
Despite the high-profile personal issues, this is a film that centers on not one but two Ezra Millers. Their personal life issues and legal issues caused the film to be pushed back, which resulted in ripples since it’s the cornerstone of the DCEU and whatever its future holds now.
To know more: Is Ezra Miller still The Flash?
Reprising their role from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad and both versions of Justice League, Miller plays Barry Allen aka The Flash, a superhero who can tap into the force of speed and travel through time.
Kiersey Clemons also returns from the wider DCEU as love interest Iris West, previously seen in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Ben Affleck will make a cameo as lead character Bruce Wayne / Batman in what could be his last time in the role .
Reprising their roles from Man of Steel are Michael Shannon as General Zod and Antje Traue as Faora-Ul, Zod’s second-in-command when Barry becomes trapped in a reality where General Zod has returned.
Additionally, Temuera Morrison reprises his role as Thomas Curry, the father of Aquaman.
Ron Livingston has replaced Billy Crudup as Barry’s incarcerated father, Henry, with the new film delving into the mystery of the death of Barry’s mother, Nora. Maribel Verdú (Pan’s Labyrinth) will play Barry’s late mother and form the emotional core of the film.
To know more: Why was Batgirl cancelled?
The two biggest casting coups are Sasha Calle as Supergirl, who brings the character to the big screen for the first time since the much-maligned exit of Helen Slater in the 1980s.
Even Michael Keaton is back in pointy ears as an alternate universe Batman. He reprises his role from Batman and Batman Returns in a twist that would tie into the recently canceled Batgirl.
Meanwhile, during a recent appearance on Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes’ Smartless podcast, Affleck also let slip that Gal Gadot’s Diana Prince, better known as Wonder Woman, will also appear. her in a key cameo, helping Batman escape from some villains.
“I don’t want to give spoilers, but it was a scene where I get captured – I get rescued – by Wonder Woman during a conflagration with some bad guys,” he told the show’s popular hosts. “She saves me… with the lasso of truth. And so what happens is Batman divulges some of his true feelings about his life and his work.
The Air director went on to suggest that the scene became a key turning point in how he should portray the Bruce Wayne/Batman character. Too bad it’s his last crusade in the hood.
The flash
The official synopsis of the plot explains: “Worlds collide in The Flash when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time to change the events of the past.
But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry is trapped in a reality where General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no superheroes to turn to.
“That is, unless Barry can convince a very different Batman to come out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian… though not the one he’s looking for.
“In the end, to save the world he’s in and return to the future he knows, Barry’s only hope is to run for his life. But will the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?”
To know more: Batman designs Barry Allen’s new The Flash costume
James Gunn has said that the film will reset much of the DCU timeline, which likely means shedding dead weight from the universe, recasting some faces, and using scientific jargon to explain retaining certain actors.
Flash trailer
The second full trailer for The Flash debuted as part of CinemaCon 2023 in Las Vegas, giving audiences another good look at this multi-timeline meshing adventure.
“I’ve spent a lifetime trying to right the wrongs of the past, as if fighting crime would bring my parents back,” says Keaton’s Bruce Wayne, addressing Miller’s The Flash. “You really did it.”
What follows is an action-packed two minutes featuring the Batmen, alternate Kryptonians, and the return of Michael Shannon’s General Zod.
Meanwhile, the first trailer for The Flash dropped during Super Bowl 2023 giving DC fans their long-awaited first look at Ezra Miller as two incarnations of the character, Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne, Michael Shannon as Zod, Michael Keaton as Batman and Sasha Calle make her debut as Supergirl.
See it above.
Flash’s first reactions
Despite not hitting theaters until June, a select few in the film journalism industry were lucky enough to catch preview screenings of The Flash, and their first reactions made their way online.
Overall, the reactions appear to be quite positive, with many praising the action, humor and heart, but others commenting on the uneven plot and excessive ambition.
Read some critical reactions below:
Meanwhile, Screen Rant’s Rob Keyes called him “the funniest DC movie”, while Umberto Gonzalez of The Wrap opined that it belonged in “the same conversation as SUPERMAN 78 and BATMAN 89”. High praise.
Of course, these are not official reviews and should all be taken with a super pinch of salt.
The Flash is in theaters from June 16th.
