The DC FanDome wasn’t too big on revealing things about The Flash. In fact, the panel led by director Andy Muschietti, his sister & producer Barbara Muschietti, writer Christina Hodson and Barry Allen himself, Ezra Miller was amongst the most non-revealing panels of the event. What we got from the panel was just a little information about the multiverse aspect of the film, and two concept arts showing Barry’s new organic Flash suit. There was nothing about the cast or the villain who is presumed to be Reverse-Flash.
The Flash will adapt a version of the Flashpoint story. Barry will start off his journey under the guidance and mentorship of Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne. But something will cause him to go back in time and save his mother, Nora Allen from dying. Everyone knows that this is the event that causes a ripple effect throughout the timeline and puts the whole Flashpoint paradox in motion.
A few key details of Flashpoint are –
- Bruce dies instead of his parents. Thomas Wayne becomes Batman. Martha becomes Joker.
- Superman was never found by Jonathan & Martha Kent. Instead, the government gets hold of him.
- Aquaman & Wonder Woman lead the Atlanteans & the Amazons to war against each other.
- Reverse Flash is the one who is actually responsible for all the chaos.
We initially thought that we’d get to see all this when the cameras finally start rolling. But, Andy Muschietti made it very clear right from the beginning that “[The Flash will be a] different version of Flashpoint than you’re expecting.” So, none of these details actually apply. Sure, the story will still be about Barry, and his mother will play an important role. But instead of having timeline adventures, Barry will go have adventures through the Multiverse.
Upon the confirmation of Ben Affleck’s return as Batman, Muschietti talked about how the movie blasts open the DCEU Multiverse and several possibilities that come with it. He said:
“[Barry Allen will be] breaking the bonds of physics to crash into various parallel dimensions, where he’ll encounter slightly different versions of DC’s classic heroes. This movie is a bit of a hinge in the sense that it presents a story that implies a unified universe where all the cinematic iterations that we’ve seen before are valid. It’s inclusive in the sense that it is saying all that you’ve seen exists, and everything that you will see exists, in the same unified multiverse.”
So, whatever Barry does will ultimately lead him to meeting Earth-89’s Batman played by Michael Keaton. Barry will either end up on his earth, or this new version of Flashpoint might mix up different Earths and bring in several DC’s heroes/villains from different universes that we’ve seen in the past (or haven’t yet seen). That way, the DCEU’s Earth will temporarily become a mix of multiple Earths. Imagine Marvel’s Battleworld, where different factions of the Multiverse come together, and different versions of the same Marvel characters from different dimensions could be seen in one unified dimension.
If this is actually the case, and none of the comic book Flashpoint aspects are adopted in DCEU’s Flashpoint, then there is a major chance that Eobard Thawne, aka the Reverse-Flash will not be the main villain of The Flash. In fact, Heroic Hollywood actually claims that they’ve got confirmation of this notion from an insider with knowledge of Andy Muschietti’s The Flash. Until we get an official report, we have to take this as a grain of salt. But, it actually makes sense. Many would agree that Reverse-Flash is actually the biggest villain of The Flash. He is what Joker is to Batman, Black Adam is to Shazam, Lex Luthor is to Superman, and the list could go on an on. So, we’d understand if director Muschietti & writer Christina Hodson would want to build up Reverse-Flash as a future big bad instead of getting done with him in the first movie itself.
But if Reverse-Flash isn’t the main villain of the story, then who is? Who will be the one to orchestrate the Flashpoint and pull the strings behind the scenes? Well, we may find out soon enough. The Flash hits theatres on June 3, 2022.
