For someone who runs so quickly, The Flash really has been a long time coming. The DC movie, which is set to star Ezra Miller as swift-footed superhero Barry Allen, was first announced way back in 2015, with Pride and Prejudice and Zombies writer Seth Grahame-Smith set to direct from a script co-written by Phil Lord and Chris Miller. At that point, the movie had a March 2018 release date.
But Grahame-Smith was merely the first in a long line of directors and writers who would be attached to the project over the next few years. He was replaced by Rick Famuyiwa, who himself quit a few months later, with Joby Harold (Army of the Dead) then brought in to completely rewrite the script. Robert Zemeckis and Matthew Vaughn were among the high-profile directors reportedly under consideration at various stages, as the release date crept further and further back.
But finally, in 2022, we’ll get to see The Flash on the big screen. The character has of course been well served on TV over the years, with Grant Gustin playing Barry Allen on The CW’s show. But having already played The Flash in some not-so-well received DC movies, most notably Justice League, it’ll be fascinating to see Miller finally get to headline his own film. So here’s everything we know so far about The Flash.
What’s the release date?
The Flash hits theaters on November 4, 2022. It will be available to stream on HBO Max 45 days later.
Who’s the director?
The movie is directed by Andy Muschietti. This will be Muschietti’s fourth movie, following his 2013 horror debut Mama, and the two hugely successful Stephen King adaptations It and It: Chapter 2.
Who’s the writer?
Given its lengthy development, a lot of writers have worked on different versions of The Flash. It currently has three three credited screenwriters–John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein, and Christina Hodson. Daley and Goldstein (Game Night, Spider-man: Homecoming) were previously attached to direct as well as write The Flash, while Hodson’s other credits include the Transformers spin-off Bumblebee and the DC movie Birds of Prey. Hodson joined the film at the same time as Muschietti, so it’s likely we’ll see much of her work in the finished movie.
Who’s in the cast?
The Flash has an impressive cast of both familiar DC actors and those who are new to the franchise. Ezra Miller plays Barry Allen once more, having previously appeared in Justice League and briefly in Suicide Squad and Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice.
There will also be two previous Batman actors–Ben Affleck, who appeared alongside Miller in the more recent DC films, and Michael Keaton, who played Bruce Wayne way back in the Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman film and its sequel Batman Returns. In addition, the movie reportedly sees the return of two villains from 2013’s Man of Steel–Michael Shannon as General Zod and Antje Traue as Faora-Ul, Zod’s sub-commander.
The rest of the cast includes:
- Sasha Calle, who will make her DC movie debut as Supergirl.
- Kiersey Clemons as Barry’s love interest Iris West, a role she played in Zack Snyder’s Justice League.
- Ron Livingston as Barry’s father Henry, replacing Justice League actor Billy Crudup.
- Maribel Verdú as Nora Allen, Barry’s mother, who was killed when he was young.
What’s the story?
The Flash takes its inspiration from the classic Flashpoint comic books, in which Barry uses his powers to change history. In this movie, he travels back in time to prevent his mother’s murder, but in doing so enters a multiverse in which Keaton’s Batman exists.
While we don’t know too much more than that, Muschietti previously revealed that the relationship between Barry and Affleck’s Bruce Wayne will also play an important part. “He’s a very substantial part of the emotional impact of the movie,” he told Vanity Fair. “The interaction and relationship between Barry and Affleck’s Wayne will bring an emotional level that we haven’t seen before
“It’s Barry’s movie, it’s Barry’s story, but their characters are more related than we think. They both lost their mothers to murder, and that’s one of the emotional vessels of the movie. That’s where the Affleck Batman kicks in.”
Is there a trailer?
The first teaser for The Flash was released during DC Fandome in October. It opens with Michael Keaton’s voiceover talking about Barry’s ability to visit “any timeline, any universe.” We see Barry and Iris visiting an old, seemingly abandoned Wayne Manor, encountering Barry’s mom, and asking Keaton’s Batman–seen only from behind–“are you in?” The movie was still in production when the teaser was released so there will be longer trailers still to come, but it’s an exciting first look.
Will there be a Flash sequel?
It’s taken so long for the first movie to reach the screen–and it’s still nearly a year away–that it’s not surprising that the Flash sequel is yet to be announced. But if this movie is a hit, then The Flash 2 is very likely to happen.
