"The Flash" is changing everything for the DC cinematic universe – but
what exactly happens next? Here's where things stand for the series now
that the credits have rolled. Warning: major spoilers ahead for "The Flash."
"Don't let your tragedy define you."
"What did you do?!"
No matter how many cameos and Bat-folks "The Flash" features, it's ultimately a
movie about two things: Barry Allen's personal development, and the butterfly effect of time
travel. While exploring these things, the film introduces a whole lot of new concepts, as well
as a number of intriguing alternate-universe characters, some of whom are extremely familiar.
The movie's climax more or less confirms that every major DC-adjacent project — from the Tim
Burton "Superman" movie that never existed to the 1960s "Batman" show — takes place in
some alternate universe. In fact, the bulk of "The Flash" seems to take place in the
Burton "Batman" universe, where Michael Keaton's Batman is the only high-profile costumed hero.
Then again, "The Flash" is also the second to last movie in the DC Extended Universe, which is set
to give way to the new James Gunn & Peter Safran DCU after "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom." So, what
exactly is its impact on the DC movie universe's future? Is George Clooney the main Batman again?
What does Aquaman do when he wakes up in the puddle Barry leaves him in the post-credits scene?
Will the Flash himself appear in more movies,
or have we seen the last of him? Few of these questions have concrete answers yet,
but based on what we know about the franchise's future, here's what seems most likely.
The big thing that determines much of "The Flash's" impact on the DC movie universe
is whether the movie is considered a part of the DCU. Right now, it doesn't appear to be.
Of the four DC movies that were in production when Gunn became the DC Studios co-president,
the only one he's confirmed to be in the DCU is "Blue Beetle." The
filmmaker shared as much in an appearance on Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum.
"The first DCU character for sure is Blue Beetle, and the first full DCU movie is 'Superman.'"
Going by this logic, this would make "The Flash" an "Elseworlds" story that effectively
takes place in its own bubble universe, much like the ones we see in its climax.
The events of the movie certainly happen — they're just not part of the mainline DCU,
and therefore wacky things like George Clooney returning as Bruce Wayne can take place.
Of course, all of this can change at a moment's notice. Gunn could fire up his Twitter tomorrow
and announce that "The Flash" is a DCU movie, which would mean that its multiverse concepts,
time-traveling antics, and Clooney Bruce Waynes are all legitimate parts of the
mainline story ... at least until Barry takes another jog into the chrono bowl.
As for the Flash himself, the character is such a key DC hero that it would be frankly shocking
if a version of him wouldn't make an appearance in the DCU at some point down the line. It remains to
be seen whether "The Flash" will get a sequel and if the controversy-riddled Miller will be
recast if it happens, but Barry Allen could still have a future in the DCU if "The Flash" performs
at the box office. After all, Gunn has said that while the movie is something of a reset,
it is by no means a hard reset. Gunn previously shared on social media,
"Flash resets many things, not all things. Some characters remain the same, some do not."
"The Flash" is an ideas movie, and the "reset" Gunn mentions is quite likely
the introduction of the multiverse — not so much the alternate-universes concept itself,
but the opportunity it provides to mix and match characters.
"The Flash" has plenty of fun doing this, and it proves that the concept can work pretty well. By
teaming Tim Burton-era Batman with two different Barry Allens and franchise newcomer Kara Zor-El
and putting them against "Man of Steel" villain General Zod, the movie employs a fun "smashing
different action figures together" strategy that seems like a great fit for Gunn. The introduction
of this concept may be "The Flash's" true legacy in the long run, as it acts as the
precedent that gives the DCU free rein to use old and new characters as they see fit.
Combined with the "Elseworlds" concept, this means that the DCU can now operate ... however it likes,
really, which is probably just how Gunn and Safran like it. If they want to roll with Jason Momoa's
Aquaman going forward, they can totally keep him and bring him in the next Justice League with
whoever ends up playing the new mainline versions of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and so forth.
On the other hand, if they want to oust an actor,
"The Flash's" endless amount of alternate universes and changing futures have given
the DCU a perfect toolkit to replace the characters with new versions — which,
come to think of it, is pretty much what the movie does to Ben Affleck's Batman.
It's hard to believe that the DCU wouldn't establish a mainline universe,
because it'll probably need a throughline for longer arcs, and people will likely want to know
what the "main" versions of characters are to truly care about them. Still,
even with this very minor limitation, it's easy to see why Gunn has praised "The Flash." After all,
the movie has given his DCU the ultimate gift: near-total creative freedom.