After years in development and controversies galore, "The Flash" is finally sprinting into
theaters, with way more characters – and way more Batman – than even the rumor mill expected.
Here are the details in the big game trailer and TV spot that may have run right past you.
"The Flash" trailer features appearances from Batfleck and Michael Keaton as their respective
iterations of "The Dark Knight," which will undoubtedly please fans of the SnyderVerse
and Tim Burton's "Batman."
That said, while it's exciting to see these fine actors back in action, their trailer
cameos only confirm returns we've known about for months.
But are they the only Batmen in the trailer?
As of this video, it's unknown if Robert Pattinson and Christian Bale will return as Batman in
"The Flash."
The rumors have been rampant for months, but the trailer may have lent some meat to speculation.
11 seconds into the teaser, there's a shot of Gotham's resident hero soaring down the
street on his Batcycle.
This part is interesting, as the street in question is located in Glasgow, Scotland.
Both "The Batman" and "The Dark Knight Rises" used the Scottish city for some of their respective
Gotham City sequences.
To be more specific, George Square is the Glasgow location featured in the trailer.
This street just so happened to be used in "The Batman."
Sure, using the same location might be coincidental, but let's not rule out the possibility of
Pattinson or Bale making an appearance.
Batman has had his share of iconic live-action theme songs over the years, but the top of
the heap could very well be the theme music composed by Danny Elfman for the 1989 "Batman"
film directed by Tim Burton.
That version of the Caped Crusader, played by Michael Keaton, appears to offer help to
The Flash in his battle across alternate timelines.
And just in case Keaton's distinctive growl and cowl weren't enough, the music that accompanies
his on-screen entrance in the trailer is none other than a rendition of that distinctive
Elfman score.
Keaton is featured quite prominently in the trailer for "The Flash," and it's exciting
enough for fans of his turns as Bruce Wayne in "Batman" and "Batman Returns" to see him
return once more to the role.
The addition of his theme music is just a cherry on top of the brooding, crime-fighting sundae.
Back in late November, amid questions about which (if any) of Zack Snyder's "Justice League"
cast members would make the cut of James Gunn and Peter Safran's new DC Universe, rumors
circulated that "The Flash" film would be heavily edited to remove all references to
the Snyderverse to avoid making promises they didn't intend to keep.
For a brief moment, it appeared as though these cuts would mean the omission of Ben
Affleck's Batman, who was previously announced to appear.
Thankfully, it seems that he not only made the final cut, but looks to be getting a pretty
substantial amount of screen time.
As Bruce Wayne (likely early on in the film), he warns Barry about the dangers of tampering
with time.
Later on in the trailer, we get a good look at his brand-new bat suit.
It appears to be a combination of the Snyder "Justice League" design and some comic book
influences, most likely inspired by the "Batman: Hush" era from 2002.
The book was drawn by iconic "Batman" artist Jim Lee and featured a gray-and-blue costume
very similar to what Affleck's Batman can be seen wearing in the trailer.
One of the most critical aspects of the "Flashpoint" timeline is the altered path the character
of Superman takes.
While Kal-El is the big hitter of the Justice League in the main DC continuity, in the "Flashpoint"
storyline, he landed in Metropolis.
He spent his entire life living in a science lab, being studied by shadowing government
entities.
It isn't until the end of the story when Flash, Cyborg, and Thomas Wayne as Batman discover
his location and break him out of the lab that he becomes a big part of the climax.
Of course, with the DCEU all but dead and Henry Cavill's departure as the franchise's
Superman, a different path needed to be taken.
This is where Sasha Calle comes in, taking on the role of Supergirl.
The trailer gives us our first real look at the character, seeing her looking emaciated
first and then introducing herself after our two Barrys break her out of the lab.
Last but not least, we see her flying next to the Barrys in an aircraft, showing off
her new super suit.
While we know there are some significant differences from the comic version to the film version
— including multiple Batmen, multiple Barry Allens, and Supergirl, there still seems to
be enough evidence of a faithful adaptation.
"What did you do?!"
"The Flash" Super Bowl trailer reveals actions have consequences.
And one of the deadliest SnyderVerse baddies, General Zod, returns because of Barry Allen's
time-traveling antics.
At just over a minute into the trailer, Barry witnesses a transmission similar to the one
Zod broadcast while searching for Kal-El in "Man of Steel."
The footage suggests that the Flash has returned to that same point in time, and, as a result,
resurrected one of Superman's greatest adversaries or is simply encountering an alternate reality version.
After that, the Kryptonian World Engine wreaks havoc, as it did in "Man of Steel" and "Batman
v Superman: Dawn of Justice."
Barry exclaims, quote, "I completely broke the universe."
The very next shot reveals Zod aboard a Kryptonian Attack Ship as plumes of smoke and fire rise
from the ashes of a war zone below.
Zod says as another Kryptonian vessel approaches, "We've been waiting for you."
…but who is he speaking to?
It's unclear, but Zod's attack force lays waste to the human soldiers desperately trying
to fight back.
After two minutes in the trailer, a Kryptonian ship hovers above what appears to be the Flash
clashing with either another Barry Allen or, perhaps, the Reverse Flash.
And then right after that, fans are treated to arguably the best shot of the trailer:
Supergirl punches an armored-clad Zod right in the face!
So, did the Flash's arrival in the past lead to Kal-El's death?
Whatever Barry did, it's now up to the Girl of Steel to help stop Zod's tyranny.
If you know anything about the Flash, then you know that he has a sworn nemesis, one
who would do anything to kill him and take the title of "Fastest Man Alive" for his own.
That's right, Eobard Thawne, also known as the Reverse-Flash, might be the man behind
the curtain, though right now that's just a theory.
Known for going back in time and killing Barry's mother, Thawne is vital to the "Flashpoint"
story and has appeared in every adaptation of the story so far, including both live-action
and animation alike.
With all that in mind, it would be surprising if this yellow-and-red-clad speedster didn't
make an appearance in the upcoming movie, and we may have already seen glimpses of him.
Besides the brief flashes to the death of Nora Allen that we see in the trailer.
There's a strong possibility that the alternate Barry could be the Reverse-Flash.
In the comics, Thawne wants everything that Barry has, and once even took over the speedster's life.
In the original "Flashpoint" comic, Barry is re-inserted into the new timeline after
he saves his mother, meaning that the inclusion of the alternate Barry doesn't exactly make sense.
Given the alternate Barry's yellow-themed clothing, this may be a nod to his true identity
as Thawne, luring Barry into a sense of false security before the final blow.
He's been known to steal people's faces before, and his jealousy towards the Flash knows no bounds.
Of all the surprises in "The Flash" Super Bowl TV Spot, none were more welcome than
all the Batman teases it contained.
Probably the most exciting is that we got a glimpse at Michael Keaton's different Batsuits,
many designed specifically for the film.
In another time, these might have all been made specifically to sell a boatload of toys,
but now they're just fabulous nods to bygone eras of the Dark Knight.
"Nice suit."
"Thanks."
While there are plenty of direct references to previous Batman comics and uniforms, such
as the Neal Adams' era Batman with a blue cowl, there's one that stands out above the rest.
If you look closely at the Batsuit on the far left, its logo doesn't quite match the others.
That's because this is actually the bat-symbol from the original Adam West "Batman" series.
Costume designer Chris Weston confirmed this on Twitter, revealing that the nod to the
'66 "Batman" was completely his idea.
Weston explained,
"I was in fanboy heaven!
Luckily I had a great lead designer, Alexandra Byrne, who was very receptive to my wacky notions!"
Along with the nod to the original television Batman, the suit's holsters, which hold grappling
guns rather than twin pistols, and the classic Golden Age "ears" were Weston's idea as well.
The longer you look at these highly-detailed uniforms, the more you see the comic book
influence on them.
All this focus on Batsuits is fun and all, but only true fans of the Flash comic books
will note the insignia ring that Barry is seen wearing throughout the trailer.
In the comics, Barry created a super-suit that could shrink itself into the size of
a ring that he would wear, so that he was always prepared to save the day.
This suit was a sort of friction-resistant material that kept Barry protected when running
at top speeds, and even survived Barry's death during the original "Crisis on Infinite Earths"
comic book miniseries.
On "The Flash" television show, Grant Gustin's Barry Allen eventually gains a Flash ring
of his own after years of working on developing one, and in the upcoming feature film, Ezra
Miller's Barry Allen seems to finally be doing the same.
Though he previously wore armor in "Justice League" — inspired by his look during "The
New 52" era — Barry has now built himself a new uniform for "The Flash," one that's
sleeker, and better matches his traditional comic book appearance, and, most importantly,
fits within his Flash ring.
Though we only get a few brief glimpses of this Flash ring, it sports the hero's original
insignia and opens at the lightning bolt to reveal his new costume underneath.
While we'll have to wait to see what the full process looks like, it's exciting to think
about this small element of the Flash mythos being translated to the big screen.
It's about time.
At this point, everybody knows that the catalyst for Bruce Wayne's tenure as Batman is the
death of his parents, Thomas and Martha Wayne.
It seems as if the death of one's parents or mentor is something of a requirement for
DC Comics superheroes, and it looks like "The Flash" will revolve around this idea also.
While Barry is dealing with trying to save his mother from her grisly fate, there's a
Batman out there still mourning his parents too.
"So why do you want to stay and fight to save this one?"
"Because this is the one where my mom lives."
In a quick moment, we're shown a photograph in Wayne Manor of a young boy with his parents.
Given that this photo sits in front of the room that contains all the Batsuits, it's
more than likely that this is the Wayne family.
As we piece together this photo from the trailer with the shot of Bruce entering his secret
chambers from the TV spot, this photo may be the key to the Batcave itself.
Fitting, given that Batman was born the night his parents died.
In the original "Flashpoint" story, it's revealed that the Batman of the "Flashpoint" timeline
is actually Thomas Wayne.
It was his son Bruce that was killed that night.
It's not clear if that's the direction that "The Flash" is taking with this timeline's
Batman, but Thomas still has an impact on this fractured world.
Here's hoping Keaton's Batman lives up to Thomas' comic book mantle.
In the Flashpoint-inspired world of "The Flash," Superman no longer exists.
After the strange exit of Henry Cavill from the DCEU, it should come as no surprise that
Superman isn't slated to appear in "The Flash."
Taking the Man of Steel's place in this reality-warping story is his cousin, Kara Zor-El.
Known in the comics as Supergirl, Kara has been a part of the Superman mythos for almost
as long as the Big Blue Boy Scout himself, showing up in various live-action projects
before this one.
Played by Sasha Calle in the upcoming film, Kara's appearance is more akin to her famous
cousin's look rather than her iconic comic book counterpart.
Even Melissa Benoist's Girl of Steel from the "Supergirl" television series looked more
like the Kara Zor-El we know from the comics.
But just because this Woman of Tomorrow looks a bit different doesn't mean that there isn't
comic book precedent for it.
After all, not every Supergirl sports the long blonde look.
Both the Cir-El and Lara Lane-Kent versions of Supergirl look remarkably similar to Calle's
version of the character.
Cir-El first appeared in "Superman: The 10-Cent Adventure" #1 and eventually revealed herself
to be Superman's lost future daughter before being erased from the timeline.
Lara Lane-Kent made her debut in the "Injustice" comic series as an imaginary daughter that
Superman might have had.
"Justice League" #34 later reveals that, in some world, Lara is real, making her the version
that Calle takes the most cues from.
Making their debut in the original 1989 "Batman," Michael Keaton's old vehicles are also set
to return in "The Flash," and they look just as cool as ever.
While recent films, beginning with Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" trilogy, have attempted
to make Batman's primary modes of transportation a bit more realistic, Tim Burton's original
Batmobile and Batwing were wonderfully impractical.
But compared to some of the other Batmobiles of late, the '89 Batmobile had style and even
inspired the one from "Batman: The Animated Series."
While Batman's "Flying Fox" from "Justice League" is briefly seen, allowing Ben Affleck's
Batman to catch his prey, it's Michael Keaton's Batwing that we're most excited to see take flight.
The bat-shaped plane formerly flew up against Jack Nicholson's Joker in "Batman," but hasn't
been seen much since.
Here, it looks as if the Batwing will serve as some sort of electrical conduit, probably
to give the alternate Barry Allen the same Flash superpowers as the original, or, if
we're following the "Flashpoint" comics here, maybe it'll help restore Barry's lost abilities.
Longtime Bat-fans are no doubt already excited about "The Flash," but the return of the most
iconic-looking members of Batman's vehicular arsenal is even more reason for excitement.
After all, the words "I'm Batman" don't mean too much if there's nothing especially interesting
behind them.