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Could the Flash's movie mean bye bye for the Batfleck?
The DCEU has only been around for four short years,
but could the creative team already be looking
to hit the reset button?
That's what a lot of people are speculating
after Warner Brothers unveiled their calendar
of upcoming DC movies at this year's Comic Con.
In addition to the expected announcements
like Wonder Woman Two and Suicide Squad Two,
the company also threw in some surprises
like teasing the Green Lantern Corps.
But maybe the most surprising news to come out
of that panel is that the standalone Flash film,
currently slated for 2020, will be titled Flashpoint.
Now, for those of you not up on your back issues,
Flashpoint is a pretty big deal.
The title comes from a 2011 five issue miniseries
where Barry Allen ends up in an alternate reality
full of some pretty weird changes.
The biggest one being that in this world,
Bruce Wayne died at the hands of those muggers
causing his father Thomas Wayne to become Batman.
Of course, Barry eventually finds a way to set things
back to normal, but only kind of.
When he gets back to his reality,
there are still a bunch of small tweaks
that only he can notice.
So, if the DCEU is looking to adapt an arc
that seriously alters the continuity of the comics,
the natural question becomes,
are they looking to similarly alter the continuity
of their movies?
More and more, it's looking like the answer
to that question is probably.
Although the studio has made no formal announcement,
it's hard not to notice that behind the scenes
there may be a little trouble on paradise island.
Particularly when it comes to two
of the franchise's biggest names,
director Zack Snyder and star Ben Affleck.
Snyder has been with the series since its inception
with 2013's Man of Steel, but ever since he stepped away
from Justice League to deal with his family tragedy,
his involvement with the project
has been called into question.
The Joss Whedon-helmed reshoots,
which were originally rumored to only last a few weeks,
have actually stretched on for a few months
and cost the studio over $25 million.
But perhaps even more telling is the fact that Snyder
recently wiped all traces of the Justice League
from his Twitter profile.
And while it may be a pretty common practice
for someone to change up their banner and profile pic
every now and then, the timing on this
is kind of hard to ignore.
It really seems like Snyder and the studio
are trying to manage the transfer of power
from one director to another as slowly,
and gracefully as possible.
Slightly less graceful has been Ben Affleck's on-again,
off-again status with the character of Batman
ever since the day he agreed to don the cape and cowl.
He's gone from threatening to back out of the role,
to writing, directing, and starring in a standalone
Batman movie, to only starring in that movie.
Honestly, it can all be a little hard to keep track of.
But the most recent news was that he was once again
ready to step down from the Dark Knight
until the Comic Con panel where he promised fans
that he loved being Batman and would hold on
to the opportunity as long as possible.
- I'm Batman.
- Nice words, but let's not forget that he's there
to promote a giant movie, and is probably going to play nice
for the sake of the box office.
Who knows what the truth is at this point?
The only truly safe bet is that Warner Brothers
is probably getting pretty frustrated.
Which brings us back to Flashpoint.
It hardly seems coincidental that in the midst
of all this turmoil, Warner Brothers would announce a movie
that could potentially allow them to reshuffle continuity
any way they wanted.
Holding on to the pieces of the DCEU they like,
and jettisoning the stuff that's not working.
But what could stay and what could go?
Well obviously, this would be their big opportunity
to recast the Bat.
Perhaps going for a younger version of the character
than the grizzled middle-aged man we met in BVS.
It would also be a chance for them to tweak the tone
of the universe.
After the events of Flashpoint, DC Comics had taken a turn
for the dark and gritty with New 52,
not dissimilar to where the movies are now.
But recently, all of the books were relaunched under Rebirth
and introduced us to a brighter, sunnier DC.
We already see that kind of thing happening
on the big screen with the success
of this summer's Wonder Woman,
and the injection of some Whedon-style levity
into the Justice League.
But Flashpoint could serve as a complete shakeup
to the status quo, essentially deSnydering the DCEU
in favor of a more hopeful look and feel.
A reverse Flashpoint, if you will.
As for what would stay, well we feel pretty safe to say
that Wonder Woman and Gal Gadot ain't going anywhere.
DC obviously wants to build off the goodwill
earned by that blockbuster, and probably won't touch her
or her continuity.
In all likelihood, the time shift that causes
the events of Flashpoint will probably occur sometime
in the recent past, allowing both Wonder Woman
and the upcoming Cold War-set Wonder Woman Two
to remain unaltered.
But other than that, everything feels a little bit
up in the air.
At least until Justice League comes out this November.
According to early reports, The Flash and Aquaman
are both the breakout stars of that film,
and if fans really take to them,
we're betting DC will find a way to keep them safe
from whatever time changing shenanigans
happen in Flashpoint.
But what do you folks think?
Do you think Flashpoint can save the DCEU,
and what other changes would you like to see come from it?
Let's discuss.
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