DC has finally got its multiversal crisis, thanks to The Flash! The official trailer of the upcoming Ezra Miller starrer surfaced on Sunday. There were a lot of moments in that clip that still need some time to get digested by fans. But it still elated them as it showed glimpses of Sasha Calle’s Supergirl, Michael Shannon’s General Zod, and Michael Keaton’s and Ben Affleck’s versions of Batman. However, it also made fans wonder if the Andy Muschietti directional is DC’s reply to Marvel’s breach of the multiverse through Spider-Man: No Way Home.
The Flash will reboot the entire DCEU and give it a new identity, DCU. It is a part of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s vision of kickstarting the superhero franchise and taking it in new directions. Gunn sang high praises for the film after sharing its trailer on Twitter with the caption: “I love this movie so much. Can’t wait for you all to see it.”
According to the film’s official synopsis, The Flash revolves around Barry Allen following the events of ‘Justice League’. He utilises his powers and goes back in time to save his mother. But his actions trap him in an alternate universe with no superheroes, eventually altering the future. This unfortunate multiversal breach allows General Zod to wreak havoc in that universe. To defeat Zod, Barry seeks the help of The Caped Crusader (from another timeline) and an imprisoned Kryptonian, Supergirl. Along the way, he encounters a version of himself, belonging to another timeline.
Many fans believe that the film’s premise looks similar to No Way Home. Like NWH, The Flash shows the protagonist dealing with the loss of his loved one and plots a path for the return of fan-favourite superhero characters from the past. Does this scenario cement the fact that The Flash is just a copy of NWH? Nope! That’s not the case here, folks!
The forthcoming DC project is different from the Tom Holland starrer as its plot takes inspiration from the 2011 Flashpoint comic book series, written by Geoff Johns. On the other hand, NWH had an original storyline.
In Flashpoint, we see Thomas Wayne donning the Batsuit, Cyborg becoming a core member of the Justice League, Superman being held captive in a government facility, Wonder Woman’s Amazonians conquering the entire United Kingdom, and Aquaman’s Atlanteans destroying the majority of Western Europe. We should not expect these storylines to get adapted into The Flash. But the comic series has served as an inspiration for the film’s plot.
Yes, both The Flash and No Way Home are based on the concept of the multiverse, but their execution looks different. Get ready for June 16! Stay tuned for more updates.