After spending so much time in development, the DCEU’s upcoming film The Flash will have to meet some major expectations if the movie is going to succeed. After being introduced to the DCEU in 2016 during Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, giving Barry Allen a solo film seems like a long time coming. There have been mixed reactions from fans thus far, with some viewers believing that the DCEU should have either kept Barry Allen a side character in larger productions, or left the Flash off the big screen altogether. 

DC and Warner Bros will have to deliver a near-perfect story and make some big changes to Ezra Miller’s Flash in order to create a project with enough substance. Having been such a happy-go-lucky character in previous films, it could be incredibly difficult to write Barry Allen with enough character depth to carry an entire movie on his back. In order to deliver a compelling narrative, Barry will have to be less juvenile and carefree than he was in past projects to capture the intensity that often comes with superhero storylines.

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Even if Barry’s character falls short, there’s still some hope for The Flash, however, based on the information fans have been given about the characters set to star in the film. The cast has been very candid about their respective roles in the new Flashpoint-focused film and fan-favorite heroes like Batman will be joining Barry on his latest adventure. The Flash will also reintroduce CW Arrowverse heroes like Supergirl, and some pretty big rumors have been circulating about additional CW actors like Grant Gustin joining the lineup to build some more bridges between the DCEU and the Arrowverse. Other stars have openly expressed their desire to be part of the upcoming Flash film, leaving fans hopeful that they’ll see some more familiar faces. 

Ben Affleck as Batman and Ezra Miller as the Flash in Justice League

The one character who has yet to be confirmed is DC's newest villain, which Warner Bros and the cast have both been keeping under wraps. There's still some time before The Flash comes to theaters, but the secrecy hints at a major plot twist to come during the film, opening the door to a number of possibilities within the DCEU. Previous bad guys like the Reverse Flash and Savitar have already made their debut during the CW’s Arrowverse rendition of The Flash, so if DC is planning to make more connections between their universes, bringing back one of these fan favorites might be the way to go. 

On the other hand, there are a large number of villains Barry Allen has yet to conquer, so perhaps an entirely new character will make their debut. However, if Warner Bros wants to go down the plot twist route, this hush-hush villain might be one that the DC heroes have battled before or someone Barry Allen has a close personal relationship with. Depending on who this new big bad actually is, their identity could make or break The Flash entirely, based on how well the shock factor is delivered. 

The CW’s Arrowverse Flash has had to deal with personal betrayal in the early seasons when his stand-in father figure and mentor Harrison Wells (AKA Eobard Thawne) turned out to be the Reverse Flash. This was a major turning point for Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen, marking the beginning of his journey as a true hero, transforming him from simply a kid with powers to a real speedster. Using this technique in The Flash could transform Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen just as well, assuming the identity of the villain remains secret to surprise fans at some point during the film. 

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The Flash production team has hinted at the possibility that this film could prove to be a major restarting point for the DCEU moving forward, which will hopefully solve some of the continuity issues and plot holes that can be found within the DC Universe. With the promise of change and the release of the movie on the horizon, it’s hard to believe that Warner Bros doesn’t have an alternative purpose behind keeping their fans in the dark when it comes to Barry Allen’s next epic showdown. 

Working with the Flashpoint universe gives the DCEU a lot of room to get creative, since they have so much material from the comics to explore. Time travel elements are also suspected to play a part in The Flash, and if done right, the introduction of the multiverse on a bigger scale could remedy a lot of past issues fans found with the DC Universe. Warner Bros and the DCEU tend to do great things when it comes to conceptualization, but the execution always seems to fall a little bit flat. Using The Flash to start over with a clean slate, unify all of their previous projects, and introducing a surprising new villain might be just the thing the DCEU needs to get fans excited about the future. 

The Flash comes to theaters November 2022.

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