When The Flash sprinted into theaters in June 2023, Warner Bros. had high hopes for a massive box office hit—especially after James Gunn dubbed it “one of the greatest superhero movies ever made.” As we all now know, that didn’t happen. Starring Ezra Miller as the titular character, the film introduced Sasha Calle as Supergirl and brought back Michael Keaton’s Batman. Yet, despite its star power, The Flash earned a disappointing $266 million globally against a hefty $200 million production budget, becoming the final nail in the DCEU’s coffin. Now, director Andy Muschietti has a new theory on why the Scarlet Speedster couldn’t outrun failure. According to him, it wasn’t the bad CGI, the poor script, Miller’s offscreen antics, or even the film’s goofy humor. No—it’s that nobody really likes Barry Allen. Umm… really?
Andy Muschietti’s Theory On Why The Flash Failed
Speaking on Radio Tu’s La Baulera del Coso, Muschietti admitted, “The Flash failed, among all the other reasons, because it wasn’t a movie that appealed to all four quadrants. It failed at that.” In Hollywood terms, a four-quadrant film attracts both male and female audiences, young and old. But The Flash, it seems, struggled to convince half of those groups to show up, even with major stars like Ben Affleck, Kiersey Clemons, Michael Shannon, Gal Gadot, and George Clooney making cameo appearances.
Muschietti didn’t shy away from what he’s learned since the film’s release. “I’ve found in private conversations that a lot of people just don’t care about The Flash as a character,” he admitted. “Particularly the two female quadrants. All of that is just the wind going against the film I’ve learned.”
According to Comscore’s PostTrak exit polls, the movie’s Thursday night premiere drew a crowd dominated by men—47% over 25 and 29% under 25. Women, however, were far less engaged, making up just 17% of the over-25 audience and a dismal 7% of those under 25. That’s a stark contrast to James Wan’s Aquaman, where Jason Momoa’s shirtless hero helped secure 84% approval from women over 25. Maybe The Flash would have done better if Miller had worn less clothing?
RELATED: 15 Flash Comics And Stories That Define The Scarlet Speedster
The Real Reasons The Flash Flopped
Don’t tell Muschietti, but we all know the movie’s struggles extended far beyond gender demographics. The truth is, The Flash just wasn’t very good. Most of the film’s VFX was incomplete, and Warner Bros. had watered down DCEU characters to the point that they were unrecognizable to Snyder fans. What was with that smiling Batfleck exchanging cheesy jokes with Wonder Woman? The film’s tone was clearly aimed at Marvel fans, marking a sharp departure from DC’s previous releases.
Fans Still Love Barry Allen – Just Not This Version
No, Barry Allen wasn’t the problem. Comic book fans were excited to see the Scarlet Speedster get his own live-action film. Whether they wanted Ezra Miller in the role is another debate entirely. But blaming the character for the film’s failure seems unfair. The popularity of The CW’s The Flash, starring Grant Gustin (who was notably absent from the movie), proves that audiences do love Barry Allen—at least when he’s portrayed a certain way. The show’s nine-season run is a testament to the character’s enduring appeal and the fanbase that followed Gustin’s version of the Scarlet Speedster for nearly a decade.
RELATED: How Michael Keaton’s Batman Saved The Flash Movie
What’s Next for Andy Muschietti and The Flash?
Muschietti, however, isn’t out of the DC game just yet. He’s set to direct The Brave and the Bold, which will introduce a new Batman and Robin to the rebooted DC Universe. Sadly, we fear he may have learned all the wrong lessons from his box office bomb. Let’s hope he doesn’t repeat the same mistakes with the Caped Crusader, it will be quite hard to blame Batman for fans not showing up.
As for The Flash? With DC Studios reportedly hitting pause on any new projects for the character—at least until he joins James Gunn’s DCU at a later date—it seems Barry Allen is in no hurry to return to the big screen.
RELATED: Fans Desperately Want Elliot Page As The DCU’s New Flash
Tell us, do you agree with Andy Muschietti that the Flash wasn’t popular enough with audiences to have his own film?
