Since Warner Bros. approached Jeph Loeb, the author of "Teen Wolf" and a comic book writer for DC and Marvel, in the late 1980s to create a big-screen adaptation of "The Flash," nearly forty years have passed. The film went through multiple changes and delays until it recently achieved a successful release.
"The Flash" attracted numerous A-list actors to join, including David S. Goyer, the screenwriter for "The Dark Knight Trilogy," Ryan Reynolds, and Shawn Levy, the director of "Night at the Museum." These heavyweight participants added considerable appeal to the movie.
However, "The Flash" did not perform as well as expected at the box office. Although it earned $139 million in its global opening weekend, surpassing the overall box office revenue of "Shazam!," its production cost was twice as much as the latter. Meanwhile, "Black Adam" also had a slightly higher opening weekend box office revenue, reaching $140 million.
Nevertheless, we cannot judge a movie solely based on its opening weekend box office data. "The Flash" has received positive reviews, with a freshness rating of 66% on Rotten Tomatoes, which may help avoid a significant box office decline in its second weekend, similar to what "Black Adam" experienced.
For the future development of the DC Universe, this film may hold significant importance. "The Flash" is in an unusual position as the latest installment of a concluded series. Director James Gunn stated that the storyline of "The Flash" revolves around timeline distortion and the multiverse, which will allow the entire series to be "rebooted." If this movie succeeds, it could serve as a reboot of the DC Universe and transition into Gunn's upcoming DC Universe. If it fails, it will be the movie that concluded the DCEU before the new starting point.
However, after Gunn took over DC, there were still two films planned by the previous DCEU management to be released. "Blue Beetle" will premiere in August, while "Superman: Heritage" will kick off the rebranding of the DC Universe's first chapter in July 2025. The performance of these movies will also influence the future of "The Flash."
The recent box office results of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have also been less than satisfactory, with some films even receiving negative reviews. Against the backdrop of current "superhero fatigue," perhaps Marvel and DC can sit down and discuss, drawing lessons from Gunn's experience. Maybe taking a superhero hiatus before July 2025 is a wise choice.