Director Andy Muschietti’s explanation for The Flash’s poor reception doesn’t bode well for the upcoming DCU Batman movie, The Brave and the Bold. The first wave of DCU film and TV projects is rapidly taking shape, with more actors joining the series in major roles. James Gunn’s first Batman movie in the DCU, Andy Muschietti’s new film The Brave and the Bold is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated live-action projects in the Gods and Monsters chapter of the DCU. . However, little is known about the plot or cast of “The Brave and the Bold” other than its two main characters, Batman and Damian Wayne.
Andy Muschietti broke into Hollywood with the 2008 horror short film Mama, and hit the big screen in 2013 with support from Guillermo del Toro. Muschietti then directed two IT films directed by Bill Skarsgård. He produced “It” in 2017 and “It: Chapter Two” in 2019, before taking on his first superhero film, “The Flash” in 2023. Unfortunately, The Flash, directed by Andy Muschietti, suffered from Ezra Miller’s legal issues, multiple delays, The Flash’s bizarre cameo, heavily criticized CGI, and Henry Cavill’s super Mann, has been full of controversy, ranging from pros and cons to a DCEU character as big as Ben. Affleck’s Batman and Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman.
Andy Muschietti blames Flash’s failure on lack of attention, especially from women
Andy Muschietti’s explanation for Flash failure doesn’t address flaws in DCEU movies
On January 12, 2025, Andy Muschietti opined on The Flash’s failure, explaining that The Flash is not a popular DC hero and saying, “In private conversations, a lot of people don’t think about The Flash at all. I could tell they didn’t care,” he said. As a character. ‘The Flash’ is not a movie for everyone, Muschietti subtly acknowledged ‘The Flash’s other shortcomings, but explained that ‘The Flash’ failed for a number of reasons, including 4. “It wasn’t a movie that appealed to all four quadrants.” Muschietti added: “If you’re spending $200 million to make a movie, Warners wants to bring even your grandmother to the theater.”
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Although The Flash has been heavily criticized for its “terrible VFX,” the film’s unusual beauty is actually created by other stylistic choices.
The four quadrants Muschietti refers to are the four types of viewers: male viewers under 25, male viewers over 25, female viewers under 25, and female viewers over 25. point. Typically, Hollywood blockbusters that are intentionally designed to target all four quadrants are considered a safe option. It’s a box office hit, and it’s usually a family-friendly action movie. Over the past decade or so, live-action comic book adaptations have delved into lesser-known source material, but the popularity of the superhero film genre has led to deep-dive Marvel and DC productions that appeal to all four quadrants and garner critical acclaim. It was a success both at home and with critics. General audience.
Why Andy Muschietti is wrong about his interest in Flash characters
The Flash remains one of the most popular comic book heroes of all time
The Flash may not have been adapted into live-action films as much as Superman or Batman, but he remains one of the most easily recognizable superheroes in pop culture. Apart from The Flash’s A-list status at DC Comics, Barry Allen starred in nine seasons of The Flash on The CW. Despite starting with Arrow, the CW’s Arrowverse franchise gradually shifted its focus to Grant Gustin’s Flash and other speedsters. In 2015, USA Today reported that 40% of The Flash viewers were women. That’s a pretty high percentage for a male-led superhero network TV show that’s also part of a complex cinematic universe.
The Flash changed (and saved) the entire DC Comics timeline multiple times. Barry Allen seemed to be doing the same thing in The Flash, but the 2023 DCEU movie doesn’t explain why or how the DCEU ended and the DCU began. .
The Flash is one of the longest-running members of the Justice League, dating back to the team’s founding in 1960, and has appeared in comic book comics such as Crisis on Infinite Earths and Flashpoint. Both worldwide crossover events revolve around The Flash. And on TV too. Andy Muschietti’s The Flash took some elements from these storylines, meaning the entire fate of the DCEU and the live-action DC Multiverse rested with Barry Allen. It’s hard for die-hard fans and casual moviegoers alike to ignore such an important event. On the other hand, Ezra Miller’s controversial case involving multiple women from 2020 to 2022 is much harder to ignore.
Andy Muschietti’s flash comments suggest he’s not seeing the big picture when it comes to the DC Universe
Considering how many controversial elements The Flash had, Andy Muschietti’s explanation for audience disinterest seems pretty misguided. Muschietti is currently attached to direct the DCU’s The Brave and the Bold. Considering Batman’s role in the DC Universe, it’s one of the most important installments in the entire series. If Andy Muschietti believes that a character as popular as The Flash is uninteresting to general audiences, he may not understand why Batman and his supporting characters are so beloved. Batman and The Flash are both popular across all four viewership demographics, including under-25s and women over-25s, so they don’t need any special changes to be successful.
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Andy Muschietti’s The Flash had a strange obsession with Batman and other DC characters not strictly related to the Flash, such as Supergirl and General Zod. Despite adapting Flashpoint, Barry Allen’s nemesis Reverse-Flash was nowhere to be seen in the live-action version of his biggest comic book story. The Flash’s multi-world cameo was also a great opportunity to honor Grant Gustin’s legacy as Barry Allen, especially after Ezra Miller’s cameo in the Arrowverse’s Crisis on Infinite Earths. However, Muschietti’s The Flash did not include Grant Gustin’s The Flash, but rather lesser-known or downright popular characters such as Nicolas Cage’s Superman and George Clooney’s Bruce Wayne. It included depictions of characters who were not present.
The Brave and the Bold need a director who doesn’t just care about Batman.
The DCU needs a director who understands all the characters inside and outside of his project
The Flash’s exaggerated focus on Batman, Supergirl, and General Zod may have had a lot to do with the DCEU’s need to give major characters a definitive farewell. However, Andy Muschietti’s comments suggest that he himself was not very interested in The Flash. Unlike most previous Batman movies, The Brave and the Bold takes place within a shared cinematic universe filled with characters from across the DC Universe. This means that Batman will inevitably interact with heroes, villains, and antiheroes that have little to do with heroes, villains, and antiheroes. gotham city. In fact, Creature Commandos has already confirmed that Batman has been around for a while.
When Batman first appears in the DCU, he is depicted in an apocalyptic vision alongside Superman, Wonder Woman, Starfire, Peacemaker, and other DCU characters.
Whoever oversees Batman in the DCU has to take care of all kinds of DC characters, whether they’re famous outside of the series or not. After nearly 90 years of comic book history, James Gunn’s DCU finally gave Batman the chance to share his endlessly diverse cast of characters on the big screen from the get-go. Batman’s often overlooked enemies, other members of the Batfamily, and outlandish characters like Bat-Mite and Bat-Cow may not have had established fan bases before the release of The Brave and the Bold No, but if the entire team behind their adaptation has the same love and care that they have for Batman, it could work as effectively as Dark and Knight himself.
director
andy muschietti
studio
DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Discovery, Warner Bros.
director
andres muschietti
writer
Christina Hodson, Joby Harrold
studio
Warner Bros. Movies (DC)
Upcoming DC movie releases