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Had it not bombed ‘The Flash’ would've led to the crossover event 'Crisis on Infinite Earths'


https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/the-flash-flameout-box-office-flameout-david-zaslav-1235518567/

Development on The Flash spanned three regimes at Warners and figured prominently into former DC Films boss Walter Hamada’s plans for the universe. Hamada commissioned a sequel script from Aquaman scribe David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, one that would ultimately lead to a crossover event titled Crisis on Infinite Earths. However, those plans were scrapped after Gunn and Peter Safran ascended to the top DC posts. And while no Flash sequel was part of the duo’s immediate grand plans, announced in January, they were open to Miller returning to the role, possibly as a supporting character in other projects (that seems less likely now in the wake of The Flash’s bomb). Also, the team Zaslav assembled did make some changes to The Flash, including a key moment at the end of the film that was orchestrated by Gunn and Safran.

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Wonder whod have turned up in a DCEU Crisis on Infinite Earths?

Obviously all the main JL cast in major roles, with Keaton (maybe replacing Affleck altogether as he was supposed to), Clooney?(doubtful as his Flash cameo was a late fun thing by Gunn replacing Keaton/Supergirl/Cavill/Gadot), the nu Supergirl, Cage (without deage CGI. I could see Cage having had a big role), Routh? (probably not as he'd had his 'Crises' on tv), Helen Slater (as she is now, not CG deaged), possibly Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman (plus cameos from Kim Basinger?/Chris O'Donnell?/Jim Carrey?/Arnold?), and more CGI appearances (Christopher Reeve, Adam West, deaged Lynda Carter), also some Suicide Squad (Robbie, Leto, Smith? Elba? maybe more), and potentially the big one.. Christian Bale (cameo only after begging Nolan for permission) .. all facing off against... Darkside?

So basically like a Justice League 2 but with all the extra cast. and no Synder (probably The Flash director doing it)

I guess a 'Crisis' movie will still happen with some of those but a few years down the line with the new DCU characters under Gunn. But really its a shame its not happening now 😔

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Like you, I think we'll get a Crisis movie eventually. My predictions;

West's Batman
Ward's Robin
Carter's Wonder Woman
Reeve's Superman
Stamp's Zod
Slater's Supergirl
Keaton's Batman
Nicholson's Joker
Pfeiffer's Catwoman
Carrey's Riddler
Reynolds' Green Lantern (I can see them getting some comedy out of that one!)
Cavill's Superman
Affleck's Batman
Robbie's Harley
Gadot's Wonder Woman
Momoa's Aquaman
Levi's Shazam

I also think they'll find a way to include Bale's Batman, Neeson's Ra's, Ledger's Joker, Hardy's Bane, and Hathaway's Catwoman (even if it's just archive footage). It stood out a mile that there were zero references to TDKT in The Flash. At the end of the day WB/DC own these characters and movies, not Nolan (or whoever).

Obviously, many of these will just be glimpses.

Plus, of course, the full featured cast of Gunn's DCU.

Pretty sure we won't see Miller's Flash! And my guess is we won't see Phoenix's Joker or Pattinson's Batman.

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I just got the CW Crisis on Infinite Earths DVD, noticed it was way cheap on ebay, Only seen utube clips of Rouths Supermans return when it came out so will be interesting to watch the 5 or so eps and see how it compares to The Flash

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Also, an animated COIE has been confirmed as the next entry in the Tomorrowverse. Rumour says it'll be divided into two or even three separate movies, and feature appearances from animated DC shows and movies going waay back, including the DCAU, the DCAMU, Teen Titans, Young Justice, Under the Red Hood, The Killing Joke, etc.

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Did you ever watch CW COIE? If so, what did you think?

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Yeah mustve been not long after I posted that. but can barely remember most of it, wasn't too bad from what I recall. Never watched much of the CW stuff aside a few clips over the years so just roughly knew who was who. Very 'tv quality' fighting in a car park scenes, woods etc but some impressive near movie quality stuff . The Routh bits were the highlight of course. essentially a sequel to SR. The Flash movie could've done with using Routh in some way. as well as the way some of the legacy characters were used (Welling, Old Flash)

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I wasn't a fan of the CW DC stuff. I tried. I liked some of the casting (Melissa Benoist stands out), but the shows were too full of soul-searching and teen angst for me. As you rightly say, Routh's return was the highlight of Crisis. It would have been nice if he'd come back somehow for The Flash and a final big screen outing as Supes, but at least he did get a closure. I'd also like to have seen Gustin cameo in TF after Miller's appearance in COIE.

Which of the two productions do you think handled the nostalgia/legacy thing better?

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Well the movie had access to the DC movie 'big dogs' (Keaton, Reeve, Affleck/Gadot, Cage, Clooney) and the way Keaton was done was great, but CW def had stuff going for it with Routh , the OG Flash, Smallville, even the Animated batman (but no Dean Cain?)

Basically each was like a nostalgia/legacy for each medium (movie and TV) with a couple of overlaps - SR in CW (bc Routh was already playing in it as Atom Man)and Robert Whurl, with Adam West/G Reeves cameoing in the movie. And of course both Flashes meeting in CW

I'm thinking had Routh not appeared in CW (or not as Superman anyway) would the movie have used him? Maybe in place of supergirl somehow? or in some way at the climax? (I guess probably not as SR now barely registers in grand scheme of DCs 'legacy' for various reasons)

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Pretty fair assessment there 👍

Interesting to think whether they would have used Routh's Superman in The Flash if he hadn't appeared in Crisis. It would have been nice to see him put in an appearance at some point. Not at the expense of Supergirl though. Would have required a rewrite, but hey, it doesn't seem they were averse to those! 😊

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but it did also The Rock spearheading the DCEU wouldve led to more flops it getting a Reboot from James Gunn & Peter Safran is what it needed!!

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Anything to do with GFR is usually BS but might be something that was originally planned?

https://www.facebook.com/movieandes/posts/pfbid02tG6tCUCbb9rGzv5qmQA3nvdcqvicSjxbTo5pkuVi19NCqQLkjtmXmBrha5oqSjD4l

The website Giant Freakin Robot revealed that Warner Bros. offered a fortune for Affleck to return with his Batman and lead the film adaptation of Crisis on Infinite Earths.
To star in the event, the star would have received an offer of US$30 million! If he accepts the offer, Ben Affleck will become one of the highest-paid actors in history.
Months ago, rumors emerged that the DCEU should have a mega crossover based on Crisis on Infinite Earths. This event would explain where Ben Affleck's Batman ended up after the events of the film The Flash and would feature the meeting of several versions of DC's main heroes.
According to some insiders, a post-credits scene from The Flash would show Batfleck in a universe beyond the new DCEU somehow communicating with the Flash (Ezra Miller) and asking the Scarlet Speedster to find him.

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'According to some insiders, a post-credits scene from The Flash would show Batfleck in a universe beyond the new DCEU somehow communicating with the Flash (Ezra Miller) and asking the Scarlet Speedster to find him.'

I've heard that before. I guess a planned big screen COIE is (or was) a possibility. Maybe we'd have finally got a face-to-face between Affleck's Batman and Keaton's (and - I'd like to dream - Bale's, but that's sadly unlikely).

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It makes sense to show Affleck wasn't completely erased, and as a call back to the BvS scene of Barry contacting Batfleck but with Batfleck contacting Barry (they love doing those reverse things)

I think they will still be doing an epic COIE movie (like MCU is doing with Secret Wars) but now it'll prob be about at least 5y away now Gunn has to introduce and build a whole new DCU (providing the superhero bubble doesn't burst by then and audiences tune out) .. I very much doubt Keaton, CG Reeve, Cage, Clooney etc would feature then (having had their shot kind of bungled in The Flash) , I imagine it'd be mainly DCEU Cavill Affleck Gadot Momoa MRobbie etc (all still popular on Twitter/X by then #restorethesynderverse prob still a thing) interacting with DCU Corenswet etc (plus Bale if multi Oscar winning Nolan has lightened up by then, probably not). also Reynolds/GL (and actually maybe Reeve in a long lost legacy character type way could appear as by then AI/CG surely be near flawless, then again there's been a bit of backlash on the whole resurrecting dead actors esp with Reeve)

had WBros just continued with DCEU they'd have probably been gearing toward it for like 2026 (although The Flash bombing would obviously make them think twice about the whole thing)

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If that happens and they miss out Keaton etc for legacy/cameo appearances and pretty much stick with the DCEU, the only one I'll really be interested in seeing come back is Gal Gadot (plus Bale and Reynolds if they could be persuaded). Still, maybe this time they'd do right by Lynda Carter.

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Would be surprised to see any pre DCEU actors would be involved, but.. Gunn loves Christopher Reeve Superman (but apparently hates Keaton Batman and Bale Batman) so maybe some will appear

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