photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
BY CONAN LYNCH, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
In late 2022, James Gunn became the head of DC Studios along with Peter Safran. Gunn has already directed a handful of superhero films including “The Suicide Squad” and the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies. If you’re a fan of Gunn’s movies, you understand the massive potential surrounding Gunn’s appointment at DC Studios. This is game-changing for comic geeks across the board.
On January 31 Gunn released a video outlining the slate of projects for his new cinematic universe. In the video, he stated that “The Flash,” set to release on June 16 of this year, will essentially reset the events of the current DC extended universe (DCEU) as it stands. Because of the lack of proper leadership at DC studios combined with not-so-great films like “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” this has been great news for fans of the DC cinematic universe. And it only gets better.
During the Super Bowl, a teaser trailer for “The Flash” aired, and oh my, it gives me hope for the future of DC. The full trailer was released online and, after watching it more than a handful of times, I can confidently say I don’t know if I have ever been more excited for a movie. According to Gunn, the film will adapt multiple comic storylines to the big screen, one of which is my all-time favorite. This would be the Flashpoint storyline. Loose spoilers ahead.
The Flashpoint series, written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Andy Kubert, is set in an alternate timeline separate from the main canon of detective comics. In this storyline, Barry Allen( a.k.a. the Flash) travels back in time to save his mother from dying. But in doing so, he also changes the world around him. In the Flashpoint timeline, Barry does not become the Flash, Bruce Wayne does not become Batman and Aquaman is at war with Wonder Woman.
I was ecstatic when the trailer revealed a clip of the batmobile from Tim Burton’s 1989 movie “Batman” starring Michael Keaton as the caped crusader. My excitement was elevated when Keaton, donning the cowl, stepped forward in one scene and gave his iconic take on the “I’m Batman” line. I thought it couldn’t get any better, but I was wrong. The trailer showed a glimpse of Keaton’s Batman gliding down to get the drop on some goons when Danny Elfman’s score from the 1989 film started playing. I was a kid again and the nostalgia was overwhelming.
Not only is Keaton returning to the role, but because the story takes place across multiple timelines, another actor is returning to the role of the world’s greatest detective. In one scene, we are given a look at Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne. Since they’re adapting my all-time favorite comic storyline, it would be a severe understatement to say that I am excited for this movie. If you like the superhero genre, go see “The Flash” when it hits theaters this summer!
lynchcb19@bonaventure.edu
