The Arrowverse Is Making The Flash Movie Better (But There’s A Catch)

Comparisons between The Flash TV show and The Flash movie are going to be inevitable, which is both good and bad for the upcoming DC Universe film. After years in development, the first live-action Flash movie arrives in 2023 at what could be the end of the previous DCEU and the beginning of the new DC Universe. James Gunn confirmed that The Flash “resets” things, which adds to the importance of The Flash movie for the future of the DC Universe.

The fact that the first live-action Flash movie will be a multiverse story involving both Ben Affleck’s and Michael Keaton’s versions of Batman, Man of Steel’s General Zod, and Supergirl is a challenge by itself. Not only has the DCEU skipped Flash’s origin story, but it will also make its first Flash solo film into a crossover epic. In that scenario, both the similarities and the differences between the CW’s Flash and the DC Universe become even more important.

The Arrovwerse’s Flash Show Fleshed Out Barry Allen Before The DC Universe

Between the announcement that Barry Allen would appear in Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ahead of Justice League and the release of The Flash movie, the entirety of the CW’s The Flash show will have happened. In other words, the Arrowverse’s Flash will have told nine seasons’ worth of Barry Allen stories by the time the DC Universe’s Flash movie finally premiers. Regardless of how much time has passed since The Flash movie was announced, just the fact that the Arrowverse has followed Barry Allen for nine seasons already makes Grant Gustin’s version of Flash quite different from Ezra Miller’s.

In the DCEU, which will now be reimagined as the DC Universe for the DC Studios reboot, Barry Allen was introduced as a cameo character in Batman v Superman. The DCEU’s Flash would briefly return as a cameo in Suicide Squad, followed by a significant role in Justice League. None of those films told Barry Allen’s origin story, although Zack Snyder’s Justice League spent a bit more time with Flash-related characters like Iris West and Henry Allen. Still, the Arrowverse’s Barry Allen was far more fleshed out as a character during those nine seasons compared to the DCEU’s Flash’s relatively short screen time so far.

How The Flash Movie Actually Benefits From The Arrowverse’s Flash

It makes sense for movies like Spider-Man: Homecoming or The Batman to skip their titular heroes’ origin stories, as Spider-Man and Batman have been at the center of live-action films and several other adaptations for decades. When it comes to a character like Flash, however, the scenario is different. Before Batman v Superman, Barry Allen had never appeared in a live-action theatrical film, meaning that crafting a Flash movie would be significantly different from making a new Superman film or a Batman one. However, the DCEU’s approach to the Justice League meant that most of those heroes already existed, which led to Flash’s origin story being skipped.

For those who are familiar with the comics or the DC animated universes, the lack of a Flash origin story in the DCEU would not be a major problem. However, for a significant part of the audience, movies like Batman v Superman or Justice League could very well be their first contact with the character. That said, the fact that CW’s The Flash has been on the air for more than eight years means that a large audience got to know Barry Allen and everything regarding Flash’s mythos despite the lack of live-action Flash movies. For example, concepts like Nora Allen’s death, Reverse Flash, and Flashpoint were all extensively explained on the show.

The Flash Movie Still Has A Problem Because Of The Flash Show

The Flash movie has the advantage of not needing to “sell” concepts like Flash’s time travel powers or the existence of more than one Barry Allen across the multiverse, at least not for those who are familiar with the show. That advantage, however, is also a challenge. Audiences that are familiar with the Arrowverse’s Flash have already seen stories involving Barry Allen going back in time to save his mother, the creation of a Flashpoint timeline, and Flash encountering a different version of himself, all of which appears to be part of The Flash movie. Essentially, The DCEU’s Flash film risks feeling repetitive for those who have seen the show.

To avoid being too familiar and repetitive, The Flash movie will have to tell its version of Flashpoint uniquely, or at least execute its story very well. A less-than-great Flashpoint adaptation, regardless of how comic-accurate it is or not, risks feeling like a lesser version of what the Arrowverse’s Flash show has done so well – especially in the widely praised first three seasons. That said, there are elements in The Flash movie that can help it stand out from the show regardless of the similarities. The addition of Man of Steel’s General Zod, a Flashpoint Kal-El-like Supergirl, and Michael Keaton’s Batman return, for example.