The Flash’s popularity is at an all-time high thanks to the hit series on The CW. ‘The Flash’ is the network’s highest rated show, outperforming ‘Arrow’ the show from which it spun. And a lot of the show’s popularity has to do with the impossible-to-dislike leading mean, Grant Gustin, who plays the affable everyman lead, Barry Allen.
But fans continue to complain wonder why Gustin’s take on the DC Comics speedster isn’t going to be part of the DC Expanded Universe on the big screen. After all, millions of viewers already know and love the TV take on the character.
Zack Snyder, the director of ‘Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice’ and the upcoming ‘Justice League – Part One’ set the record straight, by saying:
“I just don’t think it was a good fit. I’m very strict with this universe and I just don’t see a version where…that (tone is) not our world.
“Even if Grant Gustin is my favorite guy in the world and he’s very good, we made a commitment to the multiverse (idea), so it’s just not a thing that’s possible.”
Last month, Snyder made another statement regarding the DC TV Universe as it is unfolding on TV:
“This is the bottom line for me. I have 100% respect and love for what they’re doing on TV. I think it’s amazing. The joy and the fun of them speaks to the iconic, graphic nature of these characters. These characters are bigger than any of the actors playing them. Long after I’m done making a Batman v Superman movie, there will be someone else who makes it. It’s almost like an American tradition now we’ve established that these characters will be played again and again, and they exist outside of us in this moment.
“I think that’s sort of the thing I’ve embraced, and as opposed to trying to shoehorn all of these storylines into a single universe, we let the characters exist in multi-universe, and therefore it’s a lot more fun and a lot more value for the audience. They get to see their favorite and most beloved characters on different adventures at the same time in different universes and it really makes the meal a lot richer and a lot more fun. We get to go with these guys in all different directions and that’s really the joy of what we’re trying to do over here at DC.”
One of the things that fans seem to have responded the most to regarding ‘The Flash’ TV series is that it is lighter than ‘Arrow’ and for completely embraces the outlandish nature of the comic book source material.
Light is NOT the word one would use to describe what we’ve already seen of ‘Batman V Superman’ and Snyder’s take on the DCU. He also mentioned “shoehorn”-ing “all these storylines” meaning that logistically it would be very difficult to juggle the storylines on the TV series and the movie, which is still two years off. It’s quite possible the show’s producers don’t even entirely know where the show’s storylines will be at that time. And even if they did, why give the juicy storylines to the movie instead of TV where loyal viewers tune in week-after-week?
Also, the track record for TV shows getting turned into big screen movies isn’t great as most people refuse to pay to see something they normally watch for free. ‘Sex And The City’ was an anomaly and was successful partially because the show was off the air when the first movie came out. But the sequel bombed as did last year’s ‘Entourage’ movie.
For his part, Gustin has publicly voiced his support for the movie Flash, Ezra Miller.
Are you still bummed that Gustin won’t be playing the movie version of ‘The Flash’? Or are you glad to double up on Flashes?
‘The Flash’ directed by Seth Grahame-Smith and starring Ezra Miller opens on March 16, 2018.
Source: New York Daily News
