Ezra Miller’s The Flash is still hurting Barry Allen, as a new DC Universe update reveals just how much the movie impacted the character. I don’t think there is any doubt that Grant Gustin’s Flash from the Arrowverse remains the most beloved live-action iteration of The Flash. Despite being helped by the DCEU’s movie slate, The Flash film did not perform.

Miller’s solo movie as Barry Allen was far from the exciting project that had been promised. Before release, multiple Hollywood personalities, such as Tom Cruise, revealed how they believed The Flash would turn out to be a crowd-pleaser. DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn was among them. However, The Flash was released to mixed reception and a negative box office run.

2023’s The Flash failed to excite. The role, alongside the rest of the DCEU’s Justice League, is set to be recast in the future. Fans have let it be known that if a past The Flash actor were to come back for Gunn’s DCU projects, it should be Gustin. Now, a new DC update shines light on The Flash’s situation.

Ezra Miller’s The Flash Movie Was A Major Disappointment For DC

The Box Office Was Not At All What Was Expected

Based on the positive comments from Gunn, Tom Cruise, and more before release, it is clear that DC thought it had a hit on its hands with Ezra Miller’s The Flash. Sadly, the DC film went on to have a disappointing box office performance, ending its global run with only $271.4 million (via Box Office Mojo) on a reported $220 million production budget.

Based on that, The Flash easily lost over $100 million for the studio when accounting for marketing and other expenses. Given the multiverse nature of the film, The Flash was expected to be a major performer, bringing in characters like Michael Keaton’s Batman in a key role and many cameos. However, with abysmal CGI, the multiverse aspect played against it.

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It did not help that The Flash‘s lead star, Miller, had been involved in many controversies leading up to the film’s release. After The Flash failed to be the hit DC expected it to be, becoming a historic box office bomb instead, the only alternative was to recast. However, James Gunn’s DC Universe ended up surprising in regard to that.

The Flash Was Not Part Of The New DC Universe’s Slate Announcement

Barry Allen Remains Without A Movie Or Show In The DCU

When Gunn announced the DCU’s slate of projects in January 2023, there was no movie for The Flash on the schedule. While I was disappointed that a major character like Barry Allen was not part of the reveal, it made sense. After all, Miller’s The Flash had yet to be released at that point, so announcing a reboot was unlikely.

Gunn could also have been waiting to see how the film would perform. In case it did well, there could be a way to fold Ezra Miller’s Flash into the DCU, like Xolo Maridueña’s Blue Beetle, another star of the DCEU’s 2023 movies. However, with The Flash bombing at the box office, the DC Universe’s slate never received an update.

The first two projects in the DCU have now been released, including Gunn’s Superman movie, the DCU’s first film. While heroes who were initially not part of the DCU’s slate reveal, like Wonder Woman, have now had projects announced for their DCU debuts, The Flash is nowhere to be seen. A new update helps explain Barry Allen’s surprise absence.

James Gunn Has Revealed How Long The Flash Will Have To Wait To Join The DCU

Barry Allen Fans Will Need To Wait Quite Some Time

On the Happy Sad Confused podcast, James Gunn addressed many upcoming DC Universe movies and TV shows. The director teased how Superman would be crucial to his next DCU movie, while also giving updates on the recently-announced Wonder Woman movie and what the future holds for other DC characters. The Flash did not have a movie revealed, but got an update.

During the interview, James Gunn revealed that The Flash and Aquaman will not appear in the next two years of the DCU. With the franchise already set to feature major characters like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, multiple Green Lanterns, and more, I find it disappointing that two main Justice League heroes are absent from the DCU’s immediate plans.

That said, I can understand it. After all, both heroes had movies that underperformed in the final stretch of the DCEU. In Aquaman’s case, there is also the fact that Jason Momoa is now in the DCU playing Lobo in 2026’s Supergirl. As for The Flash, Gunn’s reveal serves to confirm just how negatively Ezra Miller’s movie impacted Barry Allen.

How The Flash’s Movie Legacy Can Be Fixed After Ezra Miller’s Movie

The New DC Universe Should Not Forget About The Flash

After the two years without The Flash pᴀss, the DCU can find two ways to move past Miller’s failed movie. If DC were to bring back Arrowverse Barry Allen actor Grant Gustin as a new version of The Flash, then audiences would immediately be behind the franchise’s take on The Flash despite the negative image left by the DCEU movie.

Gunn previously revealed that he would love to work with Gustin in the future. The other route to fixing The Flash’s movie image after Miller’s movie is to cast a new actor and let audiences slowly warm up to the character again, perhaps starting as a supporting player. Whatever the choice, The Flash movie clearly continues to impact Barry Allen.