How The 2011 Crossover Comic Flashpoint Inspired The Flash Movie

It's no secret by now that DC's "The Flash" will pull some of its universe-resetting story from Geoff Johns and Andy Kuberts' 2011 comic run "Flashpoint," but fans of the speedy superhero still don't know exactly how much of the new movie will draw inspiration from the famed 5-issue run. /Film's Jenna Busch attended a screening of the new film with director Andy Muschietti in attendance, and the filmmaker shed some light on exactly what parts of "Flashpoint" we should expect to be incorporated in Barry Allen's (Ezra Miller) big-screen solo debut.

Muschietti noted first that by the time he boarded the project, "the story or at least the outline was decided" by DC already. Screenwriter Christina Hodson handled the film's script, and Muschietti said that the story of "The Flash" isn't as repetitive as some other superhero origins. As he put it:

"My opinion is like every time, for instance — and I love all of them — but every time that there's a new version of Batman, it's like every time we're telling the same story, the same story but with a different vision, with a different style, with a different tone, but it's repeating and repeating and repeating."

The filmmaker said that utilizing the "Flashpoint" story ends up "killing several birds with the same stone," as a time travel element opened up the floor to both incorporate Batman ("always a good idea," he said) and explore Barry's tragic backstory; namely, as Muschietti put it, "the mother, the father, the accident." While Barry's mom's death hasn't actually been explored much on screen yet, Billy Crudup appeared in "Justice League" in the role of Barry's dad (recast here as Ron Livingston), who is behind bars after being found guilty of the murder of Barry's mother. That ensemble film barely touched on the details of the family's sad history, but this Barry-centric "The Flash" has all the time in the world to dig into the character's origins.

"I know there hasn't been a Flash movie before, but do you feel watching this movie that there's something that remains unknown about the character or that you would like to see a proper origin?" Muschietti asked the audience at this week's screening. "Flashpoint" explores an alternate version of Barry's timeline in which his mother is still alive, but it begins with Barry waking up in that world, and only explains how he got there over time. "The Flash," as Muschietti explained, seems poised to do the opposite, telling a more linear story that utilizes the "Flashpoint" setup. "Flashpoint it's told differently," Muschietti said. "First, the second part of the story has nothing to do with this. So it's only the setup or only the idea that basically Barry goes back and he f**ks up everything."

Muschietti pointed out that the "Flashpoint" comics don't show what caused Barry's universe to reset right away: "In the comic book, we don't see this. It's a surprise." The new movie, he noted, is "more like a suspense" story, with "a buildup to that moment, which makes probably a more emotional experience because you understand everything that's happening." By the time Barry actually causes the timeline change on screen, we'll know exactly what's at stake and why it matters. 

In short, the movie sounds like it'll be using the "Flashpoint" comic arc as a starting point, but shifting around the action so it's not an in medias res narrative structure anymore. Muschietti's comment about the "second part" of "Flashpoint" being unrelated to the film also seems to indicate that fans hoping for an exact retelling of Johns and Kubert's arc should adjust their expectations because the movie seems to have something else up its sleeve.

That being said, we do know "The Flash" is set to have major implications for the DCU, just as "Flashpoint" ultimately changed the game for DC Comics. Aside from bringing together multiple Batmans in one movie, DC Films co-CEO James Gunn has said that the film "resets everything" when it comes to the studio's ongoing storyline. Barry's timeline might not have lasting results for his story, but also for the stories of other DC heroes.

"The Flash" finally zooms into theaters on June 16, 2023.