The people at WBD really want you to see The Flash. It makes sense. The film is being pitched as a new starting point for the DC Cinematic Universe. James Gunn has said it’s his favorite movie of the year. They even got Stephen King to go shill for the film on Twitter!

I got an advance screening of THE FLASH today. As a rule I don't care a lot for superhero movies, but this one is special. It's heartfelt, funny, and eye-popping. I loved it.

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) May 17, 2023

There is also a distinct lack of focus on the titular character. I can’t imagine why. If you look at the marketing material, it leans heavily on Sasha Calle’s new Supergirl and the return of Michael Keaton’s Batman. Now the director, Andy Muschietti, is out here spoiling the movie.

Pretty big Spoilers ahead. You have been warned.

At a time of stagnance in superhero cinema, I often long for projects that never came to fruition. A James Cameron Spiderman movie almost put Leo DiCaprio in the title role. Darren Aronofsky almost gave us a deconstructed Batman with Alfred as his mechanic. At the time, I wouldn’t have wanted to see either of those movies. Now? Hook them to my veins. That goes double for the fabled Superman: Lives.

Tim Burton almost directed a Superman movie in the late ’90s. If you’ve never heard Kevin Smith talk about that movie, I suggest seeking that story out. Smith’s work on the film was relatively brief. As was Burton’s choice for Superman: Nic Cage. I would kill for a Nic Cage lead Superman film. Instead, he’ll add to the list of ways WBD is falling over itself to get people in the theaters on June 16th.

Yes, Nic Cage will be donning the big red S in a cameo appearance. It should be a big, fun surprise. Instead, Muschietti revealed the cameo in a discussion with Esquire Middle East. Revealing a cameo like this reeks of desperation, and it’s desperation we’ve already seen from WBD within the last year!

Leading up to the release of Black Adam, The Rock jumped on the red carpet and revealed that Henry Cavill would cameo in the credits as Superman. It felt like an attempt to get butts in the seats, and it failed hard. There seems to be a misunderstanding of surprises on DC’s part (at least when it comes to Superman). People don’t wait for the credits because they know what’s going to happen. They stay to be surprised. If you take away that surprise, there’s more chance that people won’t stay. Hell, they may not show up at all!

A lot is riding on this Flash film. I won’t be seeing it for my own reasons, but I will be interested in how it does. If it does well, James Gunn will ride into his tenure as co-head of DC films with a bang. If it doesn’t do well, will his time at the top end before it gets going? We’ll see.