The long-troubled solo outing for The Flash was almost a “ground-level” superhero story as opposed to the multiversal madness that it became, according to one-time Flash directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley. Speaking with Variety, the directing duo revealed what their plan for The Flash was when they were attached to the DC outing back in 2018.

“We pitched this idea of a ground-level superhero where it isn’t entirely end-of-the-world stakes. He’s just learning his powers and is also somewhat dysfunctional with his life. The more imperfect we can make a superhero, the better, because that’s the inherent challenge: How do you give imperfection to someone that is, you know, physically perfect?”

A solo The Flash movie has been in the works for years, dating back to at least 2013 (or even the 1980s if you want to go back that far), with all manner of production issues and director dropouts delaying the comic book movie. Goldstein and Daley have now shed some light on why they decided to walk away from The Flash, with Goldstein saying that “it became clear” that the studio “didn’t want to quite do the same thing as we did.”

“It was a number of creative differences that caused us at a certain point to decide that it was time to go. If we feel like the powers-that-be aren’t excited about making the same movie as we are, we’re not going to win that battle. And so it’s better to cut your losses and get out of there.”

No doubt there will be many fans of The Flash disappointed to hear that we almost got a much more grounded story focussed on Barry Allen, rather than the multiverse-hopping adventure featuring multiple versions of Batman.

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Instead, The Flash Will be All About End-of-the-World Stakes
Warner Bros. Pictures

Rather than ground-level, The Flash will be the exact opposite of what Goldstein and Daley had in mind. Directed by Andy Muschietti from a screenplay by Christina Hodson, The Flash will take major inspiration from the DC comic book arc, Flashpoint and sees the multiverse collapse after Barry Allen travels back in time in an attempt to prevent his mother’s murder.

But fear not, as Goldstein and Daley have seen The Flash, and while much has changed since their involvement, they heaped praise on what they call a “very fun and emotional movie.”

“They took what we had started and really ran with it and made it a very fun and emotional movie. We’re really happy with how it all turned out.”

The Flash finds Zack Snyder’s Justice League star Ezra Miller reprising the role of Barry Allen, aka The Flash, alongside Sasha Calle as Supergirl and Michael Shannon as General Zod, as well as Ron Livingston, Maribel Verdú, Kiersey Clemons, and Antje Traue. The Flash will also feature two versions of The Dark Knight, with Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice star Ben Affleck due to reprise his role as Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, alongside Michael Keaton, who will once again don the cape and cowl after more than three decades.

The Flash is now scheduled to have its world premiere at CinemaCon on April 25, 2023, before being released theatrically on June 16, 2023. Goldstein and Daley meanwhile will next bring the world of Dungeons & Dragons to the big screen in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, which is scheduled to be released in on March 31, by Paramount Pictures.