The Flash: Warner Bros. Reportedly Still Figuring Out What to Do With Movie

By Jenna Anderson

The future of the DC universe was hit with a shocking update on Tuesday, when it was confirmed that Warner Bros.' Batgirl movie has been shelved. This means that the long-awaited project will not be releasing in theaters or on HBO Max, despite having already wrapped production earlier this year, and reports indicating that its star, Leslie Grace, could play a key role in upcoming DC projects. The news has caused fans to speculate at length about the larger future of DC's films, and new reporting from Variety might indicate that the circumstances surrounding another film on the slate might not be set in stone. According to the outlet's reporting about Batgirl's cancellation, the studio is reportedly "still contending with what to do about" the upcoming The Flash movie, which is currently scheduled for a theatrical release in the summer of 2023.

The topic of The Flash and Batgirl — and when and how each film would be released — has been a unique one, as both films were tied together by the return of Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne / Batman. Keaton was set to be folded into the current live-action DC mythos via The Flash before reprising his role in Batgirl, seemingly indicating that The Flash would need to bow in theaters first.

In recent months, The Flash star Ezra Miller has been the subject of an array of offscreen controversies, including multiple arrests in Hawaii earlier this year, as well as accusations of grooming and housing a family with three young children in an unsafe environment. Recent reports have indicated that although Warner Bros. does not plan for Miller to reprise their role following The Flash's release, the studio is "committed to releasing" the movie. 

This new report from Variety definitely adds a unique wrinkle to that, leading to speculation about whether or not the film could remain a theatrical release, move to an HBO Max-exclusive release, or some other alternative. Reports around Batgirl's cancellation seemed to hint that the newly-minted parent company of Warner Bros. Discovery wants its slate of DC films to be on a blockbuster scale, something that The Flash certainly qualifies as with a reported budget of $200 million.

The Flash is set to be directed by IT's Muschietti, with a script from Birds of Prey and Batgirl's Christina Hodson. It will also both Ben Affleck and Keaton's iterations of Bruce Wayne / Batman, as well as Sasha Calle as Supergirl, Kiersey Clemons as Iris West, Ron Livingston as Henry Allen, Maribel Verdu as Nora Allen, Ian Loh as a young Barry Allen, and Saoirse-Monica Jackson and Rudy Mancuso playing currently-unknown roles.

The Flash is scheduled to be released in theaters on June 23, 2023.

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