The Flash will fall short in its second weekend at the box office, despite earlier projections, ceding the top spot on the charts to either Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse or Elemental, which are currently too close to call. The Flash losing the top spot follows a disappointing opening weekend total last week. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Elemental are both hovering around the $18 million mark for the weekend. The Flash is locked in a battle for third place with the new Jennifer Lawrence-led sex comedy No Hard Feelings, with both estimated to earn around $15 million over the weekend. The Flash has struggled into theaters through a muted press tour due to the controversy surrounding star Ezra Miller. It doesn't help that many DC fans aren't sure what to think about the movie as it arrives after a change in executive leadership at DC Studios and a soft reboot of sorts looming (DC Films stars Gal Gadot and Henry Cavill had been set to appear at the end of the movie, but the film's conclusion went through multiple revisions), making it feel like a lame duck entry into DC's cinematic canon. The Flash also received mixed reviews, with a barely-fresh 67% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes and a surprising B CinemaScore. ComicBook.com's Jenna Anderson gave The Flash a score of 3-out-of-5 in her film review. She writes:
"After years of being a proverbial white whale in the realm of superhero movies, The Flash finally exists in an undoubtedly fun, but somewhat inconsequential way. The movie's liveliness is infectious, and there are some genuinely unbelievable moments on display, but that might not be enough to fully cement it as a legendary part of DC's canon. Whether on the screen or on the page, Barry Allen's adventure is far from over – and, in one way or another, The Flash movie will always be a one-of-a-kind chapter of that."
The Flash speeds into theaters on June 16th, promising to reshape the DC Multiverse with the help of familiar faces and brand-new heroes. Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) ventures to the past to change history, resulting in massive repercussions for the future. Forced to team up with another version of Barry, the mysterious Kryptonian known as Supergirl (Sasha Calle), and the iconic Batman (Michael Keaton), the Scarlet Speedster is forced to reckon with his mistakes and save a doomed reality. The Flash is directed by Andy Muschietti, written by Christina Hodson from a story by Joby Harold, and produced by Barbara Muschietti.