The Flash will fall short in its second weekend at the box office, despite earlier projections, while Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse swings back to the top spot, beating Disney-Pixar's Elemental. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse will claim the number-one spot at the box office with $19.3 million this weekend, bringing its domestic box office total to $316 million. Elemental claims second place with $18. The Flash, after a disappointing opening weekend total last week, will barely beat the new Jennifer Lawrence-led sex comedy No Hard Feelings, earning $15.3 million over the weekend compared to the R-rated No Hard Feelings' $15 million. The Flash has struggled into theaters through a muted press tour due to the controversy surrounding star Ezra Miller and changes in executive leadership at DC Studios leading towards a looming soft reboot (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), leading the film the feel of a lame duck release. in 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."
Conversely, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has received nearly unanimous acclaim, though new reports about the labor cost that went into creating the film cast a show over its production. ComicBook.com's Kofi Outlaw awarded Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse a score of 4.5-out-of-5 in his review. He writes:
"[T]he scope and ambition of this larger Spider-Verse story – plus the clear indication that it could very well stick the landing (and then some) in Beyond the Spider-Verse – also makes it hard to criticize Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse too extensively. After all, the biggest drawback to the film is having to manage the eagerness to get to the next one. In a world where franchise universes rule, that's still a big win."
Miles Morales returns to the big screen with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse now playing in theaters after premiering on June 2nd. Miles (Shamiek Moore) reunites with fellow heroes Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) and Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) for another web-swinging adventure through the multiverse, finding himself at odds with the Spider-Society led by Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac). Other new heroes include Spider-Woman Jessica Drew (Issa Rae), Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya), and Pavitr Prabhakar (Karan Soni), while new villain the Spot (Jason Schwartzman) also enters the fray. The sequel to Sony Pictures' hit 2018 film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson, and written by the team of Chris Miller, Phil Lord, and Dave Callaham.
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.