Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Everything you need to know about The Flash movie

The Flash’s journey to the big screen has been full of roadblocks and speed bumps. In the fall of 2014, Ezra Miller was cast as Barry Allen/The Flash in the new DC Extended Universe (DCEU). After making cameos in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad and starring in 2017’s Justice League, Miller was supposed to have his own Flash film in 2018. However, the creatives behind the film continued to change hands for years, leading to multiple delays.

Seth Grahame-Smith (The Lego Batman Movie), Rick Famuyiwa (Dope), and the duos of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), and John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein (Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves) were either hired or at least linked to direct The Flash before Andy Muschietti (It movies) was officially brought on in November 2019. The other issue behind The Flash’s delay involves Miller and his notorious controversies and legal issues. From harassment allegations to multiple arrests, there were discussions about whether The Flash would ever be released.

However, The Flash is finally heading to theaters in 2023. Below is everything you need to know about The Flash, including the release date, cast, synopsis, and trailer.

When does The Flash come out?

The Flash races into theaters on June 16, 2023. The film will first premiere in Las Vegas at CinemaCon on April 25. The pandemic, lack of a director, and Miller’s legal troubles led Warner Bros. to shift the release date multiple times.

The original release date for The Flash was March 23, 2018. Other previous release dates include July 1, 2022, June 3, 2022, November 4, 2022, and June 23, 2023, before settling on June 16.

What is The Flash about?

A man as Batman stands and stares in The Flash.

With the tagline, “When worlds collide,” The Flash is a time-traveling adventure with Barry traversing to the past to prevent his mother’s murder. By changing the past, Barry reshapes the future, trapping himself in an alternate reality where no metahumans exist. In this new world, General Zod (Man of Steel’s Michael Shannon) has returned, trying to annihilate the human race again.

Without metahumans, Barry first receives help from his younger self. The two Barrys then receive aid from an older version of Batman (Batman’s Michael Keaton) to rescue an imprisoned Supergirl (The Young and the Restless‘s Sasha Calle) and convince her to join the fight to save the universe.

The Flash is directed by Muschietti from a screenplay by Christina Hodson (Birds of Prey).

Who is in the cast of The Flash?

General Zod in "The Flash."

Miller reprises his role as Barry Allen/The Flash, his first appearance in a movie since Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Keaton is back as Batman, the character he made famous in Batman and Batman ReturnsThe Flash marks Calle’s first appearance as Supergirl in DC. Shannon’s General Zod was killed in Man of Steel but is alive in this alternate reality.

Other cast members include Ron Livingston (Office Space) as Henry Allen, Barry’s father; Maribel Verdú (Raymond & Ray) as Nora Allen, Barry’s mother; Kiersey Clemons (Somebody I Used to Know) as journalist Iris West, Barry’s love interest; Antje Traue (Dark) as Faora-Ul, a leader in Zod’s army; Ben Affleck (Air) as Bruce Wayne, the Batman from Barry’s original world; and Temuera Morrison (Aquaman), Aquaman’s father.

Rudy Mancuso (Rim of the World), Saoirse-Monica Jackson (Finding You), and Luke Brandon Field (Jojo Rabbit) are expected to appear in The Flash after being cast in undisclosed roles.

Is there a trailer for The Flash?

The Flash – Official Trailer

The first footage for The Flash appeared at DC FanDome in October 2021. However, the official trailer premiered this year’s Super Bowl (February 12). Unlike the DC FanDome footage, the Super Bowl trailer revealed the existence of two Barrys, provided a better look at Michael Keaton’s Batman, and teased the arrival of Supergirl.

What does The Flash mean for the new DC Universe?

Ezra Miller pushed a version of himself up against a wall in The Flash.

Even though The Flash is considered canon for the DCEU, the film will greatly impact the new DC Universe. According to co-CEO of DC Studios James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), The Flash serves as a reset for the DC Universe. In a comment on his Instagram post, Gunn said The Flash “resets many things, but not all things. Some characters remain the same, [and] some do not.”

Can you stream The Flash?

Supergirl in "The Flash."

Upon its theatrical release on June 16, The Flash will be unavailable to stream or purchase the film on demand. The film stems from Warner Bros., so The Flash will eventually arrive on its streaming service, HBO Max. However, that streaming date has yet to be revealed.

Will there be a sequel to The Flash?

Ezra Miller as The Flash, standing looking ahead.

As of April 3, a sequel has not been greenlit to The Flash. However, screenwriter David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom) has already written the sequel. Box office returns will be a determining factor for the possibility of a sequel. However, Gunn and his co-CEO Peter Safran (Blue Beetle) are waiting for Miller’s legal issues and recovery efforts to play out before discussing plans for future Flash movies or appearances.

Editors' Recommendations

Dan Girolamo
Dan is a passionate and multitalented content creator with experience in pop culture, entertainment, and sports. Throughout…
The Super Mario Bros. Movie: everything we know so far
Mario, Peach, and Toad in "The Super Mario Bros. Movie."

We might be living during a golden age for great video game adaptations. Following the surprise success of Sonic the Hedgehog and its sequel, and with the critically acclaimed The Last of Us about to wrap its first season and a second one on the way, this seems to be the perfect time to adapt a beloved video game property. Fortunately, Illumination Entertainment has us covered with the upcoming The Super Mario Bros. Movie, an adaptation of, arguably, the most popular and recognizable video game IP.

Details about the movie remain surprisingly scarce. However, the wait is almost over, as The Super Mario Bros. Movie premieres in a month, meaning audiences will finally get to see their favorite Italian plumber in all his high-jumping, pipe-entering, fire-ball-shooting glory. In the meantime, here's everything that's been revealed and a few things you can expect from the highly-anticipated movie.
When does The Super Mario Bros. Movie come out?

Read more
Everything you need to know about John Wick: Chapter 4
Keanu Reeves stares and walks in a scene from John Wick: Chapter 4.

Warning: This post contains spoilers for the first three John Wick films. 

Yeah, we're thinking he's back. Keanu Reeves has a number of legendary franchises to his name, and he can certainly count John Wick among them now. Following a four-year absence, John Wick: Chapter 4 is set to hit theaters soon.

Read more
8 great movies by women directors you need to watch
Viola Davis leads a group of female warriors in the movie The Woman King.

March is Women’s History Month, and it’s a great time to celebrate all the influential women throughout history. This also includes influential women in the entertainment business, including those involved in making movies. From the actors to the cast and crew, women have made a difference in how cinema has developed throughout the 20th century and to the present.

In terms of directing, it’s shocking to learn that the first woman to win an Academy Award for Best Director was Kathryn Bigelow in 2010 for The Hurt Locker. Since then, however, female directors have been increasingly in the spotlight with such films as CODA and Promising Young Woman. Here, we have rounded up eight great movies worth watching that all hail from female directors, including films from both the last decade and ones from the distant past as well.
The Woman King (2022)  
   
Based on a true story, The Woman King is a historical action-drama movie directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood. Set in the 19th century, it tells the store of the all-female Agojie warrior unit that was tasked with protecting the West African kingdom known as Dahomey. Viola Davis stars as General Nanisca, the woman training the next generation of warriors, and she trained extensively for the role, which translates to a powerful performance on-screen.

Read more