After months of waiting, DC has dropped another trailer during the Super Bowl for its upcoming superhero blockbuster, The Flash. Directed by Andy Muschetti (Mama, It), this film will feature Barry Allen going back in time to prevent the death of his mother Nora, only to find himself in a completely new reality and battling the Earth-shattering consequences.
Though lead actor Ezra Miller has been a lightning rod for controversy with their many, many criminal actions, all eyes will be on The Flash and how its time travel story will affect the DC Extended Universe. And with everything the trailer has given audiences, this film will undoubtedly be an electrifying new chapter for the Flash and his friends.
The death of Barry’s mom
Audiences finally get a glimpse into the Flash’s origin story with the death of his mother, which was all pinned on his father, Henry, causing him to spend years in prison. The trailer features a flashback showing a young Barry and Henry holding the dying Nora in his arms.
And while actor Billy Crudup (Watchmen, Hello Tomorrow) originally played Barry’s dad in the DCEU, this time around, he is portrayed by Ron Livingston (Office Space, The Conjuring).
Batfleck is back
In what is supposed to be his last ride in the DCEU, Ben Affleck is shown racing through the streets in his Batcycle, fighting crime as the Dark Knight.
Affleck’s Batman is also shown warning Barry against going back in time to save his mother, claiming that messing with history could “destroy everything.” His fears are proven correct since Barry’s tampering with time has brought back this guy.
Kneel before Zod!
Since Clark Kent is never sent to Earth in this new timeline, Flash and his allies are forced to face off against the evil Kryptonian, General Zod, without him. Zod once again appears on Earth with his army to terraform the planet with his World Engine as he did in Man of Steel.
With his godlike powers and unrelenting cruelty, Zod has proven himself a tough foe to defeat. The DCEU began with Zod, so it seems fitting that the timeline ends with him.
A tale of two Barrys
In the new timeline Barry has created, the hero comes face to face with that reality’s version of himself. This Barry is likely the one who got to grow up with his mother after the Flash prevented her murder.
There is a clear difference between them, as the new Barry has much longer hair. But while one Barry is charged with comic-accurate yellow lightning, the other harnesses blue lightning typically seen from the character in the DCEU, which will make it easier to tell both Barrys apart on the battlefield.
‘I’m Batman’
Uttering these iconic two words, Michael Keaton makes a full return to the big screen to aid both Barrys as the Batman of this newly-created timeline. Even though the character appears to be in his 70s, this Dark Knight is still arguably in the prime of his life.
Swooping through the air in his Batsuit like a rocket, this Caped Crusader is shown pulling his opponents into the air before slamming them into the ground with brute force. It just goes to show that not even time itself can weigh Batman down.
No more metahumans?
Barry mentions in this trailer that with his creation of a new timeline, he inadvertently created a world without metahumans. It’s unknown if this is technically true, as metahumans have existed in the DCEU long before the events of Man of Steel.
However, the world’s introduction to Superman helped bring metahumans out of hiding. The absence of superpowered groups like the Justice League does not bode well for Earth with Zod’s arrival on the planet, which will surely force Barry to forge his own team.
Supergirl takes flight
As many people may already know, Sasha Calle stars in this film as Kara Zor-El, a.k.a. Supergirl, who has taken Clark Kent’s place as Earth’s resident Kryptonian in this new timeline. And based on her apparel and the shot of her in a prison cell, Kara seems to have been captured after arriving on Earth, much like the version of Superman seen in the Flashpoint comic that serves as the basis for this film. Based on the source material, it is quite possible that she is being held captive by the U.S. government.
Barry and Bruce are seen at the end of the trailer, seemingly breaking her out of her prison in the mountains, but she proves to herself to be a one-person army. Given her powers as a Kryptonian, the heroes will likely need her to stand a chance against Zod and his army. But even with her incredible abilities, audiences will have to see for themselves if she can help Batman and the Flashes save the Earth.
Watch The Flash in theaters everywhere on June 16th, 2023.
