‘The Flash’ Release Date, Cast, Trailer, and More

The DC Universe (DCU) has experienced significant shake-ups as of late. Warner Bros.’s merger with Discovery+, combined with James Gunn and Peter Safran being named co-CEOs of DC Studios, has resulted in a whirlwind of changes. Henry Cavill has stepped down as Superman, Wonder Woman 3 and Batgirl have been scrapped, Black Adam 2 is on hold, and there are talks of transitioning Jason Momoa from Aquaman to Lobo and Ben Affleck from Batman to DCU director.

In the midst of all of it, though, somehow, The Flash has remained slated for release in 2023. It’s quite surprising, considering the DCU shakeup and Ezra Miller being steeped in controversy. Miller has been on a downward spiral since March 2022 after being arrested in Hawaii for disorderly conduct. Following their arrest in Hawaii, they were slapped with multiple harassment allegations, restraining orders, protective orders, and allegations of child grooming. Miller’s controversies culminated in his being arrested and charged with felony burglary after breaking into and robbing a Vermont home.

Miller managed to avoid jail time with a plea deal that agreed to a year of probation, a $500 fine, continued rehabilitation, and abstinence from alcohol. Around the same time that Miller’s plea deal details arose, rumors of The Flash‘s official trailer release date were also reported. Despite the chaos surrounding its lead star and studio, The Flash will be the second DCU film of 2023. Here’s everything to know about The Flash, including its release date, cast, plot, trailer, and more.

The Flash release date

Currently, The Flash is set to release on June 16, 2023. While this is anticipated to be the final release date of the film, it is worth noting that this date has changed multiple times. The film was initially set to release over five years before its current release date. However, COVID-19 delays resulted in the film being pushed back to 2022. Eventually, Warner Bros. shifted the release date again to June 23, 2023. Most recently, after positive screenings of the film, the studio moved The Flash up a week to its June 16th release date.

The Flash cast

Following their appearance in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, and Justice League, Miller will be reprising their role as The Flash, despite calls to recast them amidst the actor’s controversies. Given that this is The Flash’s first solo film in the DCU, Miller will be the film’s lead star as Barry Allen (a.k.a. The Flash). The Flash’s father, Henry Allen, will also appear in the film. Ron Livingston, best known for his role in The Conjuring and Broadwalk Empire, will portray Henry. Livingston will be taking over from Billy Crudup, who portrayed Henry in Justice League. He is anticipated to have quite an influential role in the film as it explores his wrongful incarceration for the alleged murder of his wife, Nora Allen (Maribel Verdú).

In addition to Henry, a few more familiar DC characters will be appearing in the film, including two iterations of Batman, Faora-Ul (Antje Traue), and Michael Shannon’s General Zod. First, Traue and Shannon are reprising their roles from Man of Steel as Faora and Zod, respectively. Zod is a Kryptonian who boasts similar powers to Superman but who was seemingly defeated in Man of Steel. His assistant, Faora has, likewise, not been seen since Man of Steel, when she was entrapped in the Phantom Zone. Supergirl will also be appearing in the film, but a new actress, Sasha Calle, is set to make her feature film debut as the cousin of Superman.

Meanwhile, the DCU’s Batman, Ben Affleck, is also set to appear in The Flash. His appearance in The Flash was initially set to be his final appearance until it was later confirmed he would appear in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, as well. Batman and The Flash first met when Batman began recruiting members for the Justice League. However, they share a significant emotional connection due to the tragic deaths of their mothers and their superhero careers. Due to some time travel, another Batman will be in the film, too. Michael Keaton will be reprising his role as Batman for the first time in 30+ years as an alternate timeline’s Batman.

Lastly, Temuera Morrison will be reprising his role as Aquaman’s father for the film, while Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Rudy Mancuso, and Luke Brandon Field are set to appear in undisclosed roles.

The Flash plot

Details of The Flash have been kept securely under wraps. However, it has been revealed that The Flash will see Barry attempt to change history by going back in time and preventing his mother’s death. The time travel plot explains why there are two Batmans and two Barrys in The Flash and how General Zod, Faora-UI, and Thomas Curry (Morrison) return after being presumed dead or trapped. The tampering with history has consequences and sends The Flash on a multiversal journey into an alternate universe.

Meanwhile, The Flash could also be pivotal to explaining the DCU changes that Gunn and Safran have in mind. While DC has not officially confirmed the plot, many suspect that the film will introduce Flashpoint. In the comics, Flashpoint was a single story that basically reset every DC Comics’ story due to the Flash creating a new reality by going back in time to prevent his mother’s death. While it’s unclear if this was The Flash‘s initial plan, the ability of Allen to time travel could give the DCU the reset it will desperately need with the current corporate shake-ups. This might be one reason why Warner Bros. has remained so steadfast in making The Flash a reality. It was the one film of DCU’s old regiment that could enable Gunn’s and Safran’s change to be part of DCU continuity rather than a full reboot.

With Warner Bors. being so reluctant to release details about the film, though, only time will tell if The Flash actually will incorporate Flashpoint into its plot.

The Flash Super Bowl trailer

As anticipated, Warner Bros. dropped the official trailer for The Flash during the Super Bowl. It held a few surprises but also left many of us reluctantly admitting that it looks like it has the potential to be a good film, despite Miller’s controversies.

The trailer revealed more details about the plot of the film. It confirms that the storyline will, indeed, follow Barry’s attempts to go back in time and prevent the death of his mother. However, The Flash’s journeys through time, which bring him face-to-face with another version of himself, have dire consequences. He ends up finding himself in an alternate universe with no metahumans where General Zod (Michael Shannon) has taken over Earth. It is also revealed that Superman doesn’t seem to exist in this universe. Instead, there is an alternate version of Supergirl/Kara Zor-El, who has seemingly taken Superman’s role as of protector of Earth. Additionally, this universe’s Batman is the Michael Keaton version of the character. With Batman, Supergirl, and two Barrys, the crew will need to save the alternate universe from Zod and return Barry to the correct universe/timeline.

(featured image: Warner Bros.)