This article contains major spoilers for The Flash (2023)The speed with whichThe Flashwent from itsinitial announcement to cinema screensis extremely unlike the powers of Barry Allen, played by Ezra Miller. A film based on DC Comics' Scarlet Speedster has been rumored since the 1980s, but it was in 2014 that Warner Bros. announced a long slate of projects, includingThe Flash, to form the DC Extended Universe (DCEU).
Over the years, Andy Muschietti’sThe Flashhas gone through numerous changes and controversies, includingMiller’s controversial public behavior, which many people believe is the reason behind the film not performing well at the box office. However, there are several plot holes inThe Flash,including the ending, which is criticized by many critics and fans. But do you know that there are two alternate endings that could have made it to the film? Let’s explore all three endings of the film and discover the reasons why Warner Bros. selected the one it did.
Ending 1: Barry Meets Supergirl and Keaton’s Batman
The original ending ofThe Flashinvolved Barry meeting Supergirl (Sasha Calle) and Michael Keaton’s Batman at the courthouse when his father is exonerated. This ending would have reversed their deaths from earlier in the film and would have shown that Barry failed to restore the original DCEU timeline that started withMan of Steel. It would have also set the best art for Keaton’s Batman to appear in future DC projects, such as thenow-canceledBatgirl.
It is important to be familiar with the tumultuous production period ofThe Flashto know why this ending did not make the final cut. It was shot under the management of Toby Emmerich and Walter Hamada, who wanted to reset DCEU and move the plots away from the vision of Zack Snyder. Nevertheless, in 2022, the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery Inc. resulted in Emmerich and Hamada leaving DC Films and giving the reins to Michael DeLuca and Pamela Abdy, who decided to scrap the ending to fit their vision.
Ending 2: Cavill’s Superman and Gadot’s Wonder Woman Cameos
The original ending ofThe Flashwas meant to remove Ben Affleck’s Batman (also known as Batfleck by the fans) and Henry Cavill’s Superman from the main DCEU timeline. However, after the merger, DeLuca and Andy wanted Cavill’s Superman to continue in future movies, such as the potential sequel toBlack Adam.Similarly,Wonder Woman 3was possibly in the works at that time, so an ending scene was shot in which Cavil’s Superman and Gadot’s Diana Prince (also called Wonder Woman) appear at the courthouse.
Interestingly, this ending also had Keaton’s Batman and Supergirl, as both Keaton and Calle were on the set to reshoot this scene. It would have brought serious disruptions in the DCEU timeline, as superheroes from different timelines would exist in the same continuity. While this could have been a great ending for the film, it was ultimately scrapped whenDC Films was dissolved, and DC Studios was formedunder the leadership of Peter Safran and James Gunn as co-CEOs. It brought a tsunami of change in the future planned projects as the new executives decided to completely scrapWonder Woman 3, Man of Steel 2,and reset the DCEU withThe Flash,though Gunn is stillhesitant to call it a complete reset.
Related:Gal Gadot Felt Liberated After Wonder Woman 3’s Cancellation
Ending 3: Clooney’s Batman Appears at the Courthouse
The third ending is the one that has made it to the final cut, and it literally started as a joke when Safran and Gunn joked about “How many Batmen can we get?“as per The Hollywood Reporter. The final scene shows Barry being happy about his father getting exonerated and thinking that he did everything while traveling through the timelines. He realizes that all is not well when he is met by George Clooney’s Bruce Wayne at the courthouse instead of Batfleck.
While this ending has certainly not satisfied every fan, it has sent a clear message that the DC franchise is getting rebooted, and we are unlikely to see Affleck’s Batman anytime in the future. Chances of Clooney returning as Batman also seem quite slim, but Gunn has already announcedThe Brave and the Boldfilm (also directed by Andy Muschietti) film, and it could be a perfect storyline for an older Batman to return.
Related:The Flash: Every DC Character from Another Movie That Appears in the Film
Why Warner Bros Settled on the Current Ending?
Since Gunn and Safran have already decided to reboot the DC franchise and recast Superman, having Cavill and Gadot cameos in the film would have gone against their plans. They want to pave the way for the future of DC Studios, starting withSuperman: Legacyin 2025, and putting focus on the old cast at the end ofThe Flashwould not have made sense.
Even though the cameo of Clooney’s Bruce Wayne has also created confusion about the future of Batman in the new DCU, the current ending is still a good way to reset the franchise. Gunn and Safran have also strategically kept the essence of the other two endings by depicting that everything is not right with the timeline, despite Barry’s initial feelings.
Currently, there are no plans for the alternate endings to be released, but Muschietti confirmed inan interview with Vanity Fairthat a four-hour cut and lots of other cameos exist, so there is a chance that fans might get to these scenes whenThe FlashBlu-ray hit the shelves on Sept. 5, 2023.
