According to Andy Muschietti, the director of The Flash, the primary factor contributing to the film’s disappointing performance at the box office is the lack of widespread interest in the titular character. Despite being a part of the expansive superhero genre, which usually garners significant attention, The Flash struggled to connect with audiences on a deeper level.
Exploring the reasons behind the underwhelming box office performance of The Flash reveals a multitude of factors. From the controversies surrounding lead actor Ezra Miller to the growing sentiment of ?superhero fatigue?, and the film’s intention to serve as a “reset” for the DCEU, audiences had several reasons to be disinterested. However, for Muschietti, the crux of the issue lies in the character of The Flash himself, which failed to resonate with a broad spectrum of viewers.
In a candid conversation on Radio TU, as reported by DC Films News, Muschietti elaborated on the challenges he faced. He acknowledged that while the aforementioned issues contributed to the film?s struggles, the core problem was that The Flash did not successfully appeal to all targeted demographics. He emphasized the importance of reaching all four audience quadrants for a major studio production. Muschietti noted, ?When a $200 million movie is made, the studio expects to draw in everyone, even your grandmother.? He pointed out that many women, who represent two of those quadrants, showed little interest in the character, further limiting the film’s audience potential.
Despite The Flash debuting at the top of the box office, it experienced a staggering decline of over 70% in its second week. Ultimately, it grossed a total of $271 million worldwide against a production budget exceeding $220 million. This sharp drop indicates a lack of positive word-of-mouth promotion that would typically draw audiences, including older family members, into theaters. Additionally, the film’s streaming performance was underwhelming, attracting approximately 1.1 million viewers during its debut weekend on Max, which fell short of the numbers achieved by Black Adam and was even less than half of what Wonder Woman 1984 garnered during its premiere.
While The Flash has its supporters, it is evident that both the studio and Muschietti are looking to move forward. They will have the opportunity to do so as the “soft reboot” initiated by The Flash paves the way for upcoming projects, including James Gunn?s Superman, which is set to launch the new chapter of the Gods and Monsters universe. Furthermore, Muschietti?s own project, The Brave and the Bold, is also in the works, although it has been confirmed that Robert Pattinson will not reprise his role as Batman in this new vision.
Now that some time has passed since the release of The Flash, what are your reflections on the film? Do you align with Andy Muschietti’s perspective regarding the reasons behind its lack of success?
