The highly-anticipated Spider-Man: No Way Home. When the trailer for the Scarlet Speedster’s first solo flick confirmed the film would connect previously-established DC properties, people began buzzing about how the DCEU would handle the depiction of multiple realities. The Flash would be wise to take advantage of this excitement and give audiences a more memorable big-screen multiverse origin than the recent Marvel movie.
DC’s recent movies have done a much better job of pleasing audiences and critics than was the case at the onset of the extended universe. If The Flash continues this momentum while providing the connecting point for all of DC’s film and television properties, the DCEU may reach new heights of success and have the opportunity to expand further on the deep lore of the comics. With the presence of a multiverse already a popular device in Star Trek, the Arrowverse, and multiple Spider-Man iterations, the timing is perfect for The Flash to depict the idea on a grander scale that ties in more pivotally to its main character’s arc.
Though No Way Home has thoroughly entertained audiences, its simple approach to a multiverse introduction was a let-down to some. The film presented the concept of other realities without expounding on how they existed or why time seemed to be inconsistent within them. The multiverse was quickly treated like an already-understood element of the story requiring no explanation other than magic. While the concept of multiple realities can quickly get confusing, using a magic spell to explain its existence is a bit elementary. It is possible to present the idea in a way that actually contributes to the story, thus becoming an integral part of the main character’s growth. Luckily, The Flash is set up to do just that.
One of the most fascinating scenes of 2021’s Barry Allen used the Speed Force to travel back in time. This not only led to the climactic moment in which the heroes prevailed, but it also started laying the tracks for the concept of a multiverse in the DCEU. Barry’s ability to travel through time is what creates different realities that exist simultaneously. His solo movie can show the Crimson Comet discovering more about the Speed Force and coming to with the morality of creating other realities. This makes the origin of the DCEU’s multiverse a plot element that creates character development for Barry Allen rather than it simply being a small piece of a huge spectacle as was the case with Peter Parker.
An amazing multiverse origin is also very important to the DCEU’s continued success. General audiences already accept and love the MCU for everything it presents, including the minimalistic multiverse introduction in No Way Home. Though the DCEU has found success lately, future success is far from guaranteed. One of the biggest problems has been Warner Bros. putting various DC characters on television and film without any indication that they are connected. Whereas Marvel has diligently crafted a universe in which their characters across all visual media co-exist in some manner, DC has been much less attentive in that regard. If The Flash presents an impressive and gripping origin story for its multiverse, much of the confusion and criticism over past titles could be forgiven.
With five DCEU films hitting theaters in the span of 12 months, the near future looks extremely promising for Barry Allen and friends. However, with the MCU and the DCEU dipping into the same territory, the former will only succeed if it can set itself apart from the Marvel movies that share similar concepts, as with Spider-Man: No Way Home. To that end, The Flash having a multiverse that not only connects multiple DC titles but also contributes to the characters' stories would be a win for the filmmakers as well as audiences.
