Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley talk about their original vision for DC’s upcoming film, The Flash.
The Flash, the upcoming superhero movie, is set to be a huge success with major implications for DC’s future shared movie universe. John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, however, would have made the Scarlet Speeder’s debut solo movie on the big screen a little different.
Goldstein and Daley talked about their vision for The Flash before they left the project. Daley stated that they had pitched the idea of a ground-level superhero where it wasn’t all about end-of-the-world stakes. He is still learning his powers and is also a little dysfunctional in his daily life. We can make superheroes more imperfect, but that’s the challenge. How do we give imperfections to physically perfect people?
RELATED: Michael Shannon clarifies General Zod’s role in The Flash
Why Goldstein and Daley left The Flash
Goldstein and Daley opened up about their reasons for leaving The Flash. The filmmaking team met Ezra Miller over dinner before they wrote their script. Goldstein described Miller as “intense and very bright”. Later, it was clear that they weren’t quite ready to do the same thing we did. The Flash was a notoriously difficult production. Many writers were attached to the project at some point, including Goldstein, Daley, and Daley.
Warner Bros. Pictures wanted Goldstein and Daley as both the Flash director and writer. It was discovered that Miller, a comic book writer, and actor, was working on a different version of the film’s story. Warner Bros. rejected Miller’s and Morrison’s scripts. But Goldstein and Daley saw the signs and decided to leave the project.
RELATED: A Flash Synopsis Reveals the Storyline of Man of Steel
Daley explained to Variety that “it was a series of creative differences that caused it to be time to go.” We won’t win this battle if we feel the powers that be aren’t as excited about making the movie as we are. It’s better to get out of that mess and cut your losses,” Goldstein said. The Flash was directed by Andy Muschietti, using a screenplay written by Christina Hodson. Joby Harold, Goldstein, and Daley received story credits.
Goldstein and Daley had the opportunity to screen Flash. While a lot has changed, they could still see the original vision in the final film. Goldstein stated that they took our ideas and ran with them, making it an enjoyable and emotionally charged movie. We are very happy with the way it turned out.
RELATED: DC Studios Reveals ‘Less than Half’ of Its Chapter1 Slate
Barry Allen in The Flash: Breaking the Universe
The Flash follows Barry Allen/The Flash, Miller, as he travels back in time to save his mother from being murdered. This inadvertently causes a ripple effect that drastically alters our view of the DC (Extended Universe). Barry’s actions lead to a world in which General Zod, Michael Shannon, is still alive and determined on global dominance — with no Superman stopping him. Barry teams up with an alternate version of himself (Sasha Calle), and the Burton-Verse Bruce Wayne/Batman version (Michael Keaton) in an attempt to save the world. The film loosely draws inspiration from the limited series Flashpoint of 2011, which helped to restart DC’s comic book universe.
After several years in development, Flash finally arrives in theaters. The road has been difficult. Miller’s well-publicized legal problems have made the film controversial. Warner Bros. will still release the film even though Miller is in treatment for complex mental health issues. Notably, Flash‘s story has significant implications for DC’s future and has reportedly been very popular with test audiences.
RELATED: Why Dungeons & Dragons-Honor Among Thieves Didn’t Take the Jumanji Route
Goldstein and Daley are no strangers to superhero projects. They co-wrote the 2017 Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man Homecoming. The Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves movie is next up for the pair. It will be released in theaters by the end of the month. The D&D film was directed by Goldstein and Daley, who co-wrote the script with Michael Gilio.
The Flash race into theaters on June 16.