How The Flash Will Lead Into James Gunn’s Rebooted DCU?

After the entirety of 2022 was spent by DC fans obsessing over rumors regarding the upcoming DC Universe slate, DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn finally announced the new projects. Since the new DCU slate of projects includes actors and their characters from the outgoing DC Extended Universe, the announcement confirmed that the new cinematic universe would rise following a soft reboot.

This was confirmed as the announcement revealed the continuation of the Peacemaker series and The Suicide Squad, which are coincidentally Gunn’s own project from the outgoing DCEU. Additionally, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 confirmed the rumored use of The Flash to set up this new DCU.

The Flash Is The Key To DCU Reboot

In the official announcement of the Gods and Monsters chapter of the DCU, Gunn revealed that The Flash “resets the entire DC Universe.” This is not surprising as the theory of The Flash movie being used to reboot the DCEU had been rumored to be on the table even during the controversial pre-production of the film.

As expected, James Gunn, Peter Safran, and co. are expected to go the “Flashpoint” route from the comics, where Flash resets the timeline and forms a new continuity in the comic universe known as “The New 52.” Since The Flash will be based on the Flashpoint comic event, which would be utilized to softly reboot the DC Extended Universe into the DC Universe, it would be much easier to explain the new cinematic universe to casual fans.

This would explain the newly announced reboot of the trinity, i.e., Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. During the announcement, Gunn revealed further details about his own project, Superman Legacy, which would showcase a younger take on the man of steel. Thereby, the character would be portrayed by a new actor.

Batman will also be recast in the DCU following Ben Affleck’s take in the DCEU. A new film titled “The Brave and the Bold” would feature this new Batman and his son Damian Wayne, i.e., Robin. This film would also serve as an introduction to the Bat family in the DCU. For the uninitiated, this film will be in the main DC Universe, separate from Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson’s The Batman series in the Elseworld. The alternate Elseworld cinematic universe will also contain films like Todd Phillip’s Joker.

Which Characters From The DCEU Will Be Carried Forward To The DCU Continuity?

To no one’s surprise, James Gunn’s projects like The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker will fit into the new continuity of the DC Universe. This was confirmed by Viola Davis’ return as Amanda Waller in her own TV series, which will likely take place after the events of Peacemaker Season 1 and The Flash‘s Flashpoint. Furthermore, the John Cena-led HBO Max series is also confirmed to have a second season.

This ensures that the characters associated with Peacemaker and The Suicide Squad will carry on to the new DCU. Therefore, Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller, John Cena’s Christopher Smith (Peacemaker), and Emilia Harcourt, portrayed by Gunn’s wife, Jennifer Holland, will likely have further continuations of their respective roles, possibly beyond their solo projects.

Shazam

Zachary Levi’s Shazam is also confirmed to survive the DCEU purge and move on to the new DCU. According to Gunn’s announcement, “Shazam has always been kind of in his own part of the DCU, so he connects very well.”

This means the exploits of the Shazam family beyond the events of Shazam! Fury Of The Gods will continue on in the DCU after The Flash resets the universe. Shazam! 2 will be out on March 17, 2023.

Aquaman

Like Zachary Levi’s Shazam, Jason Momoa’s Aquaman is also expected to move on to the DCU. While the public announcement did not clarify Momoa’s future as Aquaman amid rumors of him portraying Lobo in the future, co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran shed some light on this dilemma in their recent press meet regarding DCU.

According to Collider, Safran mentioned that Jason Momoa would play only one character in the DCU. He added: “Jason always thought Aquaman was a trilogy in his own mind. But he also loves Lobo. He’s been very clear about that, too. He’s never gonna play two characters, but no decision has been made.”

Meanwhile, Gunn assured the press that they would figure out Momoa’s future in the DCU soon. However, as per Safran’s statement, it is likely that Aquaman will have at least another installment beyond Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. This would mean that Momoa will not appear as Lobo after The Flash has already reset the timeline unless Gunn and Safran decide otherwise.

Wonder Woman

As of now, it is not clear if Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman will survive this purge. In December 2022, it was announced that Wonder Woman 3 has been canceled and will not be carried onto the new DCU. However, the character is expected to have a cameo in Shazam! 2, which may complicate continuity. Thus, Gunn and Safran may decide to recast the character in the post-Flashpoint DCU.

According to the DCU slate announcement, HBO Max would develop a Paradise Lost series based on the inhabitants of the island, Themyscira, the birthplace of Wonder Woman. However, it is unclear if the series would be a direct prequel to Gal Gadot’s version of the character.

Flash

Though the character would be key to rebooting the DCEU into DCU, actor Ezra Miller has been nothing but controversial throughout 2022. While it is possible that the actor would be recast in the role in the future, DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran has hinted that may not be the case. According to Deadline, Safran addressed the issue during a recent press meet. He said:
“Ezra is completely committed to their recovery. We’re fully supportive of that journey that they’re on right now. When the time is right, when they feel they are ready to have the discussion, we’ll all figure out what the best way forward is.”

The co-CEO further added:
“But right now, they are completely focused on their recovery…And in our conversations with them over the last couple of months, it feels like they’re making enormous progress.”

Thus, it is highly plausible that Miller will continue in their role as the Scarlet Speedster in the DCU. However, that is highly dependent on their recovery and ability to stay clear of further controversies.

Unfortunately, the new slate crushes all hope for the return of Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne and Henry Cavill’s Clark Kent (Superman), despite massive uproar by Snyderverse fans.