7 Ways "The Flash" Could Completely Alter The DCEU

    To say this film will be big sounds like an oversimplification.

    Anthony Orlando
    by Anthony Orlando

    BuzzFeed Contributor

    Based on DC's Flashpoint comic, The Flash will follow Barry Allen when he inadvertently changes his universe following his journey back in time, and this film is rumored to bring massive changes to the DC Extended Universe.

    General Zod crouching at the top of a building under construction in "Man of Steel"/The Flash reaching his hand out to enter the Speed Force in "Zack Snyder's Justice League"
    Warner Bros. / Via YouTube

    Bear in mind, with a release date nearly a year away and Warner Bros. gaining new leadership under Discovery mid-year, it is still too early to say exactly what this film will end up doing. The possibilities are endless, so let's take a look at the 7 Ways The Flash Could Change The DCEU.

    WARNING: 🚨SPOILERS🚨 AHEAD!!!

    7. Batman Will Die

    Batman's cowl lying on the floor with blood next to it in "The Flash"
    Warner Bros. / Via youtube.com

    Ben Affleck has recently voiced his desire to step away from starring in "IP movies," so this film could mark his last appearance as the Caped Crusader in the DCEU (for now, at least). His death was hinted at with the shot of Batman's cowl with blood and what looks like a corpse lying next to it. This could indicate that Batsy bit the dust due to the Flash's time-traveling or he died fighting to protect the world in the end. Or maybe his death is what drove the Flash to go back in time in the first place, as he might want to go back and save him like Marty McFly in Back to the Future. But let's not rule out Keaton's character possibly dying instead.

    6. Flash Creates the "Burtonverse"

    Michael Keaton's Batman, wearing his Batsuit in the Batcave, in "The Flash"
    Warner Bros. / Via youtube.com

    If the Flash does end up creating a new reality by altering the past, the appearance of Keaton's Batman suggests that the former inadvertently created the universe in which his movies took place. Why else would the Flash be in that one particular universe? While the trailer suggests Barry Allen simply traveled to this timeline on purpose, the Flashpoint comic showed him not remembering exactly how the alternate world he made came to be. What a twist it would be if the Flash created the world in which Tim Burton's classic films are set in.

    5. Barry Will Create the New Flash

    Two Barry Allens and Supergirl, all in costume, standing in the Batcave in "The Flash"
    Warner Bros. / Via youtube.com

    While we haven't yet seen Barry's origin story in the DCEU, we could very well see him repeat it in this film. With the existence of another Barry Allen in this film, there is the possibility that this variant never got his powers due to his mother not dying in his timeline. The spraypainted costume Barry's doppelganger wears also suggests that he is just starting out as the Flash. In the face of the film's great conflict, the Barry we already know might even help his variant join the fight by repeating the accident that gave him his superpowers with him.

    4. Zod Will Rule Over the New Earth

    General Zod crouching at the top of a building under construction in "Man of Steel"
    Warner Bros. / Via youtube.com

    It has recently been confirmed that Michael Shannon and Antje Traue will return as General Zod and Faora-Ul in this film. Fans of the DCEU remember that Zod was infamously killed by Superman and that Faora was sent to the Phantom Zone in Man of Steel, so what their roles are in this new film is anyone's guess. 

    Their previous fates suggest that the Flash will either go back in time to stop Zod from wreaking havoc in Metropolis, altering the present, or we could see him enter an alternate world in which Zod took over the Earth. The latter seems pretty likely given that the Flash inadvertently creates a dystopian world in the comics thanks to his time-traveling. Supergirl's presence in the film also suggests that the Man of Steel lost against Zod and that she will take his place (hence Henry Cavill's possible absence in future films).

    3. Val-Zod Will Appear

    General Zod's return could herald the appearance of this fan-favorite hero, as there have been reports of this character being adapted for live-action by Warner Bros. For those of you who don't know, Val-Zod is a Kryptonian orphan who takes up the mantle of Superman in his own, alternate universe. While his parents were never revealed in the comics, his name suggests that he is the son of General Zod, and this film might make it that way with the return of the alien warlord. 

    If the evil Kryptonian does take over this new Earth, Val could help the Flash and his allies rise up against him, making for an interesting battle between father and son (especially since the Flash's relationship with his father is an important part of his character). It could also allow both Val and Supergirl to fill in Clark Kent's place as their world's Superman.

    2. The Film Will Reboot the DCEU

    A close-up of the Flash running back in time through the Speed Force in "The Flash"
    Warner Bros. / Via youtube.com

    This one will no doubt anger a lot of Snyderverse fans out there. It's no secret that Warner Bros. has beef with Zack Snyder's DCEU films and they've been trying to distance themselves from them as much as possible. But now, it has been rumored that they will erase his films from the main timeline with the Flash's time-altering abilities.

    This could be tricky, as they have already set up successful and ongoing franchises with Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Shazam, and the Suicide Squad. However, in the comics, the Flash was able to reset reality by merging multiple timelines into one, creating the world seen in the New 52 reboot. Bear in mind, these rumors of a reboot are just rumors, but DC and Warner Bros. still risk losing a large chunk of their audience if they take Snyder's films out of the main canon. They've already angered fans enough for one lifetime.

    1. The Franchise Will Branch Off Into Earth-2

    The Justice League standing at the top of a nuclear cooling tower in "Zack Snyder's Justice League"
    Warner Bros.

    While rumors suggest that this film will end with the re-creation of a DCEU, those rumors could only be half-true. Future films could follow the heroes of this alternate Earth, which could be based on DC's Earth-2. 

    In this universe, the Justice League (going by the Eight Wonders of the World) is composed of super-powered characters like Power Girl (a variant of Supergirl), Hourman, and Val-Zod. Michael Keaton's Batman, the Flash's variant, and Supergirl could be a part of this new league, and with projects for Hourman, Val-Zod, Blue Beetle, and Batgirl currently in development, sooner or later, we could see all these characters joining them as well.

    This wouldn't be the first time DC has done this, as the CW's Arrowverse has produced many hit shows across multiple universes that eventually cross over. And with Marvel Studios recently establishing twin universes with Sony's Venom films, we now know that this change could work. All in all, The Flash could be setting up a whole new universe for audiences to follow while preserving the DCEU's main timeline.

    Do you agree with this list? Are there any other massive changes this film could bring? Please let me know in the comments section below!