There were multiple iterations of The Flash before the version we saw in 2023 raced into theaters. Even the movie that was released changed significantly, with new DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn stepping in to change the ending, removing several characters and adding George Clooney.
Mayday and Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves filmmakers John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein were among those who took a crack at the Fastest Man Alive.
Ultimately, Christina Hodson reworked their script and the duo ended up with a story credit. In an interview with The Playlist, Daley and Goldstein finally revealed what their version of The Flash looked like, confirming it had little in common with Andy Muschietti's take.
"An element of [Barry Allen] and his slightly younger self embarking on the journey together," Daley said of what survived from their take. "Everything else was kind of different. We had a version where Bruce Wayne never became Batman."
"And so he was just this sort of billionaire party boy who’s aimless and doesn’t know what to do with his life. And we love the idea of sort of thrusting him into a hero position. That is not in the film," he continued. "They made it Michael Keaton’s Batman. So not a lot survived."
Had The Flash followed the comics, Thomas Wayne would have been the Flashpoint Batman. We believe that was considered at one point, but the movie ultimately morphed into a soft reboot for the DCEU.
Before DC Studios was formed, the idea had been to switch out Henry Cavill's Superman for Sasha Calle's Supergirl. Michael Keaton's Batman, meanwhile, was going to take over from Ben Affleck, with that Dark Knight then taking centre stage in Batgirl and Batman Beyond.
Eventually, we'd have had Crisis on Infinite Earths, though Cavill's unexpected return in Black Adam saw him added to The Flash. Gunn wanted none of this baggage for the new DCU, so that all changed.
Spider-Verse architects Phil Lord and Chris Miller also had an idea for The Flash, and the latter previously said they had "a very elaborate treatment that we really like." Lord confirmed it was "pretty different" from what ended up racing into theaters in 2023, noting, "It's a good idea that I am afraid to not be able to use someday," declining to share any specific plot details.
Even after decent, albeit mixed, reviews, The Flash flopped with $271 million worldwide. Gunn, meanwhile, hailed it as "probably one of the greatest superhero movies ever made."