The Flash movie is paying tribute to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in at least one key way. In The Flash, Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) time travels to the past to prevent the murder of his mother, Nora Allen (Maribel Verdú) and the framing of his father, Henry (Ron Livingston). In doing so, Barry causes unexpected consequences for his timeline, with General Zod (Michael Shannon) once again arriving to terraform Earth into a new Krypton.
In addition to adapting the time-travel elements of the Flashpoint comics story, The Flash is also DC’s major multiverse film, with both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton’s respective versions of Batman appearing in the film. The premise of The Flash demonstrates that it is using 2013’s Man of Steel as a major basis for its plot (and could even spark a Man of Steel resurgence.) However, a new TV spot for The Flash also indicates that elements of Batman v Superman are also being revisited and retold from a similarly new angle.
Supergirl Punching A Missile Is A Nod To Batman V Superman
In the new TV spot, Kara Zor-El, a.k.a. Supergirl (Sasha Calle), can be seen punching through a U.S. Army missile during a battle between the military and the invading forces of Michael Shannon’s General Zod. This surprisingly similar to the introductory scene of Superman (Henry Cavill) in Batman v Superman. In the scene in question, Lois Lane (Amy Adams) is taken hostage by terrorists in a North African desert, with Superman flying through a missile launched on the site by the C.I.A. and then through the drone that launched it before arriving to rescue Lois.
What makes the two parallel moments in Batman v Superman and The Flash even more closely related is their shared desert setting, with each also showcasing their Kryptonian hero’s strength and invulnerability. The Flash‘s homage to Batman v Superman‘s missile scene does raise interesting questions about what other parallels will be shown in the movie’s multiversal story. With that said, The Flash primarily using Man of Steel as its basis makes sense for a few reasons.
Why The Flash Movie Is Primarily Focusing On Man Of Steel
The Flash is set to tie together a huge swath of DC’s film and television history under one gigantic multiverse, which is why Michael Keaton’s much older version of Batman is appearing alongside two versions of Ezra Miller’s Flash, Supergirl, and General Zod. With that said, The Flash still needs a primary setting to base its Flashpoint-inspired story within. With that being a necessary narrative choice, the decision for The Flash to be a kind of alternate reality version of Man of Steel with Michael Keaton’s Batman present makes sense.
The Flash‘s story is quite expansive per director Andy Muschietti, with Muschietti saying, “It’s inclusive in the sense that it is saying all that you’ve seen exists, and everything that you will see exists, in the same unified multiverse.” That makes The Flash‘s nod to the missile scene Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice more clear as a multiversal tribute. The Flash could very well have far more such alternate universe takes on big moments from other past and contemporary DC movies, as well.
Key Release Dates
