Hailed by James Gunn as "the greatest superhero movie in cinematic history," The Flash is set to rewrite the DC cinematic universe this June. The latest trailer, released recently, unveiled numerous significant plot clues. After a year of teasing, Michael Keaton's 1989 "Batman" has finally made his official appearance. Below, we'll delve into the details from The Flash's latest trailer and the Super Bowl TV spot~
1. Two Generations of Batman Together
Michael Keaton, the renowned actor who portrayed the Caped Crusader in Tim Burton's 1989 Batman film, returns in this movie to become The Flash's mentor in the multiverse. He reprises his iconic line, "I'm Batman," which has resonated through the years, accompanied by Danny Elfman's classic score from the original film.
Ben Affleck also returns in this film as the "Batman" of the main universe, following his appearance in Justice League, sporting a new look that more closely resembles the dark blue cowl from the comics.
2. Flashpoint Paradox
In the trailer, Barry mentions that his reason for trying to save "this universe" is because it's the universe where his mother is alive. One scene shows an adult Barry with a photo of his parents, clearly indicating this timeline. This storyline is adapted from the classic comic book event, Flashpoint Paradox.
Notably, due to scheduling conflicts, Barry's father, Henry, is now played by Ron Livingston, replacing Billy Crudup from Justice League.
The origin story of "The Flash" Barry Allen stems from his mother being murdered by the villain "Reverse-Flash" when he was a child, leading to his father being framed and imprisoned. Barry grew up to become a police officer in Central City. In the Flashpoint Paradox story, Barry travels through time to prevent his mother's murder by Reverse-Flash, but this causes an even more uncontrolled butterfly effect.
In this alternate universe, Aquaman's "Atlantis" and Wonder Woman's "Themyscira" are at war with each other, while the human villains from the main universe are trying to stop them from conquering various regions. In this universe, the victim of the "pearl necklace" incident is a young Bruce, leading Martha Wayne to go insane and become the Joker, and Thomas Wayne to become a brutal and ruthless version of Batman.
Reportedly, Gal Gadot will return in this film as the Flashpoint universe's Wonder Woman, but due to factors such as the halt of Wonder Woman 3 after James Gunn took office, it is uncertain whether her scenes have been cut.
3. Dark Flash or Reverse-Flash
In another universe, Barry encounters a version of himself who (still) has no superpowers. This version is wearing a light yellow jacket and headphones. Does this color scheme, identical to Reverse-Flash, hint that he will become the future Reverse-Flash?
Another shot shows the main universe's Barry transferring the Speed Force to this other Barry, allowing both to share the Flash identity.
Audiences familiar with the comics or the CW series will know that in the comics, Reverse-Flash's real name is Eobard Thawne, one of the main antagonists in The Flash comics, and the true killer of Barry's mother. However, due to chain reactions across different timelines, Barry himself could also become Reverse-Flash. The movie version appears to avoid too many peripheral characters from The Flash comics, making Barry himself the most likely option.
According to toy leaks, one of the main villains in this film is "Dark Flash." In the comics, there is a version called "Black Flash," which is the dark side of the Speed Force, whose ultimate goal is to claim the Speed Force when all speedsters die.
4. Mysterious Batman
In this scene, Keaton's Batman helmet can be seen lying on a blood-stained ground. This could imply that Keaton was defeated in a mission, leading to his retirement from crime-fighting.
Another scene shows a Batman riding a motorcycle, identifiable as Ben Affleck's main universe version by his ride. This scene was filmed in George Square, Scotland, a location also used by Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight and Matt Reeves' The Batman, sparking much discussion among netizens about his true identity.
5. Flash Ring
Barry possesses a ring with a lightning bolt emblem, which in the original comics is used to store and summon the Flash costume.
6. General Zod
The event of General Zod's invasion from Man of Steel is re-enacted, and we will witness this battle from Barry's perspective.
From the Super Bowl commercial footage, it can be inferred that in a certain universe, General Zod encounters Supergirl instead of Superman during his invasion of Earth.
In the main universe's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, when Superman confronted General Zod, Bruce was rushing back to the Wayne Enterprises building and witnessed the destruction caused by Superman, which became the catalyst for him to don his cowl once more.
7. Old Photo
This scene shows a family photo of three, clearly depicting a young Bruce with his parents. However, the actors in the photo are different from Ben Affleck's parents (played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan). Combined with the full shot from the TV commercial, a white-haired figure seen from behind is likely Keaton's Batman.
8. Movie Posters
In one of Barry's rooms, posters for Pacific Rim and I Am Legend are displayed. Both films are Warner Bros. productions. More importantly, Pacific Rim is a tribute by this film's director, Andy Muschietti, to Pacific Rim's director, Guillermo del Toro. This is because Andy Muschietti produced the short film precursor to Mama! before his debut, and was discovered and mentored by the legendary director.
Additionally, in the 2007 film I Am Legend, there was actually an Easter egg for a Batman v Superman movie. In fact, Warner Bros. had conceived the idea of Batman v Superman after the box office failure of Batman & Robin. Akiva J. Goldsman, the screenwriter for I Am Legend, was at one point hired to participate in the production of Batman v Superman. Unfortunately, the project was ultimately shelved, leading instead to the production of Superman Returns and The Dark Knight series, which is why this Easter egg was planted in the film.
9. Martha Wayne Research Institute
Zooming in on this trailer scene, Gotham City can be seen under an unknown attack. The building in the upper left corner is identified as the Martha Wayne Research Institute, named in memory of Bruce's mother, Martha. To the right, there is an ambulance from the Gotham City Fire Department.
10. Supergirl
The trailer shows a frail Supergirl imprisoned in a base. She is wearing a prison uniform with the Russian words "САМАЯ ОПАСНАЯ" written on it, meaning "MOST DANGEROUS."
In the Flashpoint Paradox story, Superman Kal-El was not adopted by the Kent family. When he was sent to Earth in his spaceship, he landed directly in Metropolis and was intercepted by a government agency called "Project Superman." Thus, when he was found by The Flash, Cyborg, and Batman (Thomas Wayne) as an adult, he was in a emaciated and weakened state.
11. Keaton's Costume Display
Keaton's Batcave features a display of various Batsuits from different eras. The suit in the center is the one Keaton uses in this film; the first suit on the left, with a holster, is likely a reference to early comic book styles featuring Batman with a gun; the suit in the back right is the 1992 Batman Returns version; the suit on the far right has goggles, likely a fusion of the suit from Bruce's nightmare in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Concept art also reveals that one of the Batsuits will be painted with The Flash's symbol, transforming it into a temporary battle suit for the other Barry.
12. 1989 Batman Details Restored
A detail that will make 1989 Batman fans cheer: the trailer shows Keaton's Batcave, with its architecture almost perfectly recreating the original design from that year.
In the TV commercial, the parallel universe Barry also unveils the classic Batmobile, a moment that moved fans.
