It’s The Flash starring Ezra Miller as as Barry Allen, and Michael Keaton as Batman, Ben Affleck as Batman — and Ezra Miller as Barry Allen. It’s complicated.

The trailer for The Flash happened during the Superbowl broadcast today, and here it is, and it is made of The Speed Force. And awesome, it’s made of awesome. In the trailer, Barry Allen talks to Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck), about going back in time to fix the universe. It’s one of those classic “What could possibly go wrong” moments, and it becomes clear almost immediately afterwards that a lot can go wrong. Barry has created a world without metahumans, and it’s up to him and Batman to figure out how to fix it all, or the entire universe is toast.

It’s based on the “Flashpoint” storyline appearing in DC Comics in 2011. It was a limited series event that ran for five issues and was written by Geoff Johns with art by Andy Kubert. The story involved the DC Universe being altered after the Flash (Barry Allen) changes a key moment in his past, causing a ripple effect throughout the timeline and creating an alternate reality. The event had far-reaching consequences for the DC Universe and set the stage for the subsequent relaunch of the DC Comics line, The New 52.

There’s a special treat towards the end as we get a chance to see Supergirl out the window of a jet as Barry and his other self are flying to some unknown destination.

With all the controversy surrounding Ezra Miller and his unfortunate behavior of late, coupled with the announcement by James Gunn about the future of the DCU, I had my doubts. Gunn’s roadmap for the future looked like a piecemeal approach, ignoring the obvious big guns they had at their disposal.

This, however, shines a welcome light on the future of the DCU in motion pictures and in television.

The Flash stars Ezra Miller, Ben Affleck, Michael Keaton, and Michael Shannon, and is expected to release in theaters on June 16, 2023 to North American audiences.

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