The Flash director Andy Muschietti has offered up a fresh reason as to why the DC movie stumbled in cinemas.
Speaking on Radio Tu’s La Baulera del Coso (H/T Variety), Muschietti pointed out that the movie wasn’t universally popular with what Hollywood terms the ‘four quadrants’: male over 25s, male under 25s, female over 25s, and female under 25s.
“The Flash failed, among all the other reasons, because it wasn’t a movie that appealed to all four quadrants. It failed at that,” Muschietti said, adding, “When you spend $200 million making a movie, [Warner Bros.] wants to bring even your grandmother to the theaters.”
Curiously, Muschietti revealed that The Flash simply isn’t popular enough compared to fellow DC heroes Batman and Superman – according to unnamed figures he spoke to behind the scenes.
“I’ve found in private conversations that a lot of people just don’t care about the Flash as a character,” Muschietti revealed, which seemingly mirrors audience apathy for the project.
Of course, CW’s The Flash, starring Grant Gustin as Barry Allen, proved one of the cornerstones of the ‘Arrowverse’ and ran for nine seasons.
The Flash’s big-screen offering, though, proved to be one of DC’s biggest misfires of recent years. It barely recouped its $200 million budget, generating $271 million at the box office. That’s despite it being one of the final parting shots of the DCEU and starring a returning Michael Keaton as Batman alongside Ezra Miller, Sasha Calle, and Michael Shannon.
DC, meanwhile, is starting over with DC Studios’ James Gunn and Peter Safran at the helm. July’s Superman kicks off the live-action slate of DCU Chapter One, which is titled Gods and Monsters and features everything from a Green Lantern TV show to a Clayface movie written by Mike Flanagan.
For more, check out our guide to new superhero movies and how to watch the DC movies in order.