Why The Flash Shouldn’t Be The Starting Point Of James Gunn’s DCU

As of now, it’s unknown how James Gunn’s DCU will truly begin, but it would be a bad idea for The Flash to be the starting point. Following James Gunn and Peter Safran being appointed co-CEOs of DC Studios, it was announced that the DCU would receive a complete overhaul from what had originally made up the DC Extended Universe. Very little is known about the new slate for the DCU outside of Gunn helming a new Superman movie focused on a younger Superman, and one question that people have had is how the old DCEU will be closed off for the new DCU.

One common theory for how the DCEU will end is that it will happen via The Flash. 2022’s The Flash is set to incorporate elements of Flashpoint, which was famously used to reboot DC Comics in 2011, so it would make sense for the movie to be used to reboot the DCEU into the DCU. That being said, using The Flash to kickstart the DCU would be a mistake, and there are a lot of reasons as to why that is.

Related: The DCU Reboot Needs To Avoid A Flashpoint Problem

The DCU Needs A Clean Slate (Away From The DCEU)

The first reason why The Flash shouldn’t be used to start the DCU is that the DCU needs a clean slate away from the DCEU. Ever since it first started, most movies in the DCEU have been met with mixed to negative reception, and even the critical hits often underperformed at the box office – Aquaman and 2017’s Wonder Woman being notable exceptions. Add in the discourse surrounding the Snyderverse, and the DCEU is filled with too many problems to work around cohesively. As such, the DCU happening in-universe because of the DCEU would only extend those issues, so it would make more sense to avoid them, altogether.

While it might be disappointing to some people, having the DCU start on a completely clean slate is the best move, going forward. Not only would that allow it to avoid the baggage of the DCEU, but by establishing itself as its own entity, the DCU can be judged on its own merits as opposed to how it compares to the DCEU. Considering how divisive the DCEU ended up becoming, the DCU would more than benefit from something like that, so it would probably be weirder if that wasn’t the plan for the DCU.

Ezra Miller’s Issues Have Created A Problem For The Flash

Another reason why Andy Muschietti’s The Flash shouldn’t be used to start the DCU is because of the complications surrounding the casting of Ezra Miller. In 2022, Miller was constantly in the news due to reports of their court cases, which involved robbery, assault, the grooming of a minor, and a refusal to appear in court when the parents of said minor filed for a restraining order. Miller has reportedly apologized for past behavior and begun treatment for their mental health issues, but these actions still cast a negative light over The Flash, so having it kickstart the DCU would be nothing but a turnoff for many people.

Ezra Miller’s past behavior has created issues for The Flash that can’t be ignored, so it would certainly be in the best interest of James Gunn’s DCU to not be tied to it in any way. That can easily be achieved by not having The Flash create the DCU with a universal reset, and it can be sold even further by casting someone new for the Flash, just like how Superman and other characters are being recast for the DCU. There’s already a lot of derision surrounding the DCU rebooting the DCEU, so there’s no need to further emphasize that by adding in the controversy of Miller’s past actions.

Related: Ezra Miller Legal Trouble Full Timeline And Flash Impact Explained

Using The DCEU To Create The DCU Makes It Feel Like A Spinoff

A third reason why The Flash shouldn’t be used to create the DCU is that it would make it feel like a spinoff of the DCEU. If DC’s The Flash serves as the in-universe reason for the DCU’s existence, then that would give the impression that there would always be some degree of connection between the DCU and the DCEU. If that happened, then it would be impossible to reasonably talk about the DCU without drawing comparisons to the DCEU, so if the DCU wants to be judged solely on its own merits, then it can’t do anything that would imply they share any degree of continuity.

The shortcomings of the DCEU also justify avoiding that sort of issue. As previously discussed, the DCEU has had problems with making its content land with people from the very beginning, so if Ezra Miller’s The Flash was responsible for the DCU, then the DCU would feel less like a fresh start and more like another attempt at making the DCEU work. At this point, it’s been made abundantly clear that the DCEU isn’t going to work, so the DCU should try and distance itself from it as much as possible.

The DCU Shouldn’t Have A Multiverse Link Right Away

The final major reason why The Flash shouldn’t be used to start the DCU is that it would establish a multiverse element far too soon. The nature of DC’s Flashpoint is inherently tied to the multiverse, especially with how it started the New 52, so with The Flash adapting Geoff Johns’ Flashpoint to a certain extent, it could easily establish a multiverse. That’s fine for the DCEU at this point, but having the DCU start with such a big concept could come across as it moving too fast, a common complaint of the DCEU, so it would be better for the DCU to take its time with establishing a multiverse.

The DCU would also be better off not jumping straight into the multiverse because of the MCU. Phase 4 has been the start of the MCU doing its own exploration into the multiverse, so if the DCU began with its own take on the multiverse, that would invite constant comparisons between the two that would overtake most discussions about the DCU, something that was a constant issue for the DCEU. Comparisons between the MCU and the DCU are inevitable, but the DCU shouldn’t go out of its way to invite them, so it would be best if The Flash wasn’t used to bring in the multiverse so quickly.

More: DC’s Flash Movie Reboot Trick Isn’t Going To Work Now