'The Flash' Is Officially Dead, Reportedly Pulled From Theaters

The Ezra Miller and The Flash experiment is officially over. Though the film was meant to be the next DC blockbuster, it has failed to live up to expectations and is reportedly being removed by theaters.

the flash ezra miller warner bros dc studios — Credit: Warner Bros.

DC has been stuck between a rock and a hard place for many years, and though the DCEU/SnyderVerse is officially ending, there have been a few holdouts from that era of films. Shazam 2, The Flash, and Aquaman 2 are the last films with significant ties to the era before James Gunn took over DC Films. So far, Shazam 2 and The Flash have bombed horribly at the box office.

What makes matters worse is that between those three films and the upcoming Blue Beetle DCU venture, Warner Bros. will reportedly spend upwards of $1.2 billion to promote and release them. The studio had hoped to recoup some of that money by all these films turning into blockbusters, though that has not been the case.

The Flash had a meager $64 million opening during a four-day weekend, making it one of the worst domestic openings for DC. The film has also experienced massive drops in attendance as the weeks have passed. Though Warner Bros. hoped it would go beyond its reported $300 million budget, it will struggle to hit that mark.

Even Fandango had been offering “buy one, get one free” offers for the film, though that likely did not work. An industry insider has revealed that a staggering number of theaters are pulling the DC venture.

Theaters Pull ‘The Flash’ In Droves

#TheFlash is being removed from 1,500+ theaters tomorrow pic.twitter.com/On2AZXYNQe

— THEDISCFATHER (@TheDiscFather) June 29, 2023

According to industry insider TheDiscFather, The Flash will be reportedly removed by 1,500 theaters. While this might sound impossible, the variables mentioned above might prove it’s true. Theaters are likely losing money by showing the film, as no one is buying tickets.

The other aspect of how and why the DC film could be pulled so fast has everything to do with Indiana Jones. The final Harrison Ford-led adventure started Thursday previews last night and is officially out today. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny has already reportedly made $6 million in its preview night and is projected to pull in $65 million this weekend in domestic numbers. The international projects added to place the film somewhere in the $145 to $15o million range.

For all we know, fans can show up in droves to see Ford’s last time as everyone’s favorite archaeologist. This means that theaters will want to make room for that possibility. The Flash is not a blockbuster, so it’s time to push it aside because Indiana Jones 5 could be that blockbuster for theaters worldwide.

Though many people have praised The Flash, Ezra Miller’s past troubles indicate that everyone was not so eager to forgive them. It’s also that fans are tired of trying to understand the many phases that DC has been in for years. It’s time to usher in the James Gunn era and see if he can pull the company out of mediocrity.

Shazam 2 and The Flash bombing like this prove that the new DCU era needs to arrive quickly.

Are you surprised that The Flash is being removed from theaters? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!