"Andy Muschietti: 'The Flash' Failed Due to Lack of Character Interest"

Andy Muschietti, the director behind the DC Extended Universe's "The Flash," has openly discussed the film's disappointing box office performance. In an interview with Radio Tu, translated by Variety, Muschietti attributed the film's failure to a lack of broad appeal, particularly noting that "a lot of people just don’t care about the Flash as a character." He emphasized that the movie did not successfully engage "the four quadrants" of the audience—a term used in the film industry to describe the goal of appealing to all demographics, including males and females both under and over 25 years old.

Muschietti pointed out that with a hefty budget of $200 million, Warner Bros. expected the film to attract a wide audience, including even the least likely viewers, such as grandmothers. He admitted, "The Flash failed, among all the other reasons, because it wasn’t a movie that appealed to all four quadrants. It failed at that." This lack of universal appeal, he believes, was a significant factor in the film's underperformance.

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In private conversations, Muschietti has learned that the lack of interest in the Flash character, especially among the two female quadrants, further hindered the film's success. He noted, "All of that is just the wind going against the film I’ve learned."

The director also alluded to "all the other reasons" contributing to the film's failure, which likely include its negative critical reception, the heavy reliance on CGI, including the controversial use of digital recreations of deceased actors without family consent, and its timing at the end of the now-defunct DCEU.

Despite these setbacks, DC Studios seems to retain confidence in Muschietti. He is reportedly set to helm "The Brave and the Bold," the inaugural Batman film in the newly envisioned DC Universe led by James Gunn and Peter Safran. This move suggests that DC is looking forward to new beginnings, even as they navigate the challenges of past projects.