DC insiders have filled me in on the real ending of The Flash movie which would have led to a Ben Affleck Multiverse in addition to Man of Steel 2, and more.
This is going to blow your mind.
It’s no secret The Flash has bombed at the box office and will reportedly lose $200 million or more. To say it’s a complete disaster is an understatement.
So what happened?
It’s also no secret that the flick underwent major changes from what it was originally intended to do.
It’s known the ending of The Flash was changed from featuring Henry Cavill as Superman side by side Sasha Calle as Supergirl and Michael Keaton as Batman to nixing all that and featuring George Clooney as Batman. But that’s not all.
Man of Steel 2 details
Man of Steel 2 was going to feature Henry Cavill as Superman with Sasha Calle as Supergirl against Brainiac in a more inspired and positive movie.
I’ve been told there was even talk about getting Chris McQuarrie back to direct (Cavill’s Mission Impossible director who is crushing it with this week’s release of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One).
Recall that Cavill and McQuarrie pitched Man of Steel 2, but I believe it was Walter Hamada who turned it down. McQuarrie seemed really pissed about things and said he would never be directing a Superman movie. However, Hamada got the boot. Enter Mike DeLuca who would have brought Chris McQuarrie back, assuming McQuarrie wanted to.
Who’s Mike DeLuca?
Well, not only is Mike DeLuca currently in charge of Warner Bros. Pictures, but DeLuca is a huge comic book fan, and DeLuca is responsible for getting the Blade movies made and I’m told for even getting David S. Goyer his start (Goyer’s blog goes over things), with Goyer of course, going on to write the Christopher Nolan Dark Knight Trilogy and Man of Steel with Zack Snyder.
I’m told the cut of The Flash that Mike DeLuca oversaw is considered a “masterpiece.” It’s a beautiful movie with a beautiful ending.
So from what I am told, DeLuca’s version of The Flash would have led to all the big plans for DC that we have been hearing about prior to the newly announced DCU.
Henry Cavill would have been back as Superman in Man of Steel 2 with Sasha Calle Supergirl versus Brainiac; more Dwayne Johnson Black Adam; Black Adam vs Superman; James Gunn’s stuff would have been involved (and my understating is that Gunn would even have been in charge in the “Kevin Feige” role); the Michael Keaton Batman Beyond movie would have happened (Kevin Smith is absolutely right); Zack Snyder would have came back if he wanted to — but what’s missing from all of that is the Ben Affleck Batman movie would have been made.
Update: James Gunn reveals De Luca hired him to do the new Superman movie.
Enter Grant Morrison
So fans of Titans will recall the epic Beast Boy Multiverse scene which features a host of DC references, but quite surprisingly, a scene happens to feature DC Comics writer Grant Morrison. Well, Morrison happened to write Animal Man, so that is why it was thought Morrison appeared as a cameo, and while true, there’s more.
What else did Morrison write? Final Crisis.
So I’m told the “masterpiece” version of The Flash that Mike DeLuca oversaw, Titans footage was thrown out, and we know all kinds of scenes were cut, as Andy Muschietti actually has a four-hour cut, and we also know they decided not to use Grant Gustin. So much like The CW’s Crisis which features the Ezra Miller cameo, The Flash movie was also going to connect all of the DC movies and TV shows, but on a much larger scale.
The real ending of The Flash
The real ending of The Flash would have been a real tear-jerker and a heartfelt ending.
The real ending of The Flash sees Henry Cavill as Superman alive with Sasha Calle as Supergirl who realizes that her cousin is not dead, and they would have gone to team up and star together in Man of Steel 2 against Brainiac on the big screen in an epic movie.
Michael Keaton as Batman is shown there along with them, and the Batman Beyond movie would have gotten made.
However, the original plan was NOT to have Michael Keaton replace Ben Affleck. Ben Affleck was to get his own movie versus the Joe Manganiello Deathstroke, which was Affleck’s version of The Batman.
When Barry resets things, the real ending of The Flash does not wipe out the Ben Affleck Batman. It shows Ben Affleck trapped within the Multiverse, where Bruce Wayne is seen knowing he’s trapped and says something to Barry like, “What about me?! Don’t forget about me!” which is a nod to that Bruce and Barry scene that Zack Snyder came up with in Batman vs. Superman where Barry is in the Speed Force/Multiverse appearing to Bruce, but the real ending of The Flash has Affleck trapped screaming for help.
I also believe while Bruce would know that he is trapped and is seen calling to Barry for help, at the end of The Flash movie, Barry does not realize that his friend is trapped somewhere in the Multiverse, which if you think about it, is rather horrific and very emotional and sad all at the same time, because Barry is the only one who can save him.
I also believe Ben Affleck as Batman trapped at the end of The Flash movie is also a reference and the real explanation for Bruce telling Barry, “Maybe some other time.”
Because that “some other time” is literally Bruce trapped in time at the end of the film.
It’s a reference to Grant Morrison’s Final Crisis, as in that comic book story, Darkseid “kills” Batman with his omi-beams but it actually sends Batman back in time where he was numerous Batmen throughout the ages.
Update: Behind-the-scene images from the alternate post-credit scene feature Ben Affleck as Batman asking Barry for help.
Ezra Miller also happened to come up with a version of The Flash with Morrison but their pitch was shot down in favor of the Multiverse approach, and Gunn’s new DCU is in part based on the comics from Morrison.
The Flash: The Best superhero movie
So The Flash movie was supposed to lead to the Ben Affleck Batman movie, and while I don’t know, possibly additional Ben Affleck Batman movies (throughout time?), while The Flash 2 would also have been made, as recall the sequel script has already been written. Well, the script wasn’t for the piece of garbage released in theaters but likely for DeLuca’s “masterpiece” version.
This is why, I believe, James Gunn has said The Flash movie is probably the best superhero movie, but I believe Gunn was referring to DeLuca’s original version, because, honestly, I can’t begin to understand how Gunn would say that about the theatrical release, which is embarrassing, horrible and insulting.
I also believe this is why James Gunn said he had talks with Zack Snyder and Ben Affleck to return, as those talks initially may have been about the original plans and not the newly announced DCU.
I’ve been told that Ben Affleck was fully onboard the plans for the Batman movie following The Flash, so once things got f’d up again at WB, hence, I believe, the reason for Affleck’s reaction to what Gunn said about continuing to work with him, where Affleck completely embarrased James Gunn.
Blame David Zaslav
So why didn’t this DC Batman Multiverse featuring Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton get made (Robert Pattinson still happening and separate)?
David Zaslav.
James Gunn is taking lots of heat surrounding the newly announced DCU, where “fire James Gunn” often trends on Twitter. The Henry Cavill Superman fans, the Zack Snyder fans, and even the Dwayne Johnson fans all blame James Gunn for canceling the DCEU.
I’m told James Gunn is not to blame at all, and again, would have been involved with the original plan, as Gunn has Peacemaker and The Suicide Squad.
It’s Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav who canceled the whole thing because of the money, as I am told, “WB has NO MONEY to do those films.”
I’m told David Zaslav didn’t want to pay any of the actors to continue with their roles and demanded cheaper talent and demanded that Gunn wipe the DC slate clean and reboot things.
This is why The Flash movie is so awful, as due to Zaslav’s DC demands, they had to butcher the original version so it didn’t lead to other things, and this is also the real reason why the VFX are so bad.
David Zaslav selling Warner Bros. Discovery
I’m told David Zaslav plans on selling Warner Bros. Discovery within a couple of years “hopefully” to Universal (update: confirmed by Variety), as Universal has been kicking major ass as of late with not only the success of their movies (Super Mario), but Universal is giving Disney a run for their money with their Universal Studios theme park (Harry Potter is there, with the movies from WB).
Disney is on a big decline along with their streaming service, their parks, and Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar, but again Universal is on the big up-and-up and owned by Comcast which has a net worth of close to $200 billion, while Disney is around a $160 billion, from my understanding (WBD valued at $30 billion).
Worth a mention is that David Zaslav has canceled numerous projects (including Batgirl) and even is selling rights to certain HBO projects to Netflix and the rights to WB’s catalog of music from classic films and tv shows (unbelievable), and it’s all because WBD has no money.
It’s also known that as a result of the strike, the studios are canceling various projects that have already been completed or are in the works.
I’m told the people involved with these various projects that have been canceled due to “tax write-offs,” not wanting to pay residuals, and the ongoing strikes are f’n pissed as they are creators, they’re artists, and are upset their work will never see the light of day (or will it?).
What about James Gunn and the DCU?
Regarding James Gunn and the DCU, if it all goes according to plan, I’m told that Gunn’s DCU will likely stick around when owned by Universal.
I’m also told that David Zaslav hopes that when the sale of Warner Bros. Discovery goes through, that he hopes the company gets broken up, and he can be in charge of Discovery again.
Some tidbits I’ve heard about the DCU: So Zaslav planning to sell WBD is why James Gunn is doing “chapters” for his DCU movies, as I’m told, “DC films as of now are just chapters in a saga.”
Superman: Legacy doesn’t seem like a “Superman” movie at all with all the recently announced superheroes, and from what I am told, The Brave and the Bold is similar, it’s less of a “Batman” movie and more of a Batman legacy type movie featuring Batman characters. Worth a mention is the flick isn’t titled “Batman: The Brave and the Bold,” but simply “The Brave and the Bold,” which originally in the comics was an anthology series.
Recap
So to recap, if things would have gone according to the grand plan and there were no hiccups, The Flash would have led to:
- Man of Steel 2 starring Henry Cavill back as Superman with Sasha Calle a Supergirl versus Brainiac directed by Chris McQuarrie
- Dwayne Johnson back as Black Adam
- Black Adam vs Superman
- Michael Keaton Batman Beyond
- Ben Affleck Batman movie stuck in the Multiverse
- Zack Snyder involved and back directing a DC movie
- The Flash 2
- More DCEU projects
- James Gunn in charge
But instead:
- Warner Bros. Discovery is completely broke
- David Zaslav demanded cheaper talent and a reboot and canceled everything and butchered The Flash
- James Gunn is in charge and announced and is developing the DCU
- Warner Bros. Discovery will be sold
- Gunn’s DC will be at Universal (along with HBO, DC Comics, etc)
- David Zaslav back in charge of Discovery
Note to the doubters and I’m sure someone will attempt to shoot this all down:
These insiders are super-connected in Hollywood; they were friends with Stan Lee and knew him on a personal level; they know Batman producer Michael Uslan; they told me all the Crisis info I released a few years ago at Comic-Con; they told me how James Gunn was returning to DC following Guardians of the Galaxy 3; they told me how much WB loves James Gunn; they told me years ago how Gunn, Abrams and Reeves were to be involved with a DC reboot, and more.
Catch me at Comic-Con this week.
