The fact that The Flash didn't exactly reboot the DC Universe shows why DC Studios needs a fresh start with James Gunn and Peter Safran's new plan. After a tumultuous production period, The Flash finally released on June 16, 2023, featuring Ezra Miller as Barry Allen, the Scarlet Speedster hell-bent on traveling through time to save his mother's life. Loosely based on DC Comics' Flashpoint storyline, The Flash was expected to drastically change the landscape of the live-action DC Universe, but this didn't end up happening in the way viewers had expected, leaving the future of the DC Universe's confusing storyline uncertain.

Despite being highly-anticipated among fans of the DC Extended Universe, The Flash's complex storyline, lack of faithfulness to the DC Comics source material, and questionable visual effects have all contributed to a poor performance for Ezra Miller's first solo project in the DC Universe. As of June 26, 2023, The Flash has grossed a total of $212.5 million at the global box office, making the film's box office bomb status inevitable. The Flash's divisive nature has left the fate of future DC projects unclear, particularly since projects are still tied to the same franchise as The Flash. It's clear that DC Studios needs a clean slate.

The Flash Movie Doesn't Reboot The DC Universe

After the Flash's meddling in time leads to destructive consequences in DC Comics' 2011 Flashpoint event, the story ends with Barry Allen restoring the timeline of his mother's death. In doing so, however, Barry ends up combining three different realities into one primary universe, bringing together the DC, Vertigo, and WildStorm timelines to create the relaunched New 52 line. A similar storyline was originally expected to be detailed in 2023's The Flash, allowing James Gunn and Peter Safran's reboot of the DC Universe to take shape, with new actors assuming some of the most iconic roles, including Superman and Batman at the helm.

However, it soon became clear that The Flash wouldn't reset the DC Universe in the way many were expecting. While Ezra Miller's Barry Allen did change the timeline similarly to his DC Comics counterpart, the ending of The Flash saw him residing in a timeline where George Clooney was still Bruce Wayne. This could have suggested that Clooney would reprise the role in future DC projects, but since a new actor will portray Batman in The Brave and the Bold, this ending was confusing. The Flash could have included a tease of what might be to come in the new DC Universe, but failed to raise excitement for DC's future.

It's Still Unclear What The New DC Universe Actually Includes

Following their ascension to co-CEOs of DC Studios in November 2022, James Gunn and Peter Safran laid out their plans for the future of the DC Universe in an announcement on January 31, 2023. Gunn announced several new projects comprising a part of the DC Universe's Chapter 1, titled "Gods and Monsters", including the likes of Superman: Legacy, Booster Gold, The Authority, Lanterns, and Creature Commandos, among others. However, while the fresh slate of DC Studios' future projects seems to bring hope back to the franchise, there are still many questions surrounding the DC Universe's future that The Flash was perfectly poised to answer - but failed to.

One thing The Flash failed to reveal is the canonical status of several characters in the DCEU, some of whom haven't had their future in the new DC Universe confirmed. Speaking to a fan on Instagram (via CBR), James Gunn confirmed that "The Flash resets many things, not all things. Some characters remain the same, some do not." While this perhaps would have made sense, The Flash didn't do anything to show this, despite being in the perfect position to provide answers. The Flash could have reset the franchise as it was expected to, giving audiences a clearer vision of what's to come, rather than leaving viewers with more confusion.

The DC Universe's Unclear Status Might Hurt Blue Beetle & Aquaman 2

Even though The Flash certainly had its issues, it's likely that part of The Flash's poor box office performance could be attributed to the apathy of audiences towards the more-or-less defunct DCEU. Revealing the fact that the DC Universe would be reset prior to the releases of Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Flash surely had an impact on their box office draws, and this could potentially snowball to damage Blue Beetle and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. 2023's remaining DC projects were in production prior to Gunn and Safran's shake-up of the franchise, meaning they'll still be released, but their connections to the DC Universe's future is unclear.

August 2023's Blue Beetle has been billed to introduce the first DC Universe character in Jaime Reyes. This suggests Blue Beetle may have more ties to DC's future than it does to the past, but the same can't be said for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Jason Momoa will reprise his role in the December 2023 sequel, bringing back an established character from the DCEU for one final adventure, though his existence after The Flash's reset doesn't exactly make sense. It's likely that both Blue Beetle and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will suffer at the box office thanks to The Flash confusing the franchise more than necessary.

The DC Universe Doesn't Need The Baggage Of The DCEU's Latest Projects

The DCEU seemed to have a strong start with the release of projects such as Man of Steel and Wonder Woman, introducing iconic DC Comics heroes into live-action in spectacular stories. However, it's undeniable that there has been more bad than good from Warner Bros. franchise, particularly in recent years, which the new DC Universe would probably benefit from leaving far behind. Projects such as Suicide Squad, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Black Adam, Wonder Woman 1984, and now The Flash have left a sour taste in the mouth - something that Gunn and Safran would surely want to forget for the onset of their new DC Universe.

While it will certainly be a shame to lose the good aspects of the DCEU, such as Henry Cavill's Superman and Zack Snyder's original vision for the DC franchise, the new DC Universe will benefit immensely from moving swiftly on. Not only will the darker characterizations of the DCEU be replaced with more light-hearted and comic-accurate depictions of characters, but DC Studios will also likely see a massive net gain by distancing itself from previous projects. It's unclear what this might mean for actors such as Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, and Margot Robbie, but it would perhaps be a smoother transition if the entire franchise was revamped.

The DC Universe Has To Rebuild A New Reputation

When most film franchises are first starting out, they need to build a reputation from scratch, but this isn't exactly the case for the new DC Universe. The poor reception to multiple DCEU films in recent years has given DC a bad reputation, which means that James Gunn and Peter Safran need to rebuild the studio's reputation before they can start to build their franchise. Box office totals prove that audiences have fallen out of love with DC films, so the new DC Universe needs to work extra hard to regain the trust of its fans, while repairing the negative reputation left by some awful films in the DCEU's history.

Hanging onto the past too tightly - and developing the story of the DCEU in Blue Beetle and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom - might be the worst thing for DC Studios to do. Rather, a clean slate and a hard reset of the franchise may be the way to go. By moving on from the failures of past projects, DC Studios can start from square one, slowly building up their franchise over time, and allowing audiences the time to become accustomed to the new DC Universe. After the confusing ending to The Flash, it might be better just to forget the past and focus on making the future stronger.