Director Andy Muschietti has openly discussed the reasons behind the box office underperformance of his DC Extended Universe film, "The Flash." In a candid conversation with Radio Tu, translated by Variety, Muschietti attributed the film's failure to its inability to captivate "the four quadrants" of the movie-going audience, a term used in the industry to refer to the demographic groups of males under 25, males over 25, females under 25, and females over 25. He emphasized that the film's $200 million budget necessitated a broad appeal, which it unfortunately did not achieve. "The Flash failed, among all the other reasons, because it wasn’t a movie that appealed to all four quadrants. It failed at that," Muschietti stated, highlighting the studio's expectations to draw even the least likely audience members, such as grandmothers, to the theaters.
Muschietti further elaborated that a significant challenge was the general lack of interest in The Flash as a character, especially among female audiences. "I’ve found in private conversations that a lot of people just don’t care about the Flash as a character. Particularly the two female quadrants. All of that is just the wind going against the film I’ve learned," he remarked. This lack of universal appeal was compounded by other factors that likely contributed to the film's poor performance, including negative reviews, criticism over its extensive use of computer-generated imagery (CGI), the controversial decision to digitally recreate deceased actors without family consent, and its release near the end of the now-defunct DCEU.
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Despite the setbacks with "The Flash," DC Studios has chosen to retain Muschietti, with reports indicating that he will direct "The Brave and the Bold," marking the first Batman film in the new DC Universe led by James Gunn and Peter Safran. This decision suggests a continued confidence in Muschietti's directorial vision and capabilities, even as the studio navigates a shift in its cinematic universe.
