Has The Flash Missed His Window of Opportunity?

2/24/2011 Posted by Admin

Has The Flash Missed His Window of Opportunity?

Commentary

By our guest blogger, Joel Crabtree


Among this new generation of comic book movies (beginning somewhere around “X-Men,” elevated by “Iron Man,” and will stop whenever the studios take mercy on us), there’s one classic character that has yet to make the cut--The Flash.

There have been rumors circulating for years about a potential movie for DC’s Silver Age pioneer, but here we are, in 2011, and there has been little progress while other DC characters are making the leap to major movies or TV shows, like Green Lantern or Wonder Woman.

Much like every superhero these days, there is a franchise in the works. It’s currently in the scripting stages with “Green Lantern” writers Greg Berlanti, Michael Green and Marc Guggenheim (all three of whom Warner Bros. seems to putting a lot of stock into) rumored to be working on it for a 2013 release.

It’s ironic that a character known for his speed will pretty much be the last major hero to get a film in theaters -- that is assuming Barry Allen hasn’t missed his window of opportunity.

In an era where the trigger-happy Marvel is releasing, rebooting and recasting any and all characters in its arsenal, DC has been surprisingly gun shy to push projects into development. “Green Lantern” should have been rushed into production after the success of 2008’s “Iron Man,” and “The Flash,” should have followed suit. Unfortunately, they didn’t, and it could cost Warner two very profitable franchises.

With a summer market so saturated with comic book movies (“Thor,” “Captain America,” “X-Men: First Class” and “The Green Lantern), you have to wonder what effect it will have on movie-goers, and if there will be some kind of backlash. The reality is that past 2011 there may not be a market for any new superhero franchises, and some of those that are already established may see waning audiences.

Of course, whether or not film fans want it, the comic book movies will keep coming until the market is completely depleted (something studios are very good at), because projects such as “The Avengers,” “Superman: Man of Steel,” “The Amazing Spider-Man” and a number of others are already in development. But it’s not too late for Warner to pull the plug on “The Flash,” whose existence in cinema depends almost entirely on how successful “The Green Lantern” is this summer.

Flash fans can only hope that things work out in their favor.

Thankfully, there will always be a place for Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies. But that doesn’t do The Flash any good. You might have to sit this one out, champ.

Below is the trailer for “Green Lantern,” DC’s hopeful new franchise. If it finds success at the box office this summer, “The Flash” might someday see the light of day.

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