Trailer Review: The Flash (2023)

On April 25^th, the second official trailer for The Flash (2023) dropped, giving yet another reason for superhero and comic book fans to geek out. It’s been three days, and as of the writing of this piece, the trailer is at over 25 million views on the DC YouTube channel. The word of mouth from within DC, Warner Bros., and around Hollywood is that this movie is set to break records. James Gunn, the new creative head of DC Studios, is quoted as saying, “probably one of the greatest superhero movies ever made.” So, with the anticipation built up this high, can The Flash live up to the hype?

The first official trailer confirmed several things. The film is based on the Flashpoint graphic novel, where Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) uses his abilities to go back in time and save his mother’s life. Barry’s actions end up changing the future and creating an alternate universe, aka the multiverse, with different versions of established characters. Superman is out, Supergirl is in. Lastly, it confirmed that Michael Keaton’s Batman is a part of the story which blew up the internet. The visuals were stunning, and the trailer masterfully built excitement, tension, and pathos for its viewers, all in less than three minutes.

With this second trailer, we see a little more Supergirl (Sasha Calle), a little more of General Zod (Michael Shannon) and his Kryptonian crew, a little more of Ben Affleck’s Batman, and a lot more of Keaton’s Batman, so we know he plays a big part. The marketing is leaning very hard into 1989’s Batman fighting side by side with 2023’s Flash. So, there’s a lot of focus on that aspect of this movie. It seems clear that this depiction of Batman will be a much more seasoned and experienced version of the one Tim Burton presented us with 34 years ago. While there are references back to that 1989 film, we’re getting glimpses of Batman in action on a similar level to what we saw in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. So, this Batman has definitely upped his game.

With all the plot points that have been spilled through these trailers, the one thing that hasn’t been revealed yet is the main villain. Yes, Zod is in there, but who will the real bad guy be? Will the film remain close to the graphic novel in this, or will the movie go a different way? There are rumors floating around about this, but we’ll just have to see how it plays out. 

All the positive buzz is a little surprising, considering the attached director Andy Muschietti and writers Christina Hodson and Joby Harold are known to have a modest amount of credits to their names. However, within those short lists are some big hits, including It Chapters 1 & 2 (2017, 2019) for Muschietti, Birds of Prey (2020) for Hodson, and Edge of Tomorrow(2014) for Harold. So, if The Flash proves to live up to the expectations, these three are going to see their careers step up to the next level. Here’s hoping.

With The Flash, Blue Beetle, and Aquaman & the Lost Kingdom all on the way, it seems 2023 is the year that will usher in the final entries in the Zack Snyder, Snyderverse. It’s difficult to say whether this will turn out to be a good or, unfortunately, short-sighted thing for DC/Warner Bros. But either way, as the connected universe that began ten years ago with Man of Steel (2013) draws to a close, there is the distinct possibility that it will go out with a huge bang.

The Flash races into theatres on June 16, 2023. Check out the trailer below and let us know your thoughts in the comments section.