The Flash Director Andy Muschietti Says It Failed Because 'A Lot of People Just Don’t Care About the Flash as a Character'

Director Andy Muschietti attributes the box office failure of his DC Extended Universe film, "The Flash," to a lack of widespread audience appeal. Speaking to Radio Tu, and as reported by Variety, Muschietti explained that the film didn't sufficiently connect with "the four quadrants" – a term referring to the key demographic groups (males under 25, males over 25, females under 25, and females over 25) – to justify its $200 million budget.

He stated, "The Flash failed, among other reasons, because it wasn’t a movie that appealed to all four quadrants. When you spend $200 million making a movie, [Warner Bros.] wants to bring even your grandmother to the theaters." He further elaborated, revealing insights from private conversations indicating a significant portion of the audience, particularly women, lacked interest in the Flash character. This, he suggests, created significant headwinds for the film.

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Muschietti acknowledged other contributing factors to the film's underperformance, including negative critical reception, CGI criticisms (especially regarding the recreation of deceased actors), and its release within a dissolving film universe.

Despite "The Flash's" commercial struggles, DC Studios has retained Muschietti to direct "The Brave and the Bold," the inaugural Batman film within James Gunn and Peter Safran's revamped DC Universe.