The release date for The Flash starring Ezra Miller and directed by Andy Muschietti has been delayed until November 2022. The DCEU film is based on a screenplay by Christina Hodson (Bumblebee, Birds of Prey) and will incorporate elements of the "Flashpoint" storyline from DC Comics. The Flash will also mark the on-screen return of both Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck as their respective versions of Batman.

The new release date is the latest change for a project that has seen multiple directors come and go, altering both the plot and release date. Screenwriters Phil and Chris Lord and director Seth Grahame-Smith were originally attached to deliver The Flash to theaters by 2018. When that trio left due to creative differences, Dope director Rick Famuyiwa was brought in only to leave by October 2016. Muschietti and Hodson were finally confirmed and filming was reportedly set to begin in March 2021 with a June 3, 2022 release date as the target.

Now, Warner Bros. has announced The Flash has yet another release date, this time set for November 4, 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic brought television and film production to a halt and delayed plans to start any new projects. The entire DCEU slate is among those affected, including The Batman, Shazam 2, and Black Adam. Films like Wonder Woman 1984 that were already completed have seen their release dates changed again and again to account for the ongoing pandemic and its impact on movie theater openings.


The entire movie industry has had to adjust to the coronavirus pandemic. Beyond just superhero movies, titles such as The Matrix 4, No Time to Die, and F9 have announced changes to their release date. Meanwhile, there have been halts in production for the latest installments in the Avatar, Mission Impossible, and Scream franchises. Movie theaters continue to be the ones that suffer the most with Regal Theaters revealing that it will close all locations indefinitely following the release of No Time to Die in 2021.

Another change to The Flash's release date was inevitable. The pandemic is still very much a public health concern and with production not yet started, it makes sense that things would be rescheduled. Rather than rush through production to meet a deadline and potentially risk the health and safety of the cast and crew, The Flash is doing the sensible thing and taking its time.

Fans are hoping it is a case of "good things come to those who wait." Yes, Ezra Miller's version of The Flash, seen briefly in Batman v. Superman and Suicide Squad and then as a major part of Justice League, has been divisive. But the solo outing will be bolstered by the return of fan-favorites Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck. Director Andy Muschietti has also promised a lot of DC characters will appear. With a new release date, fans have even more time to develop theories on who else could play a major role in The Flash.