DC seriously cannot catch a break as of late. After losing director Seth Grahame-Smith earlier this year, The Flash experienced a huge stroke of luck when Dope director Rick Famuyiwa signed on to helm the Scarlet Speedster's first solo movie. Everything seemed to be going well until earlier today when Famuyiwa announced his departure from the project due to "creative differences" with DC and Warner Bros. Barry Allen's solo movie now finds itself adrift with no captain at the helm, so let's break down the future of the project and figure out exactly what Warner Bros. needs to do next.
First and foremost, DC and Warner Bros. need to hire someone and get that process out of the way as soon as possible. This isn't even remotely up for debate. Although the loss of Seth Grahame-Smith was definitely a detriment that set back the development of The Flash, we have officially reached zero hour. Barry Allen's solo movie is currently slated to hit theaters on March 16, 2018, and the film needs to try and stick within that schedule. There is no Speed Force in real life, so DC needs to move as quick as possible to make sure that this project gets back on track in a timely manner.
Once the replacement director for The Flash has actually signed on to the project, Warner Bros. needs to make sure that he or she can actually stick to a production schedule and keep the movie (a big, effects-driven movie, to be clear). The project cannot sustain another Rick Famuyiwa-sized loss; the Dope director's replacement needs to have a reputation for reliability on tight deadlines. A cohesive superhero movie universe is only as strong as the audience's faith in it, and the DCEU remains on shaky ground as it is. We cannot afford serious delays on an absolutely critical solo movie for a focal member of the Justice League.
However, those are simple logistic details. The real trick lies in making sure that whoever replaces Rick Famuyiwa can actually bring certain, vital sensibilities to the project that he would've introduced. While the Dope director departed the project over creative differences -- he reportedly wanted to do an edgier story than WB was comfortable with -- certain tenets of his take on The Flash mythos should remain. When looking for a replacement, Warner Bros. should strive to find a filmmaker who will work within their comfort zone for a Flash movie, but also ensure that Rick Famuyiwa's replacement will maintain a similar voice.
That was ultimately the best thing that Rick Famuyiwa brought to the table in the first place. His work on Dope proved that he has an immensely effective voice for a diverse, youthful audience, and that would've served the DCEU well going forward. This is why the loss of Rick Famuyiwa was a bigger deal that the recent loss of Seth Grahame-Smith in the director's chair. Famuyiwa brought a very unique and distinct vision to the project, and he had the experience to back up his intentions for the film.
This is something that the competition already has in the works. With the imminent release of Spider-Man: Homecoming, Marvel will have their own wisecracking, youthful hero who lives in an edgy, colorful and generally diverse urban environment. Am I saying that DC needs to gear The Flash towards a young, diverse audience simply because the competition is doing it with Spider-Man? Of course not. However, does it behoove the DCEU to tap into an audience base that it has more or less strayed away from up until now? Absolutely.
What do you think Warner Bros. needs to do in order to bounce back from the loss of Rick Famuyiwa? Let us know what you think in the comments section below. CinemaBlend will bring you more updates related to Rick Famuyiwa's departure from The Flash as more details become available. As of now, the film is still slated to hit theaters on March 18, 2018.
