In a candid interview with Radio Tu, translated by Variety, "The Flash" director Andy Muschietti opened up about the reasons behind his DC Extended Universe (DCEU) film's lackluster performance at the box office. Muschietti pointed to a fundamental issue: a general lack of interest in the Flash as a character, particularly among female audiences. He noted that the film struggled to capture the attention of the coveted "four quadrants" of moviegoers—a term used in the film industry to denote different demographic groups, specifically males under 25, males over 25, females under 25, and females over 25.
Muschietti acknowledged that "The Flash" failed to appeal broadly enough to justify its hefty $200 million budget. "The Flash failed, among all the other reasons, because it wasn’t a movie that appealed to all four quadrants. It failed at that," he explained. "When you spend $200 million making a movie, [Warner Bros.] wants to bring even your grandmother to the theaters."
Through private conversations, Muschietti discovered that the Flash simply doesn't resonate with a wide audience. "I’ve found in private conversations that a lot of people just don’t care about the Flash as a character. Particularly the two female quadrants. All of that is just the wind going against the film I’ve learned."
In addition to the lack of widespread appeal, Muschietti's reference to "all the other reasons" likely includes the film's negative critical reception, backlash over its extensive use of computer-generated imagery (CGI), including to recreate deceased actors without family consent, and its unfortunate timing at the tail end of a now-defunct film universe.
Despite the film's failure, Muschietti's career with DC appears to be far from over. He is reportedly set to helm "The Brave and the Bold," the inaugural Batman film in the new DC Universe spearheaded by James Gunn and Peter Safran.
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