Toys based on Michael Keaton's Batman from The Flash reportedly outsold ones based on Ezra Miller's Scarlet Speedster.
"When you look at the Flash toys, the character from the movie that outsold everything else was Batman and the Batmobile," reported Jordan Hembrough, founder of the toy retail site Hollywood Heroes, to The Hollywood Reporter. "And it’s because people have this connection to Michael Keaton and his portrayal of the 1989 Batman."
Interest, or lack thereof, in the Scarlet Speedster extends beyond lackluster toy sales and an abysmal box office performance. Matt Devoe, co-founder of CovrPrice, stated to THR that the value of classic Flash comic books is also dropping, noting that what drives collectability is the promise of what comes next. "The Flash film didn’t have anything for fans to take and speculate on. In fact, it’s led to a lot of confusion of, 'OK, what is DC doing with their future lineup?'" he added.
The Flash Was an Expensive Flop for Warner Bros.
With a reported budget of $300 million, The Flash was one of Warner Bros.' most expensive superhero films ever produced. Unfortunately, the DC Extended Universe film was unable to earn back its budget, grossing only $268 million during its theatrical run. The film is estimated to have lost Warner Bros. Discovery upwards of $200 million. The Flash is the latest DCEU film to underperform at the box office after Birds of Prey ($205M), Wonder Woman 1984 ($169M), The Suicide Squad ($168M) and Shazam! Fury of the Gods ($133M).
What's Next for DC Studios?
With The Flash on its way to streaming and physical formats, DC Studios has two remaining superhero films from the previous regime left to market and promote: Blue Beetle -- which just hit theaters last Friday -- and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which opens this December. The DCEU will then be rebooted into the DC Universe, which will begin in 2024 with the release of the animated series Creature Commandos. The hotly-anticipated project was unveiled on Jan. 31 alongside nine other projects, which will be part of the first chapter of James Gunn and Peter Safran's DCU slate.
Casting has already been announced for Creature Commandos, with Gunn confirming that Frank Grillo, David Harbour, Indira Varma, Zoë Chao, Sean Gunn and Alan Tudyk will voice members of the titular monster team. Violas Davis will also be reprising her role from the DC Extended Universe as Amanda Waller in both Creature Commandos and the Peacemaker spinoff series Waller. As for Superman: Legacy -- the first DCU film out of the gate -- David Corenswet will play the Man of Steel while Rachel Brosnahan will step into the shoes of love interest/Daily Planet journalist Lois Lane.
The Flash is currently available to rent or own on Digital. The film will debut on the streaming service Max on Aug. 25 and on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD on Aug. 29.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter