"Andy Muschietti on 'The Flash' Failure: Lack of Interest in Character"

Andy Muschietti, the director behind the DC Extended Universe's "The Flash," has openly discussed the film's disappointing box office performance, attributing it to a lack of widespread appeal for the character. In an interview with Radio Tu, translated by Variety, Muschietti highlighted that "The Flash" failed to captivate "the four quadrants" of moviegoers—a term used in the film industry to describe a movie's ability to appeal to all demographic groups. This failure was particularly evident given the film's 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," Muschietti explained. "When you spend $200 million making a movie, [Warner Bros.] wants to bring even your grandmother to the theaters."

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Muschietti further noted that his private conversations revealed a general disinterest in The Flash as a character, especially among the two female quadrants. "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."

The four quadrants, as defined by Hollywood, consist of males under 25, males over 25, females under 25, and females over 25. Muschietti's reference to "all the other reasons" for the film's failure likely includes its negative critical reception, heavy reliance on computer-generated imagery (CGI), including the controversial use of CGI to recreate deceased actors without family consultation, and its timing at the end of a now-defunct film universe.

Despite "The Flash's" shortcomings, DC appears to maintain confidence in Muschietti. He is reportedly set to direct "The Brave and the Bold," marking the first Batman film in the newly envisioned DC Universe by James Gunn and Peter Safran.