Warner Bros dropped a massive bombshell earlier this week by unveiling their upcoming slate of films for the DC Cinematic Universe.
In that roster was a solo film for The Flash, set for a 2018 release with Ezra Miller (The Perks of Being a Wallflower, We Need To Talk About Kevin) in the titular role— although whether he’ll play Barry Allen or Wally West remains to be seen.
It is about time the fastest man alive (up for debate amongst the diehard enthusiasts) is getting his own film, especially now that technology has reached the level to do justice (pun!) to the necessary visual effects.
Just one problem…
2018 is four years away. By that time, super-speeding will have already been depicted in three different ways across both film and television: Grant Gustin in The Flash series; Quicksilver in his memorable debut in X-Men: Days of Future Past (and set to return in X-Men: Apocalypse); and another version of Quicksilver in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
All of which means The Flash has a monumental task of distinguishing itself from everything that’s come before.
Sounds trivial, doesn’t it? If only.
With the Justice League – Part 1 rolling out in 2017 and The Flash the following year, it makes sense that Zack Snyder and whoever directs The Flash will be working together on how best to depict the speedster’s powers.
So here’s the question: who should be the director responsible for these duties?
I nominate Alfonso Cuarón.
Alfonso Cuarón is one of my favourite directors of all time. I consider him to be right up there alongside Steven Spielberg, David Lean, David Fincher, Akira Kurosawa, Stanley Kubrick and Martin Scorsese. His body of work might be relatively small but nearly all of them are brilliant (I never liked that modernised version of Great Expectations, even if it did have Gwyneth Paltrow occasionally undressed).
His work on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a favourite among fans, featured one of the best Quidditch matches of the series and influenced the tone and style of the remaining films in the franchise. Children of Men showed us the viscerally heightening power of long shots in depicting terrifying action sequences. Y Tu Mama Tambien took a simple premise of a road trip and made it unforgettable. Gravity took all of that and made a space film that would have made Stanley Kubrick envious.
Who better to take up the challenge?
From a business perspective, it’s a no-brainer. Warner Brothers and Alfonso Cuarón have already established a good working relationship (from the outside, at least) given their past collaborations. Additionally, Gravity made the studio more money than Man of Steel did and took home seven Oscars on Oscar Night.
From a creative perspective, it is also a no-brainer. The Flash is a movie that demands to make its own stamp on the superhero genre; Alfonso Cuarón is a filmmaker who accomplishes just that. Combine the director’s keenness for ambition and the untapped potential that this project could offer and it’s all but guaranteed to be a perfect match for him. After all, we are talking about the man who spent over four years on Gravity simply to allow the technology to catch up with the requirements of the film.
Also— and this might be a little shallow— in the last decade, no superhero film has ever been directed by someone with the credentials of “Oscar-winning director”. Not only does this look good on marketing but it will generate a buzz that will be guaranteed to have people flocking to cinemas. Think about it: the theatrical poster for The Flash with the legend boldly proclaiming, “From the Oscar-winning director of Gravity and Children of Men”. Heck, Alfonso Cuarón only has to apply a fraction of the brilliance he injected into the work on Gravity and it will STILL be better than most film outings of 2018. IT SELLS!
Lastly, but far from the least, I really like Alfonso Cuarón. He’s a superb filmmaker and rarely disappoints. I would watch any film he makes. Also, he doesn’t seem to have anything on his slate yet so Warner Brothers- GIVE HIM A CALL, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!
The Snarky Quill 