In a candid interview with Radio Tu, translated by Variety, "The Flash" director Andy Muschietti revealed that the film's lackluster box office performance was largely due to the character's inability to resonate with a broad audience. "A lot of people just don’t care about the Flash as a character," Muschietti admitted, highlighting a significant challenge faced by the movie within the DC Extended Universe (DCEU).
Muschietti further elaborated on the film's failure to appeal to "the four quadrants," a key demographic segmentation in the film industry that includes males under 25, males over 25, females under 25, and females over 25. He stated, "The Flash failed, among all the other reasons, because it wasn’t a movie that appealed to all four quadrants. It failed at that. When you spend $200 million making a movie, [Warner Bros.] wants to bring even your grandmother to the theaters." This insight underscores the financial expectations and the broad appeal required for such a high-budget production.
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In private conversations, Muschietti discovered that the lack of interest in the Flash character was particularly pronounced among the two female quadrants. "All of that is just the wind going against the film I’ve learned," he remarked, indicating how these demographic insights influenced the film's reception.
Muschietti's mention of "all the other reasons" for The Flash's failure likely alludes to its poor critical reception, reliance on CGI, the controversial recreation of deceased actors, and its position near the end of the now-defunct DCEU. Despite these setbacks, DC Studios has continued to show faith in Muschietti, as he is reportedly set to direct "The Brave and the Bold," the inaugural Batman film in the newly rebooted DC Universe under James Gunn and Peter Safran's leadership.
