The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) hit its first misstep early on Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, which was rejected by general audiences despite having its share of fierce defenders. In the face of Disney's rival Marvel Cinematic Universe chugging along to seemingly endless success, Warner Bros. continued to build on a weak foundation. But the DCEU has never found consistent success or direction, and it struggles culminating in the historic disaster that was the 2023 Flash.

In a recent interview in Portuguese with Radio TUMuschietti addressed why he thinks "Blesok" bombed at the box office. First, the film's star Ezra Miller attracted a mountain of negative publicity for several acts of criminal behavior before the film's release. In March and April 2022, Miller was arrested twice in Hawaii, first for disorderly conduct and harassment, and later for assault. Per A vanity fairin June 2022, the parents of young activist Tokata Iron Ice filed a restraining order against Miller, who they claimed groomed their child after first meeting Tokata in 2016, when they were just 12 years old.

In an interview with Radio TU, Muschietti discussed Miller's "PR crisis" at length, describing it as the result of a "mental health situation" but reiterating that he had a positive experience with the "Blesok" actor. Muschietti then named his next culprit: superhero fatigue. Finally, he went on to suggest that the Flash was not a popular enough character for a multi-million dollar blockbuster. Specifically, the director claimed that he learned from "private conversations" that "a lot of people just don't care about The Flash as a character. Especially the two female quadrants."

It is new; apparently, women just don't like Flash. Does this hold water?

According to Box Office Prothe opening weekend audience for "The Flash" was 63 percent male and 37 percent female. Sure, it's a one-sided split — but not unusual for the superhero genre. Billion dollar hit 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' allegedly had exactly the same audience ratio. "Avengers: Endgame" came with a 60/40 split favoring menwhile Warner Bros.' previous DC hit "The Batman" attracted an audience of 65 percent men and 35 percent women.

Muschietti said in an interview that "when you spend $200 million to make a movie, Warner Bros. wants to bring even your grandmother into theaters," suggesting that The Flash needs broader appeal. But it doesn't add up. "The Flash" has spent more than two decades in developmentand Muschietti was just the latest in a long line of directors to be attached to the project. If Warner Bros. felt the film wouldn't have adequate four-quadrant appeal, then why make it at all? That the studio continued to move forward with The Flash despite the setbacks suggests that someone near the top had confidence that it could succeed.

That The Flash is not a viable superhero star also cannot be excused because, while the film was in development, The Flash TV series ran for nine seasons on the CW, from 2014 to 2023. , it's also possible that the success of The Flash TV show will work against the film. Crossover appeal from fans of the show would be limited because it wasn't Grant Gustin, theirs The Flash, playing the movie version of Barry Allen. The Flash TV show is also considered by many to have gone downhill in its later seasons. The movie premiered just a month after the TV series finally, mercifully wrapped up? It can definitely contribute to feeling tired.

Look, it's not fair to pin the failure of "The Flash" solely on Muschietti. He worked on it like a hired gun, and he cites some external factors that undoubtedly worked against the film. But be warned, Andy: the "lack of four-quadrant appeals" excuse won't hold water if "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" bombs.