The Flash Director Andy Muschietti Says It Failed Because 'A Lot of People Just Don’t Care About the Flash as a Character'

Director Andy Muschietti attributes the box office failure of his DC Extended Universe film, "The Flash," to a lack of broad appeal. In an interview with Radio Tu, reported by Variety, Muschietti stated the film didn't successfully reach "the four quadrants" – a key industry metric indicating appeal across all demographic groups. This, he argues, is a significant factor considering the film's $200 million budget. Muschietti explained that Warner Bros. aims for widespread viewership, targeting even older audiences.

"The Flash failed, among other reasons, because it didn't appeal to all four quadrants," Muschietti said. "When you spend $200 million, they want to bring your grandmother to the theater."

He further elaborated that private conversations revealed a significant portion of the audience, particularly women, lacked interest in the Flash character. This, he believes, created significant headwinds for the film.

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The "four quadrants" refer to the demographic breakdown of: males under 25, males over 25, females under 25, and females over 25.

Muschietti acknowledged other contributing factors to the film's underperformance, including negative critical reception, CGI criticisms (particularly regarding the recreation of deceased actors), and its release within a now-defunct cinematic universe.

Despite "The Flash's" struggles, DC Studios has retained Muschietti to direct "The Brave and the Bold," the inaugural Batman film in James Gunn and Peter Safran's rebooted DC Universe.