Andy Muschietti, the director behind the DC Extended Universe's "The Flash," has openly discussed the film's underwhelming performance at the box office. In a candid interview with Radio Tu, translated by Variety, Muschietti pointed out that a significant factor in the movie's failure was the lack of broad appeal to what the film industry refers to as "the four quadrants" — essentially, all age and gender demographics. He emphasized that the film, with its hefty $200 million budget, did not manage to draw in audiences across these segments, stating, "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 highlighted Warner Bros.' expectations, saying, "When you spend $200 million making a movie, [Warner Bros.] wants to bring even your grandmother to the theaters."
Further, Muschietti shared insights from his private conversations, revealing a surprising lack of interest in the Flash as a character, particularly among female audiences across all ages. He noted, "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, include males under 25, males over 25, females under 25, and females over 25.
Muschietti's acknowledgment of "all the other reasons" behind "The Flash's" failure likely encompasses its critical panning, the controversy over its heavy use of CGI to bring back deceased actors without family consultation, and its release timing near the end of a now-defunct cinematic universe. Despite these setbacks, DC appears to maintain confidence in Muschietti, as he is slated to helm "The Brave and the Bold," marking the first Batman film in the newly envisioned DC Universe by James Gunn and Peter Safran.
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