The Flash on TMC: Ezra Miller reunites with Michael Keaton as Batman

The Flash, the superhero film directed by Andy Muschietti, is returning to television on TMC. Released in theaters in 2023, the feature film set in the DC universe puts Barry Allen at the heart of a story that blends time travel, the multiverse and parallel realities, starring Ezra Miller, Sasha Calle, Michael Shannon, Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton.

Barry Allen uses his powers to go back in time and try to save his mother from her fate. But tampering with the timeline reshapes history and flings him into a reality where General Zod again menaces the planet, while the superheroes he knew have vanished—or aren’t the ones he remembered.

To get the timeline back on track, Barry must persuade a Batman who has stepped out of retirement to return to action and free a Kryptonian held in a secret base. The story thus brings Michael Keaton back into the role of Batman, more than thirty years after Batman Forever, alongside Ben Affleck, Michael Shannon as General Zod, and Sasha Calle as Supergirl.

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Directed by Andy Muschietti, known for the It duology, The Flash loosely adapts DC Comics' Flashpoint storyline. The film uses alternate realities to reunite several incarnations of iconic characters and to put Barry Allen face-to-face with the consequences of his choices.

Our take on The Flash

For its first feature-length outing fully devoted to The Flash, a speedster who can bend time, DC Studios aimed high. In his bid to save his family, Barry Allen destabilizes his own reality by stepping into the past. Trapped in a universe where General Zod has returned and where the heroes aren’t quite what he expected, Barry must recruit a retired Batman to have any chance of setting the timeline straight.

DC’s production distinguishes itself from the studio’s previous blockbuster entries with its brisk pace and the many surprises tucked away for keen-eyed fans. The return of Michael Keaton as Batman is one of the film’s chief pleasures, even if Ben Affleck’s cameo feels comparatively more restrained.

The Flash nonetheless grapples with a few slow stretches, particularly during certain fight scenes, which pull it back toward the familiar weaknesses of superhero cinema. Despite some redundancies that make its 2h24 feel lengthy, the movie tackles engaging stakes and maintains a workable balance between humor and emotion. A handful of more intimate sequences lend the story a touching resonance when the focus sharpens on Barry and his family.

The feature also sits within the broader wave of multiverse storytelling, already prominent in the MCU and in films like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

While The Flash counts among DC’s more ambitious releases of this period, its execution remains imperfect at times. Still, the result is sufficiently spectacular and referential to captivate fans of the universe.

Watch the trailer for The Flash:

To go further, also check out our selection of films, series and shows to watch on TV this week, our guide to releases across all platforms, and today’s streaming pick: what to watch today on streaming.

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