The Flash sped into theaters earlier this week, (ironically) hyped in no small part by the return of Michael Keaton (Multiplicity, Mr. Mom) as Batman, 32 years after Batman Returns. A largely faithful take on 2011’s now-classic “Flashpoint” comic storyline, The Flash is the latest multiverse-hopping epic to hit cinema screens, following Across the Spider-Verse, No Way Home, and even the award-winning Everything Everywhere All at Once. While the main character’s recently concluded nine-season TV series frequently tackled alternate realities, this is the first time that Barry Allen’s (played here by Fantastic Beasts’ Ezra Miller) alter ego has been featured in his own solo film.

Expertly realized by Andrés Muschietti (It, It Chapter Two) The Flash rises above Miller’s multiple scandals to deliver a genuinely thrilling story set against a nonstop barrage of references, easter eggs, and cameos honoring generations of DC adaptations. While not every iteration is necessarily included, what’s here is brilliant (wonky CGI notwithstanding), and it would be truly unfortunate if future productions didn’t pick up on at least some of this film’s plot threads.

That being said, here are eight burning The Flash questions that the upcoming DC Universe needs to answer!

Is this the last DCEU movie?

Story-wise, The Flash is the DC Extended Universe’s (DCEU) penultimate entry before December’s Aquaman 2 closes the book on the series that began with 2012’s Man of Steel. However, it’s been reported that August’s Blue Beetle will serve as the soft launch for (newly-minted DC Studios boss) James Gunn’s “new” series of DC movies that will begin with Superman: Legacy in 2025.

Confused? So are we.

Will James Gunn carry over the characters?

That being said, aside from Henry Cavill (The Witcher) being replaced with a younger actor as Superman/Clark Kent, we really have no idea how much of anything shown in The Flash will be retained, moving forward. Hopefully, Gunn finds a way to retain some aspects of this universe, even as just a side series on HBO; seeing the Justice League in action here, however briefly, serves as a tantalizing glimpse at how good these versions of the characters could have been, given half a chance.

What about the Arrowverse?

From the debut of Arrow in 2012, to hit spinoffs The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, Superman & Lois, and more, the so-called “Arrowverse” created by Marc Guggenheim and Greg Berlanti has introduced millions of TV viewers to DC’s veritable stable of characters over the last decade. Thus, it was with no lack of bitterness that Guggenheim expressed his dismay on social media that he hadn’t been contacted for any of his shows’ characters to participate, despite Miller himself having appeared in an installment of Arrow’s “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover back in 2019.

Ultimately, the film throws the Arrowverse a roundabout reference when we’re shown a shot of Jay Garrick, the Flash of the 1940s, being portrayed by Teddy Sears, who played an imposter Garrick on episodes of The Flash TV series. Hopefully, Grant Gustin (Glee), who essayed the role of Barry Allen across nine seasons of TV, will make it to the big screen at some point.

Why did Michael Keaton’s Batman retire?

Let’s not kid ourselves; for a certain segment of the audience, Michael Keaton’s return to the cape and cowl is the main reason to catch The Flash, and that’s fine. When we first encounter him, he’s a shell of his former self, long-haired and bearded beyond recognition, recused from the world in the dusty halls of stately Wayne Manor. While it’s reasonable to assume that his Alfred (Michael Gough, Sleepy Hollow) has passed away after so much time, the door is wisely left open for future films to explore just what Keaton’s character has been up to in the last three decades.

Unlike Ben Affleck’s Batcave showing glimpses of a (presumably-) Joker-defaced Robin suit in Batman V Superman, we have no clue as to why this version chose to retire. Did his Robin die? Did he marry Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman? There’s a story there somewhere, and hey, maybe if their (currently shooting) Beetlejuice 2 is a hit, maybe Keaton can team up with Tim Burton to pick up where they left off in 1991.

Will the villain return?

If there’s something that decades of Flash comics and TV series have taught us, it’s that messing around with time travel is pretty much irresistible to everyone’s favorite scarlet speedster. In this film, we find that his reckless pursuits have wrought a deadly creature that is able to traverse timelines as easily as Barry himself. While the creature is ultimately dealt with, the film is ambiguous as to where in the past, present, and/or future he might have gone before he was taken down. Does this mean he’ll turn up in future DC entries? We’ll have to wait and see!

Will young Barry end up with Iris?

For much of the film’s runtime, Ezra Miller essentially plays against himself, expertly conveying the notion that he’s portraying two significantly different versions of Barry Allen. For example, the younger Barry, who has no idea of his superheroic destiny, appears to have more confidence in himself, even asking classmate Iris West (Kiersey Clemons, Dope) out on a date, while our universe’s Barry just observes (stalks) her from afar. In the comics, of course, Iris is basically the Lois Lane to Flash’s Superman, and the love of Barry’s life. While they had something of a meet-cute in Zack Snyder’s version of Justice League, it remains to be seen if Miller’s version will ever end up with her.

Can we (please) get Batman Beyond?

Before the merger with Discovery disrupted Warner Bros., there were whispers of a Batman Beyond feature film adapting the iconic 1999 animated series. Rumored to feature Michael Keaton as an elderly Bruce Wayne alongside Michelle Pfeiffer’s Selina Kyle as mentors to the Batman of the future, the mind reeled at the possibilities.

Now that we’ve seen Keaton back in action in a movie that’s blown the lid sky off a DC multiverse, there’s literally no reason this shouldn’t be made. Heck, a high-tech Burton-influenced Batman battling criminals amidst Neo-Gotham’s neon-stained Blade Runner aesthetic? SHUT UP AND TAKE OUR MONEY!

Who. else. is. here?!

This is the proverbial million-dollar question, to the point that the circumstances behind this query were removed from advance screenings of the film. But now that it’s out for the world to see, we need to ask just what the future implications of having that particular Batman appear might be.

This doesn’t necessarily predicate a full-on return to the days of Burton or Shumacher, mind you, but given what we’re shown, combined with what Keaton’s Batman says here about the nature of time travel, who’s to say we couldn’t see Chris O’Donnell’s Robin join a fight against Danny Devito’s Penguin or Jim Carrey’s Riddler? Heck, maybe they can finally get to that Ben Affleck-directed Batman movie pitting the Dark Knight against Joe Manganiello’s (Justice League) Deathstroke.

Anything is possible. Warner Bros. – make it happen!

(Except the Bat-nipples. Nobody needs to see those again.)

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok, and Youtube for the l8est entertaining, useful, and informative lists!