It's no secret that the long-awaited The Flash solo film was going to incorporate elements from the famous Flashpoint comic series into its story. Now that it has finally been released, it seems that although TheFlash is heavily inspired by the original comic book story, there are more than a few liberties taken by Warner Bros Discovery.
No doubt was this done to make the film not only work in a standalone fashion but fit specifically in the previously established (and soon to be retired) DC expanded universe series of films. Here is a list of some of the biggest differences between the Flashpoint comic and the Flash movie.
7 Michael Keaton Instead Of Thomas Wayne
Flashpoint originally featured Bruce Wayne's father, Thomas Wayne donning the cape and cowl in his place, as in this alternate universe it was Bruce who was killed in Crime Alley instead of his parents (who became Batman and the Joker). Thomas Wayne is a much more brutal version of Batman than his son is, even resorting to torture and murder via firearms.
The film version, however, changes this entire element of the story in favor of making the alternate universe Batman Michael Keaton's version from the Tim Burton film series. This was likely done because the latter was more familiar to audiences and didn't require nearly as much explanation.
6 No Atlantian-Themysciran War
The Flash omits the global war between Atlantis and Themyscira that takes place in Flashpoint. Much of this serves as a backdrop to Flash's story in the comic and is a great way to make the timeline he finds himself in seem more distinctive and hostile. The movie chooses to remove th story and focus the film more squarely on the Flash and his story.
Both Aquaman and Wonder Woman have but brief cameos in the film, and there is no mention of the two even knowing each other in the alternate timeline Barry created.
5 Return Of General Zod
Last appearing alive in 2013's Man of Steel, General Zod returns as one of the central antagonists of The Flash. Zod is not featured at all in Flashpoint, as the main villains of that story are Aquaman, Wonder Woman, and Reverse Flash.
Zod is in virtually the exact same position he is in Man of Steel, arriving on Earth in search of the last Kryptonian and the gene codex stored within them. This time, however, he is met by Batman, the two Barreys, and Kara Zor El rather than Superman.
4 Younger Barry Allen Instead Of Reverse Flash
One of the main villains of the Flashpoint comic is Eobard Thawne, otherwise known as the Reverse Flash. He is one of the Flash's arch-enemies and while he technically is not to blame for messing with the timeline (that would be all Barry's fault), he does attempt to kill Barry during the comic's climax.
The film adapts some of this but changes Reverse Flash into Dark Flash, who is an older version of the younger Barry Allen after he'd meddled with the past too many times. This version of the Flash is more monster than man.
3 The Introduction Of Supergirl
In Flashpoint, one of the twists is that Superman did not land in Kansas as a baby. Instead, his pod crashed in Metropolis and was recovered by the U.S. government, leading to his imprisonment until Flash and Batman are able to free him.
Superman is barely able to speak English and is extremely emaciated due to decades of exposure to red solar radiation. Almost all of this is kept in the Flash film, however, instead of it being Kal El it is his cousin Kara Zor El found by Flash and Batman. She is also found in Russia rather than America.
2 Barry And His Father
One element that is completely absent from the comic but is heavily featured in the film is Barry's relationship with his father, Henry. In the film, Barry is desperate to prove his father's innocence of his mother's murder to the point that it dominates his personal life. The comic focuses entirely on Barry's relationship with his mother and his desire to save her.
The film resolves this similarly to the comic (Barry choosing not to save her), however, Barry instead changes events in order to prove his father's innocence in the present time (which has its own unforeseen consequences).
1 Alternate Universe Cameos
The Flash is nothing if not an extremely referential film. Much like Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, The Flash deals with multitudes of alternate universes and the different versions of classic characters therein, however, this is not something the comic ever did besides the one alternate timeline in which the story is set.
The film goes the extra mile and includes cameos of Christopher Reeve's and Helen Slater's Superman and Supergirl respectively, as well as Nicholas Cage's version that infamously never saw the light of day. All these and more can be seen in The Flash.
The Flash is now in theaters.