The Flash

In 2022 , both theMarvel Cinematic Universeand theDC Extended Universeare launching Multiverses withDoctor Strange and the Multiverse of MadnessandThe Flash , which will set up a complex but exciting Modern future tense for their movie enfranchisement . Superhero photographic film have become the most dominant moving-picture show genre , thanks in declamatory part to the unprecedented succeeder of Marvel Studios since launching the MCU withIron Manin 2008 . DC Films has had more in high spirits - profile misses than literal hits , but they recently found a stronger footing after the billion - dollar successes of 2018’sAquamanand 2019’sJoker . However , in the 2020s , the superhero movie is undergo its most radical change ever : the introduction of   the Multiverses .

Marvel ’s position as the king of superhero flick was earned because   their ambitious , multi - film plan to work up towards the first superhero squad - up motion picture , 2012’sThe Avengers , exercise seamlessly . Marvel pioneer the superhero shared universe and changed the game , forcing every other studio to keep up and seek to create theirown cinematic universes , most of which fall by the wayside . Marvel ’s strategy continued to reap even greater dividend throughout the 2010s as their Phase 2 and Phase 3 films built towards 2018’sAvengers : Infinity Warand 2019’sAvengers : Endgame , the latter becoming the   eminent grossing   picture show of all time . DC Films abandoned Zack Snyder ’s vision for their cinematic macrocosm after the poor reception of 2016’sBatman V Superman : Dawn of Justicebut their course - correction resulted in 2017 ’s disastrousJustice League , which became the lowest - grossing DCEU picture show at the meter . However , de - emphasizing the shared universe generate DC bang like 2017’sWonder Woman , Aquaman , andJoker , so DC get down squeeze bear - alone superhero movies with inviolable visions from directors .

relate : Doctor Strange 2 : Every Theory About What Starts The Multiverse of Madness

The Flash 2023 Movie Poster

Marvel ’s wildly successful pioneering of the share universe of discourse alter what had been superhero movies ' status quo sinceRichard Donner’sSuperman : The Moviein 1978 . Formerly , each superhero exist in their own close - off movie macrocosm , signify that although Superman and Batman live in the same DC Comics universe , in their films , there was no chance Christopher Reeve ’s Man of Steel could meet Michael Keaton ’s Batman from Tim Burton ’s 1989 megahit . or else , the MCU impart genuine , comic - book - style storytelling to movies , and audiences hug it all , for the most part because sports fan fell in love with the characters like Steve Rogers   a.k.a .   Captain America ( Chris Evans ) and Tony Stark a.k.a . Iron Man ( Robert Downey Jr ) . Marvel ’s gamble that flick audiences would be able-bodied to keep up with their superheroes intersect over within their motion picture was proven correct . Even DC ’s recent , more place upright - alone film like 2019’sShazamand 2020’sBirds of Preyhad citation of the dandy shared existence , albeit with a light touch .

But in the 2020s , both Marvel and DC are poised to reinvent the superhero movie musical style again by set up their individual Multiverses . divertingly , both blade are playing a bit of arrest up because Sony’sSpider - Man : Into the Spider - Verse , which was an Academy Award - succeeder , introduced fans to the idea of unlike Spider - Men from dissimilar realities team up together in 2018 . On TV , The CW ’s Arrowverse introduced the DC Multiverse onThe Flashand live all - in with 2019 ’s mega - crossover " Crisis On Infinite Earths . " However , this ready familiarity will likely help Marvel and DC , which has already planted the seeds for their Multiverse plans that will now launch in 2022 .

Marvel Studios And DC Films Are Both Launching Multiverses In 2022

The Marvel Multiverse is set to launch with the fittingly - titledDoctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness , guide by Sam Raimi .   It make perfect sense that the Sorcerer Supreme play by Benedict Cumberbatch gets to ground the Multiverse in the MCU since it was unusual who indicated that multiple realism subsist , both in his 2016 debut film and inAvengers : Infinity Warwhen he told Iron Man of the 14,000,604 realities where the Avengers inevitably lost to Thanos ( Josh Brolin ) versus only one where the hero gloat . The Multiverse was further teased in 2019’sSpider - Isle of Man : Far From Home , although it turns out Mysterio ( Jake Gyllenhaal ) , who claimed to hail from a different universe , was a fraud .

DC funnies blow the original comic ledger Multiverse , but the DCEU film have n’t been as overt about cooccurring existing realness . alternatively , it was the Arrowverse on TV that ground the DCEU films live on within a Multiverse when Ezra Miller ’s movie Flash cameoed inCrisis On Infinite Earthsand see the telecasting Flash played by Grant Gustin . However , the recent proclamation thatMichael Keaton is in talks to play Batmanagain in theatre director Andy Muschietti’sThe Flashmovie strongly hint at aFlashpoint - like plot line , wherein the Scarlet Speedster visits other realities , admit the Gotham City Tim Burton ’s movies introduced in 1989’sBatmanand 1992’sBatman Returns .

Related : The Arrowverse ’s Crisis Already Set Up Michael Keaton ’s Batman Return

Marvel DC Spider-man Doctor Strange Benedict Cumberbatch Michael Keaton Batman

How Each Multiverse Will Be Established

Marvel ’s Multiverse design have been in motion for some meter ; whileDoctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madnesswill be the Multiverse ’s coming out party on the movies ' side , Disney Plus ' upcoming Marvel television serial are going to be play with the Multiverse a great muckle . WandaVision , star Elizabeth Olsen ’s Wanda Maximoff   a.k.a . Scarlet Witch and Paul Bettany ’s Vision , looks like it will present multiple reality of Vision and Scarlet Witch get married and living together , which also plant the degree for Scarlet Witch ’s role inDoctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness . Further , theLokiseries star Tom Hiddleston will also see the God of Mischief bounce around different realities after the 2012 version of the trickster escaped with the Space Stone inAvengers : Endgame . The liven seriesMarvel ’s What If?will also portray different versions of the MCU , like a reality full of Marvel zombies and another where Peggy Carter ( Hayley Atwell ) became the Super Soldier or else of Steve Rogers .

DC ’s plans are   just starting to be revealed , but they could prove to be every bit ambitious since Michael Keaton ’s role as Batman inThe Flashis believe to be the first of multiple appearances in other DCEU moving picture . Further , Keaton ’s Batman is said to be the DCEU ’s equivalent to the MCU ’s Nick Fury(Samuel L. Jackson ): a submarine sandwich who impart other heroes together . This hints at a bigger , unrevealed master plan in the works , which would be a cause to unite hoagy from different reality . The Flashmovie has been in evolution for years , but most versions of it have been an adaptation of the 2011Flashpointstoryline where Barry Allen ’s time - traveling inadvertently created a dissimilar and darker reality , which then led to the launching of DC ’s rebooted New 52 Universe . However the DCEU Multiverse finally shakes out , it will start with 2022’sThe Flash , and Batman is planned to be a central figure .

What Multiverses Mean For MCU And DCEU’s Futures

The achiever of DC and Marvel ’s Multiverses will , course , depend on the implementation and how well everything is plan out - something Marvel has a examine cartroad phonograph recording of success in . Of naturally , there ’s also the hypothesis of burning audiences out by creatingtoo much confusion ; after all , the MCU has deliver the goods mostly because they centre on their characters first and spectacle second . For their part , DC has a lot of ground to cover to prove to devotee they can get out off Marvel - flair team - ups and desegregation in their movies since their greatest success have been standalone menu likeWonder Woman , Aquaman , andJoker . However , DC does have an vantage Marvel lacks : multiple movie versions of their core theatrical role Batman and Superman . Although , Sony’sSpider - Verseplans include another animated Spidey team up along with expanding the universe withVenom 2andMorbius .

at last , Multiverses will be a huge secret plan - changer for both Marvel andDCEUfilms in this come decade , and they will be the next evolution of the superhero movie genre . The MCU has already learn audience to swallow superheroes crossing over into each others ' movies and teaming up together to face an epic threat , plusAvengers : Endgameseamlessly wove in a sentence - change of location story that did n’t confuse fans and was an unbelievably entertaining homage to theMCU ’s past times . For Marvel and DC , introducing Multiverses just expands the potential even further : for example , rather of different superheroes team up , it could meandifferent versions of Batmanand Superman from unlike movies teaming up - a mindblowing novelty that could establish inconceivable for buff to resist . In Marvel and DC ’s Multiverses , scenarios that seemed unthinkable will now be potential .

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Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Custom

Batman surrounded by smoke in Batman.

Ezra Miller as The Flash and Michael Keaton as Batman

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