How to prep for The Flash, in as few movies as possible

While its superior sequel gets a shout-out in The Flash, it’s Tim Burton’s original, groundbreaking that is integral to Muschetti’s film. Not nearly as violent nor terrifying as Burton’s artful , Batman sets up The Flash’s biggest get: Michael Keaton’s Batman. It’s taken for granted these days that everyone has seen this movie and that its cultural force is still felt. But Batman came out nearly 35 years ago and, until now, had no connection to the dozen or so that came out in the intervening years—save for usage of Danny Elfman’s iconic score on occasion. Moreover, it has no connection to The Batman, which came out way back in 2022. Though younger viewers may be used to seeing these kinds of crossovers, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to get a taste of where Keaton’s Bruce Wayne is coming from because the actor is certainly building on that interpretation, which is to say, he wants to get nuts and, as a result, he gets nuts.

It’s interesting to think back on a decade after release because, in the end, for better or worse, director Zack Snyder did launch a superhero universe that was complicated, unique, and moody as hell. Even if the Snyder-Verse rarely intersected with mainstream tastes, its impact on Warner Bros. is all over The Flash. In fact, Man Of Steel has a role in Flash similar to ’s speedrun through the MCU. Without giving away the game, the climax of Man Of Steel sets the stage in Flash as it did for . It would be easy to see The Flash as a means of erasing Man Of Steel from DC’s flashy (pun heavily intended) ; it treats Snyder’s DCU debut with respect, making it foundational to what comes next.

This one comes with some caveats since it really isn’t necessary to have seen all four hours of Snyder’s epic to understand The Flash. However, Snyder’s introduction to Barry Allen provides some helpful context and characterization for Barry and his father (played by Ron Livingston). Thankfully, Snyder broke the movie into chapters, and “Part III: Beloved Mother, Beloved Son,” which begins at the 1-hour and 8-minute mark, does all the work for you. Miller’s introduction via Snyder’s infamous hot dog scene is, perhaps, the best chunk of the director’s reconstructed . This section also includes some of the legwork for Livingston’s take on dear old dad, played by Billy Crudup in Justice League. Recasting aside, the story remains the same: Barry’s dad is in prison, and Barry loves a hot dog.

To a much lesser degree than its predecessor, remains an integral part of The Flash’s mythos. However, while the entirety of Man Of Steel gets picked apart in Flash, it’s really only the first 20 minutes of Batman V. Superman that’s of interest to Muschetti, who takes the idea of on-the-ground action and alternate points of view to Supes vs. Zod and runs with it. Still, considering how many Batmen there have been and how Ben Affleck’s take on the character already feels a little forgotten, BVS focuses almost entirely on the Caped Crusader, and it’s that version that Barry Allen spends much of the film with.

Hey, why not? gets name-checked a lot in The Flash, particularly some behind-the-scenes shuffling that took place on the set of Robert Zemeckis’ production. Still, there’s never a bad time to brush up on time travel rules from the ’80s. Weirdly, the most relevant bit of context is probably in the special features.

You’ll know it when you see it. There’s a big cameo, , the origins of which are explained in Smith’s talk. I didn’t think it was necessary to continue reporting the cameo.