Director Andy Muschietti has openly discussed the underwhelming box office performance of his DC Extended Universe film, "The Flash." In an interview with Radio Tu, translated by Variety, Muschietti pinpointed a key issue: the film's failure to captivate "the four quadrants" of the movie-going audience. In Hollywood terms, these quadrants include males under 25, males over 25, females under 25, and females over 25. Muschietti emphasized that the superhero flick did not resonate broadly enough to justify its hefty $200 million budget, stating, "The Flash failed, among all the other reasons, because it wasn’t a movie that appealed to all four quadrants. It failed at that." He added that Warner Bros. expected the film to draw in a wide audience, including even "your grandmother."

Muschietti further elaborated that through private conversations, he discovered a general lack of interest in the Flash as a character, particularly among the two female quadrants. He noted, "I’ve found in private conversations that a lot of people just don’t care about the Flash as a character. Particularly the two female quadrants. All of that is just the wind going against the film I’ve learned."

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Muschietti's reference to "all the other reasons" behind "The Flash's" failure likely alludes to various critiques the film faced, such as its poor critical reception, heavy reliance on CGI (including the controversial use to recreate deceased actors without family consultation), and its placement in a now-defunct film universe.

Despite the setback with "The Flash," DC Studios seems to maintain confidence in Muschietti. He is reportedly set to helm "The Brave and the Bold," the inaugural Batman film in the newly envisioned DC Universe led by James Gunn and Peter Safran. This suggests that Muschietti's creative vision continues to align with DC's future plans, even if "The Flash" didn't meet expectations.