Why John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein left The Flash

It may have taken longer than expected, but The Flash is finally hitting theaters this summer. The project spent many years in development hell going through multiple directors, including John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein. After signing on to helm The Flash in 2018, John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein developed the movie for over a year before they also departed.

While speaking with Variety, John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein explained why they left The Flash. “We pitched this idea of a ground-level superhero where it isn’t entirely end-of-the-world stakes,” Daley said. “He’s just learning his powers and is also somewhat dysfunctional with his life. The more imperfect we can make a superhero, the better, because that’s the inherent challenge: How do you give imperfection to someone that is, you know, physically perfect?” The pair met with Ezra Miller to discuss the script. “They were intense and very bright,” Goldstein said of Miller. “Later, it became clear that they didn’t want to quite do the same thing as we did.“

John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein’s lighter script for The Flash didn’t strike a chord with Ezra Miller, who teamed up with Grant Morrison to write another version. All the creative differences made Daley and Goldstein realize it wasn’t going to happen. “It was a number of creative differences that caused us at a certain point to decide that it was time to go,” Daley said. Goldstein added, “If we feel like the powers-that-be aren’t excited about making the same movie as we are, we’re not going to win that battle. And so it’s better to cut your losses and get out of there.” Although they moved on from The Flash years ago, Daley and Goldstein still share a story by credit on the finished movie and recently got to see it. “They took what we had started and really ran with it and made it a very fun and emotional movie,” Goldstein said. “We’re really happy with how it all turned out.“

“Worlds collide in The Flash when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past,” reads the official synopsis of The Flash. “But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. That is, unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian… albeit not the one he’s looking for. Ultimately, to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry’s only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?“

DC Studios head James Gunn has claimed that The Flash is “probably one of the greatest superhero movies ever made.” So it’s no surprise that the studio will be premiering The Flash at CinemaCon next month before its theatrical release on June 16th.