DC FanDome: DC Embraces the Multiverse

The first day of the DC FanDome has given us the news that the current regime in charge is fully embracing the concept of the multiverse, not just in the comics and television shows, but now also in the movies.

  Tiffany Smith moderated the online panel featuring DC Comics Chief Creative Officer and Publisher Jim Lee, Arrowverse producer Greg Berlanti, and Warner Bros. Pictures President of DC-Based Film Production Walter Hamada. The three fully leaned into the idea that moving forward, the multiverse is part of all of the DC Universe. With its beginnings in the CW shows, the idea of the multiverse in the filmed media came to fruition with a big payoff in the adaptation of “Crisis on Infinite Earths”, but that still limited the idea to the various television iterations.

With Ezra Miller’s appearance at the end of the event, however — and with Miller’s Barry Allen adopting “The Flash” after hearing Grant Gustin’s Allen say it — the door is open to more opportunities to cross over not only all of the television properties, but the rest of the overall story universe. Indeed, Hamada made a point of saying that there are now more possibilities to do more cross-overs, and that multiple versions of the characters are possible. Robert Pattinson, for example, is confirmed to be playing a “Year Two Batman” in a universe separate from that of Ben Affleck’s Batman.

Lee also stated that the current multiverse applies “across all the content” and the story potential is expanded because of that. Up until now, DC Comics had to approve which character could be used in the adaptations, something Berlanti acknowledged has been a challenge. He made the point that most viewers could watch an animated Batman, a television Batman, and a movie Batman without getting confused about which Batman they saw. And now that the multiverse opens up around the entire catalog, it makes it easier for different versions of the characters to appear. Hamada added that in some cases, a character that historically was tied up in a film property might not even show up for three years, thus locking them off from other projects. That’s no longer the case.

Hamada also noted that there are opportunities for all of the universes to mix it up, especially now with the addition of HBO Max as a platform. Moving forward, Jim Lee is “the funnel” through which all of the creative will flow. Lee was instrumental in getting Ezra Miller’s appearance on Berlanti’s The Flash, and now that the multiverse exists across television and movies both, Lee will be “at the center of everything” according to Hamada.

Miller’s Flash and his first solo movie will be at the center of establishing the movie multiverse. Writer Christina Hodson says the multiverse is born out of this movie, which is loosely based on the “Flashpoint” story arc in the comics.

In between the “Flash Facts” injected by Miller, the preview of The Flash was minimal, but did reveal that there’s a new uniform. Director Andy Muschietti shared that the new costume is designed by Batman, which goes further into the notion that Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne is the “main” Batman, the one Miller’s Barry Allen is the most familiar with, before meeting Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne from Earth-89.

Hamada even allowed for the potential for Elseworlds stories like Superman: Red Son coming to live action, although he did clarify that it’s not currently in development.

The Flash is set to hit theaters June 2, 2022. The Batman is scheduled for release October 1, 2021.