The absence of Eobard Thawne was one of the many complaints fans had with The Flash, which has kickstarted a new era for the DC universe, erasing Zack Snyder’s DCEU. Considering the Andy Muschietti-led movie took heavy influence from the iconic Flashpoint storyline from the comics, the absence of Barry Allen’s greatest nemesis from the live-action version didn’t sit well with many fans.
However, it seems we would’ve witnessed the iconic nemesis of the scarlet speedster on the big screen, if things went according to Zack Snyder’s original vision for the DCEU.
The Original Plans Envisioned Eobard Thawne as the Main Villain of Zack Snyder’s DCEU
The DCEU was on a downward spiral after BVS failed to meet expectations, eventually ending its struggling run with the latest The Flash, which also tanked at the box office. But following Zack Snyder‘s original plans for the DCEU, storyboard artist Jay Oliva revealed the initial idea for The Flash was almost non-identical to the one we witnessed in the theatres.
The production of The Flash was a development hell and among the many versions of the flick that were eventually scrapped, the one involving Oliva would’ve witnessed a more deadlier villain. According to the critically acclaimed The Flashpoint Paradox director, Snyder’s original plans involved a trilogy of The Flash movies, which involved director Rick Famuyiwa. Despite limiting him to one movie, Snyder wanted the character to play a role similar to MCU’s Kang in DCEU’s grand scheme of things, becoming the ultimate challenge for the JL to overcome.
“It was Professor Zoom pulling the strings because he had come from the future to basically f*ck with Barry,” Oliva said. “In the Flash movies, Zoom would be the villain in the background. But also in the ancillary other films, you would see some of the influences of Zoom on the rest of the Justice League.”
But as the story goes, the failure of BVS created a chain reaction for DCEU’s downfall, and the failure of the 2017 theatrical version of Justice League was the last nail in the coffin.
Andy Muschietti’s plans for Reverse Flash might never see the end of the tunnel
Despite ditching the character in The Flash, Andy Muschietti had plans of exploring Eobard Thawne in a sequel to his DC debut. But following the Ezra Miller-led movie’s disastrous run at the box office, any possibility of the studio greenlighting The Flash 2 under the new regime of James Gunn and Peter Safran seems very unlikely.
Witnessing Zack Snyder’s plans coming to fruition with Reverse Flash becoming the ultimate Justice League villain could’ve been DC’s answer to Marvel’s Kang, who is set to become their next big baddie. But fans can be hopeful for the new chapter in the DC universe, which might redirect the brand into the correct path.
Source: Inverse
