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Sep 02, 2023

The Flash Cannot Even Pick Up Enough Speed to Pass Black Adam on Max

The Flash fails to generate the same viewership numbers that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's Black Adam enjoyed during its streaming debut. Remember when Tom Cruise endorsed The Flash ? Well, Andy

The Flash fails to generate the same viewership numbers that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's Black Adam enjoyed during its streaming debut.

Remember when Tom Cruise endorsed The Flash? Well, Andy Muschietti's DC superhero entry just can’t seem to find its footing despite the Hollywood heavyweight's recommendation. After languishing in theaters over the summer, and being yanked from cinemas only a little after a month following its June 16 release, The Flash is now available to stream on Max. But the Ezra Miller-led flick couldn’t even post the same numbers as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Black Adam did during its streaming debut.

According to Samba TV (per Deadline), The Flash reached 1.1 million households in the United States during its Live+2 Day debut on Max. Meanwhile, between December 16 and 18 of 2022, Black Adam managed to reach 1.2 million homes. So, how does Barry Allen’s (Miller) box office bomb compare with other members of the Justice League’s films?

Batman is almost always portrayed as a prominent member of the JLA. And while Robert Pattinson's version of the character might exist in the Elseworlds realm of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s upcoming Detective Comics Universe (DCU), Matt Reeves’ The Batman wiped the floor with The Flash. When the latest film featuring The Dark Knight hit HBO Max back in April of 2022, 4.1 million households tuned in to see Pattinson’s Bat take on the Riddler (Paul Dano).

Related: The 13 Best DC Movies of All-time, According to Rotten Tomatoes

Another key member of the Justice League in the comic books and various mediums is Wonder Woman. And director Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman 1984 also destroyed The Flash on streaming during its own debut. 3.2 million households in the U.S. streamed the Wonder Woman sequel when it premiered on what was then HBO Max. And even James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad got the better of The Flash with 3.5 million homes streaming the superhero team-up.

There are a number of factors that could arguably be hurting The Flash’s performance. First, there were so many advance screenings offered to the public starting nearly a year before the film’s theatrical release even began. Second, there’s the Ezra Miller controversy that undoubtedly kept some fans away. However, The Flash isn’t the worst DC film ever released despite the train wreck it suffered at the 2023 box office.

Despite the ratings and monetary numbers, or lack thereof, an argument can easily be made that The Flash is a better movie than Aquaman, Shazam! Fury of the Gods and Black Adam. Fans of the Tim Burton Batman films will undoubtedly enjoy Michael Keaton’s return and Bruce Wayne’s storyline in The Flash. Plus, Sasha Calle’s introduction as Supergirl also helps the watchability of Andy Muschietti’s superhero venture.

The Flash is now streaming on Max.

Author of the VAMPIRES SUCK! series, Steven graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in mass communications focusing on film studies, journalism and theatre arts. Mr. Thrash then received his MFA in creative writing.Wheelhouse: Movies, TV, Streaming.Dubbed a prolific writer by Hollywood icon Kenneth Johnson (The Incredible Hulk, V, The Bionic Woman, Alien Nation), Steven was honored by the ACMA for his storytelling prowess.Experience: Entertainment Weekly, Screen Rant, Looper, the Daily Meal, Benton Courier, CCN, Saline Courier, Forum, Echo, Moroch, ABC Financial, Rue Morgue, Dread Central and Diabolique Magazine.www.steventhrash.com