As The Flash speeds toward its final release date, audience hype is continually building up like the energy of the Speed Force itself. That’s not just the case with fans, but even those who otherwise might not venture to see a superhero film. This includes various celebrities who’ve already seen it and can’t praise it enough.
Actor Tom Cruise has already begun singing the Scarlet Speedster’s praises, and he’s now joined by Jaden Smith. This previews exactly how much the film’s quality apparently crosses all demographics, something further shown by another video hyping the film up. Such astounding discourse hasn’t been given to a superhero film in a while, and it could see The Flash become the superhero movie of 2023.
The Flash’s Biggest Fans Are Also Its Most Surprising
As mentioned, Tom Cruise has already praised The Flash to high heavens after seeing an advanced screening copy of the movie. The actor found the film to have everything that a great movie needs, even going so far as to congratulate director Andy Muschietti via phone call. More recently, Jaden Smith has also expressed his apparent love for the film, even calling it the best film ever. Of course, this could be seen as mere hyperbole, but the consistently positive reviews do speak to the movie’s quality. The same goes for an emotional Mother’s Day video about the movie where influencers and their moms spoke of how emotional and heart-wrenching it could be.
This sets the stage for a film that’s far more than just another superhero movie, especially given the people praising it. For as ubiquitous as the genre is, actors such as Tom Cruise rarely talk about the latest superhero movies. He’s also never been in one, with his nearly being cast as Marvel Studios’ Iron Man being about the closest he’s come to being involved with one. Likewise, the mothers seen in the Flash Mother’s Day video aren’t the usual crowd known to laud superhero movies either, making the video even more powerful. Whether these positive words are manufactured for the camera remains to be seen, but it does provide some great advertisement.
The Flash’s Hype Harkens Back to Another DC Film
The fact that the Mother’s Day video for The Flash even exists shows that DC Studios and Warner Bros. Discovery already have the right idea about how to hype the movie up, especially with those skeptical or otherwise uninterested. For one thing, growing “superhero fatigue” is definitely a concern to some, with only the most unique options making a dent at the box office. Thus, focusing on the emotional elements seen in The Flash could be a way to illustrate what separates it from more generic fare. Likewise, celeb endorsements that don’t feel forced, such as the ones given by Jaden Smith and especially Tom Cruise, could go a long way for others who need an extra push across the finish line and into the box office line.
Again, the positivity toward The Flash has been somewhat unique among current superhero films, with something of this potential nature not really being felt since the 2008 release of The Dark Knight. Movies like Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: No Way Home had years of build-up and a more built-in audience. The Flash is on the opposite end of that spectrum, given how it’s ending the comparatively moribund DC Extended Universe. It, of course, features the Michael Keaton Batman, but even that form of nostalgia is less direct than what was seen with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s versions of Spider-Man. Thus, The Flash is truly defying all odds after years of torturous failures to launch, and it seems that everyone who’s seen it is enthralled by it. As the movie approaches its theatrical release, this should be the constant refrain from WBD and the movie’s further marketing.
