After numerous rumors, the finalised cameo appearances that'll feature in the theatrical cut of The Flash were recently revealed, and some of them have caused a bit of a stir online.
Major spoilers follow.
At some point, Hollywood decided that resurrecting dead actors so that they can appear as CGI versions of their most famous characters was perfectly acceptable, but it's far from something that's been widely accepted by audiences.
We've seen Governor Tarkin (Peter Cushing) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) in Star Wars, and Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis) in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, but The Flash cameos have really come in for backlash.
When the Scarlet Speedster enters the Speed Force in the final act in an attempt to rest his current timeline, we see Adam West's Batman, George Reeves' Superman, and Christopher Reeve's take on the Man of Steel. The first two are only brief glimpses, but Reeve is shown a couple of times and once in close up alongside Helen Slater's Supergirl.
There's been quite a bit of uproar on social media - and the movie isn't even out yet. This kind of thing probably won't impact ticket sales to any significant degree, but The Flash really doesn't need any more bad press.
What do you guys make of the advent of the deceased actor CGI cameo?
"Directed by Andy Muschietti, The Flash features Barry Allen traveling back in time in order to change events of the past. 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 help. 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?"
The Flash is produced by Barbara Muschietti and Michael Disco, with a screenplay by Christina Hodson, and a screen story by John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein and Joby Harold, based on characters from DC. Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Double Dream/a Disco Factory production of an Andy Muschietti film.