Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy had signed on to direct The Flash for DC during the earlier stages of his career but later left the project.

Shawn Levy and Deadpool and Wolverine

The much-anticipated Deadpool & Wolverine is swiftly approaching its impending release, with the hype for the MCU entry at an all-time high. Directed by Shawn Levy, the team-up film will see the titular heroes joining forces to defeat an uncanny threat. However, Levy would have almost certainly lost out on the gig had he accepted to direct a disastrous DCEU film.
A still from Deadpool & Wolverine.

A while back, Levy was in contention to helm The Flash movie based on the popular DC Comics character of the same name. However, given the eventual fate of The Flash movie, especially its lackluster performance at the box office, it is safe to say that it would have rendered the director unhireable from a Marvel Studios perspective.

Deadpool & Wolverine Director Shawn Levy Was Lined Up to Direct The Flash

Directed by Shawn Levy, Deadpool & Wolverine stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in the titular roles and is slated to release later this month. The film will mark Levy’s debut in the MCU, along with Jackman’s return to his iconic role.

Shawn Levy

However, during an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Levy spoke about his reluctance to direct films in existing franchises.

I pretty much always turn them down because I need to feel that I see a story worth telling.

Levy made the above statement regarding the lack of franchise films in his filmography aside from all three installments in the Night at the Museum series. However, in 2007, Levy came very close to directing another superhero film based on the DC Comics character Flash.

According to reports, Levy had signed on to direct The Flash, after writer David Goyer, who worked on Batman Begins, exited the project. However, in a separate interview, Levy stated that he exited the project after three-and-a-half months, citing like of experience to helm a project of The Flash‘s scale.

Marvel Studios Would Have Ignored Shawn Levy If He Had Directed The Flash

After Levy left The Flash, the film underwent several revisions and changes, before it finally made it to the big screen as a part of the DCEU. However, it is important to note that The Flash, starring Ezra Miller, was a completely different entity to the one Levy was attached to, since the character had already appeared in films as a part of the shared universe.
A still from The Flash (2023)The failure of The Flash might have affected Shawn Levy’s chances of directing an MCU film (Credit: Warner Bros).
Ultimately, the first Flash solo film was released on June 16, 2023, to mixed reviews from fans and critics. It was directed by Andy Muschietti and failed to perform at the global box office, managing to gross only $271.3 million, becoming one of the year’s biggest box office bombs.

Hence, given the failure of The Flash, it is difficult to determine if Levy’s version would have been a success. Levy eventually went on to direct Deadpool & Wolverine, which is arguably one of the most hyped MCU films of the rest past. However, if Levy had directed The Flash, and it ended up being as disastrous as the 2023 version, he might have never been considered for the MCU film.

The Flash is streaming on Max while Deadpool & Wolverine releases on July 26, 2024.