The director of “Deadpool & Wolverine” had a chance to direct DC's “The Flash” – Why he turned down superhero movies | THE RIVER

Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) MoviesDeadpool and WolverineThis is the first superhero movie for director Shawn Levy, but he has previously been linked with directing DC's The Flash.

Levi was approached by DC Comics to direct The Flash in February 2007, shortly after directing Night at the Museum (2006). Although he had directed an episode of Gotham City Angels (2002-2003), another DC original drama, Levi had no experience in major films, so he was chosen for the role.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Levi revealed that he was involved in “The Flash”“For a short period of time”At that time, not only had the DC movie universe, but even “The Dark Knight” (2008) had not yet been released. In other words, it was probably a very different project from “The Flash” (2023), which was completed starring Ezra Miller.

In a September 2011 interview with Collider, Levi spoke in more detail about his time with The Flash than he does now, revealing that as a young man he was a sprinter and a comic book fan, which earned him the nickname “The Flash.”

“I led the first draft of The Flash for about three and a half months. One thing I learned was that to take on those[comic book]characters and justify doing a big-budget movie, I needed to gain a bit more experience. I was still directing family comedies.”

According to Levi, The Flash didn't happen because his own script didn't work out and Justice League (then directed by George Miller) was in the works. “It was a big bummer because I was meant to be involved in it in the first place,” he said at the time.

Since then, Levi has not participated in any superhero movies, and in fact, he has only two series, “12 Dads” and “Night at the Museum”. The reason he participated in “Deadpool & Wolverine”, who has always been particular about original projects, was because he was invited by Ryan Reynolds, with whom he had a kindred spirit in “Free Guy” (2021) and “Adam & Adam” (2023).

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Levi said:“I get offers to do original films almost every week, but as you can tell by the lack of announcements, I almost always turn them down.”He speaks frankly.“Because we need to feel like this is a story worth telling.”

On the other hand, Deadpool & Wolverine is not only about the participation of Ryan Reynolds and another ally Hugh Jackman, but also about the story that Levy really wanted to tell. It makes sense that it was developed for a long time to complete a suitable script.

According to a June 2024 report, Marvel Studios has approached Levi to direct “Avengers 5” (working title) after this film, and has already handed him the script. Will this be two consecutive superhero movies, or…?

The movie “Deadpool & Wolverine” will be released worldwide on Wednesday, July 24, 2024.

Source: Entertainment Weekly, Collider