Warner Bros. isn’t giving up on the cinematic version of The Flash. Though the Scarlett Speedster has only made two cameo appearances, with his first major one coming in Justice League, he has yet to appear in his own standalone film. After the studio had a falling out with Seth Grahame-Smith and Rick Famuyiwa over creative differences, the studio went back to the drawing board, canned ditched Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s draft, and opted to use a script written by Joby Harold (King Arthur: Legend of the Sword).

Now WB is ready to find a director. It’s being reported that Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit), who had been previously rumored, is still in the running, while the studio has also had meetings with Matthew Vaughn (X-Men: First Class, Kingsman) and Sam Raimi (Evil Dead and Spider-Man trilogies). More on the story below.

According to THR, the three directors are in the final phases of talks. But it’s not clear which one of them WB is leaning towards. What is clear is that the studio will be taking its time finding the right director that will stay on throughout the entire production.

That’s because The Flash has had a history of problems with directors. Grahame-Smith and Famuyiwa both left over creative differences, with the latter’s departure forcing WB to push up the film’s release date. The report adds that Lord and Miller were even considering directing the project using the same draft that they had written. Obviously, that didn’t happen because the two went off to direct the still-untitled Han Solo spinoff.

However, Zemeckis appears to be the frontrunner on this list. The director will be working on a film with Steve Carell this fall, which could push back the Flash production start and the release date further back. But it is being said that WB is willing to wait for him. That says a lot. It also gives Harold some time to polish the script if he needs to.

Vaughn is best known for Kick-Ass, First Class, Kingsman: The Secret Service and its sequel (the first sequel he’s directed), Kingsman: The Golden Circle. So if anyone should be directing a comic book property, it’s Vaughn. His films have striking visuals and great characters, so he’s practically a shoe-in to direct The Flash.

But Raimi isn’t unfamiliar with the superhero universe. Though we may know him for his work on the Evil Dead trilogy and Spider-Man, Raimi’s style puts the audience in the heart of the action. That kind of point of view could provide for a thrilling ride as the audiences will get to see what Barry sees while he zips and zags.

As for Zemeckis. If he ends up taking the job, it would be his first superhero film. While his previous efforts like Flight and Allied have catered to a more adult demographic, The Flash would be something fun and more light-hearted. Certainly a step back from the dark and mature material we have seen recently.

We’ll keep you posted on when The Flash will hit theaters.

[Source: THR]