Well, that was fast. We just learned that Sam Raimi was on a shortlist of potential directors to helm The Flash. Robert Zemeckis and Matthew Vaughn are also among the top names.

But just after that list was reported, word is that Raimi has taken himself out of the running. And that’s just the beginning. Another potential director we didn’t know about, Marc Webb, is also passing. It appears that Barry Allen will be without a father in the standalone film as well, as Billy Crudup has also dropped out. More on these stories below.

According to EW, Raimi and Webb were both being considered for the job. It’s funny how both of them helmed a Spider-Man franchise of their own, and both characters have lost a father-figure. As to why the two passed on the job, no details were given and WB has declined to comment on the matter.

Speaking of father-figures, Crudup, who signed on to play Henry Allen, has dropped out of the pic. While no details were given as to why Crudup dropped out, we can probably speculate that he has other commitments and projects to attend to that would conflict with shooting The Flash. But what’s strange about this is that Crudup appears to have a role in Justice League as many of us saw him in the most recent trailer. So they will either cut that scene out, or worse yet reshoot it with a new father so that it fits in the continuity of the DCEU.

It doesn’t appear as though WB is in a huge rush to film The Flash. Miller is set to reprise his role in the Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them sequel, which reportedly starts shooting this August. And the studio is giving Zemeckis, who is one of the frontrunners, all the time he needs to prep while he films an untitled drama starring Steve Carell.

Vaughn is also one of the top candidates to direct the film. Let’s not forget that he is also in the running to direct Man of Steel 2.

While WB continues to find a suitable director, it’s only a matter of time before they announced a new release date. Seth Grahame-Smith was the first director to leave the project, and it has been six months since Rick Famuyiwa (Dope) walked away. Both cited creative differences as their reason for leaving.

Since then, an early draft written by Phil Lord and Chris Miller has been traded in for a script written by King Arthur: Legend of the Sword scribe Joby Harold.

The film is still scheduled for a March 2018 release, and it’s highly unlikely they’ll meet that date considering the time it takes to make the film from start to finish.

UPDATE: It’s now being reported that Billy Crudup has not exited the movie, according to sources and Crudup’s own camp, and the actor is still set to play Barry Allen’s father. (via THR)

[Source: EW]