James Gunn's DC Universe Already Has A Way To Clean-Up The Flash's Timeline Mess

The questions audiences have about the DC Universe’s new timeline could be answered in one fell swoop with an announced impending TV show.

SUMMARY

James Gunn’s Booster Gold TV series in the DC Universe could potentially address and resolve timeline issues set up by The Flash, providing a cohesive understanding of the DCU timeline.
Booster Gold’s time-traveling premise and involvement in the DC timeline make him the perfect character to front a full reboot of the DC Universe, similar to how Loki is integral to the concept of timelines in the MCU.
A Booster Gold series would offer an explanation for why certain characters from the DCEU are still present in the new DCU.

James Gunn’s DC Universe already has a method it can use to clean up the timeline issues set up by The Flash with its Booster Gold series. The impending DCU has a lot of exciting installments on its roster that are set to showcase what the new future of the franchise may look like. While the primary focus of audiences is naturally on Superman: Legacy and The Brave and The Bold Batman movie, one more under-the-radar show could be instrumental in sorting the complaints about the current setup and understanding of the DCU timeline.

This is because James Gunn’s January 2023 DC Universe announcement – which saw the DC Studios co-CEO discuss all of DC Universe Chapter 1’s movies and shows – included the mention of a Booster Gold TV series. Gunn describes the character as “a loser from the future who uses future technology to come back to the present day and become a superhero so that people will love him,” which is a description that is both accurate and notable in that it seemingly confirms the canonical DCU Booster Gold will also follow his comic counterpart’s time traveling premise, setting up some powerful potential regarding how the show interacts with the rest of the universe.

Booster Gold Is The Perfect Series To Fully Reboot The DC Universe

While a lesser known DC hero compared to the likes of Batman or Superman, Booster Gold would be the perfect figure to front a full reboot to the DCU. In the comics, Booster Gold is a time-traveler whose plot sees him go from a glory chaser who uses his knowledge of the future to make himself a hero, into a more grounded character responsible for saving the multiverse. During this arc, the hero also becomes tightly embroiled in the DC timeline, even taking on a role not dissimilar to the MCU’s TVA in terms of dealing with timelines that veer off from a universe.

As such, the Booster Gold DC Universe series could justifiably become the DC’s equivalent of Loki, as the hero is so naturally embroiled in concepts like the DC timeline and universes that it would only make sense to follow this avenue. While The Flash set in motion the DCU’s timeline changes, it’s clear this wasn’t a popular event for broad audiences, in part because of how vague it was about what had changed in the universe because of the movie. This means that it would likely be wise to have Booster Gold instead take the reins on setting out the reboot and what exactly that will mean in more clear, tangible terms.

Booster Gold is even involved in DC’s comic Flashpoint event, which then creates two versions of him in the new universe – one from the old timeline, and one from the new. Though it’s unlikely the DC Universe will want to remind people of The Flash‘s controversial adaption of the storyline, taking on elements of this overall plot would allow for many of the questions that audiences currently have about how the DCU will approach the reboot to be conclusively and definitively answered.

A Booster Gold DCU Reboot Would Explain Some DCEU Characters Remaining

Booster Gold is one of the more interesting DC characters when it comes to reboots, because his storyline involves an awareness of the pre-reboot universe even while existing in the new one, and can thus better justify other characters being in both. Though the DCU is moving away from the DCEU, the fact the franchise is keeping several characters makes it impossible to fully wipe the slate clean. As such, the Booster Gold series is the best place to avoid making the returning characters a proverbial elephant in the room by instead incorporating this decision into the DC Universe as potentially part of its overall narrative, which would also link the movie world closer to its comic counterpart.