From the moment Barry Allen traveled back through time in an attempt to save his mother, everything changed. The Flash chronicles the superhero’s journey through the past as he meets an alternate version of himself and Bruce Wayne. Barry’s decision to try and undo his mother’s death introduces him to the multiverse, and he ultimately learns there are some things in every timeline that you can’t ultimately change.
The Flash Ending Explained
In the alternate timeline Barry finds himself in when he travels back in time to prevent his mother’s murder, General Zod is preparing to invade Earth. As we saw in Man of Steel, Superman is able to take down Zod before it’s too late. Barry’s anticipating Superman’s arrival, but this timeline (2013, to be exact) introduces him to Supergirl instead. Superman is actually dead in this universe.
Barry meets an alternate version of himself. He helps Past Barry get his Flash powers and learn how to use the Speed Force. In the process, Barry loses his own Flash powers, but he gets them back later in the film. Barry believes his Bruce Wayne/Batman exists in this world, but he soon discovers that this timeline has Michael Keaton for a Bruce Wayne/Batman. The Barrys, Batman, and Supergirl team up to take down Zod. As they prepare, the Barrys and Bruce learn that Barry’s traveling back in time has broken the universe, which is why he can’t get back to his world.
During the battle with Zod, both Supergirl and Batman die. Past Barry is desperate to save them both, so he travels back in time to redo the entire battle. No matter how many times they try, the Barrys are unable to save Supergirl and Batman. Zod will always win in this universe.
Barry realizes that this is an “inevitable intersection” in the multiverse, and they can’t change anything that happens. The end result will always be the same. He knows he has to undo what he did. His mom can’t live no matter what. Past Barry refuses to accept the truth of the matter and keeps trying to fix his universe.
Barry knows that he has to fix the timeline before going back to his future world, so he ensures that his mom’s death does happen. He shares a heartbreaking moment with her at the grocery store — in disguise — and says goodbye to her all over again. He may not be able to save his mother, but he can at least save his father from life in prison.
While traveling through the Speed Force, Barry discovers that the disturbing creature he’d seen before is actually a monster version of Past Barry from the future. This monster version has spent his life trying to fix his world. All the worlds in the multiverse start to collide and collapse, giving us glimpses of Christopher Reeve’s Superman, Nicolas Cage’s Superman, and more. When reality finally hits him, Past Barry sacrifices himself and dies, thereby preventing the monster version of himself from ever happening and keeping the multiverse from being destroyed.
Barry believes he’s made it back to his world and undone any damage he caused by traveling back in time. He attends his father’s new trial, and there is now evidence that exonerates Henry from Nora’s murder. Iris West is there as well and wants Barry to ask her out. Barry talks with Bruce on the phone and says he has so much to tell him. Bruce’s car drives up, but it’s not Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne. The person who steps out of the car is George Clooney’s billionaire Bruce Wayne. The Oscar winner played the Caped Crusader in 1997’s Batman & Robin. Barry has wound up in another timeline. He didn’t make it home after all!
The Flash Post-Credits Scene
There is one post-credits scene attached to The Flash. Barry is hanging out with a drunken Arthur Curry in the scene. Barry’s trying to explain the Bruce Wayne/Batman situation to him. Barry is getting increasingly frustrated with Arthur for not paying attention. His attempts to get Arthur up to speed are unsuccessful. Arthur passes out in a puddle and tells Barry to just leave him there.