Grant Gustin recently spoke out about his desire to return to the role of the Flash if the opportunity comes up in the DCU
, and I need it to happen. When The Flash debuted in 2014, it immediately became my favorite show from the Arrowverse. In large part, this was thanks to the incredible performance of Grant Gustin as Barry Allen, and the way that he made the character so enigmatic, energetic, and all around a hero and a great guy in and out of his supersuit.
In fact, Gustin’s portrayal as Flash is comparable to Robert Downey Jr.’s time as Iron Man, as both actors made the role their own, and helped to become a foundation for their respective franchises. So, when the Arrowverse was wrapped up ahead of the DCU taking over, it was a huge disappointment to see Gustin’s story come to an end in The Flash. But Gustin’s recent conversation with another DC alum, Michael Rosenbaum, makes me hopeful for the future of The Flash.
Grant Gustin’s The Flash Could Have A Future In The DCU
Michael Rosenbaum, who played Lex Luthor throughout Smallville, runs a successful podcast where he frequently interviews actors and other creatives about their lives and experiences, often pertaining to what it is like in the TV and film industry. Rosenbaum is also close to James Gunn, and has expressed interest in reprising his role as Lex Luthor if the opportunity ever arose. However, during Gustin’s interview with Rosenbaum, he was asked whether he would be open to playing the role of Flash again, which he responded to positively.
“Yeah, of course, there’s a lot of things that I’d have to like ask… not for, but about. I’d be more interested in the [creative side].”
And while this doesn’t do anything to confirm Gustin’s return, or even suggest the DCU has space for that right now, it can hopefully develop into something in the future. The DCU is still in its infancy, just setting up the pieces, and it wants to maintain some distance from what came before right now. However, that doesn’t mean that when the universe is more established, they can’t put more effort into building out DCU Elseworlds projects and creating shows that would appeal to fans of the Arrowverse and other previous DC projects.
Grant Gustin Could Step Into A New Role Behind The Camera
Going beyond the idea of simply reprising the role of Barry Allen, however, Rosenbaum pushed to find out if Gustin would be interested in producing and working on a new Flash project in a more creative capacity, to which Gustin also seemed open and positive. While he has yet to serve as a producer in a project like this, it’s undeniable that Gustin’s years of experience playing the character provide him with unique insight and knowledge about the character that could be invaluable in creating a new live-action version.
It could be even more exciting if he is also cast to tackle the role, and has a chance to step into a role that affords him more control and input, as Gustin’s skills and experience should be invested in rather than ignored. Of course, nothing of the sort has been confirmed, but these comments paint a hopeful picture of what could be. Assuming the DCU keeps growing, and Gustin’s version of the Flash could conceivably fit into it, it could be great for the fans and the larger DCU as a whole.
The DC Universe’s Elseworlds Spinoffs Mean The Flash Could Genuinely Get A Follow-Up Series Without It Hindering DC’s New Releases
Elseworlds Opens The Door For Imaginative New Stories Beyond The Core DCU
Unfortunately, the DCEU opted to cast a new actor as the Flash despite Gustin being perfect for the role. While Ezra Miller delivered a performance that had its moments, the drama around the actor and the poor quality of his film cemented this choice as a bad one. Now, with the DCU rebooting the universe and casting a whole wave of new actors, it’s difficult to imagine it would go to Gustin to play the Flash either. However, thanks to the loophole that makes movies like Joker and The Batman possible under a DC banner alongside the DCU, there is still hope.
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As mentioned above, the DCU Elseworlds opens the door to an endless variety of ideas and concepts that could be explored without impacting the DCU proper. For now, the focus is clearly on building the core stories, but the fact that Elseworlds even exists means that James Gunn is open to exploring other ideas, as long as they are strong enough. If Grant Gustin has a strong script backing a return for his version of the character, there should be no real reason for him to not reprise his role as The Flash.
The Flash
4/10
- Release Date
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2014 – 2022
- Showrunner
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Eric Wallace
- Directors
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Stefan Pleszczynski, David McWhirter, Dermott Downs, Alexandra La Roche, Ralph Hemecker, Phil Chipera, Rachel Talalay, Marcus Stokes, Chris Peppe, Danielle Panabaker, Menhaj Huda, Jesse Warn, Glen Winter, Gregory Smith, Chad Lowe, Jeffrey W. Byrd, Rob Hardy, Tom Cavanagh, Kevin Tancharoen, Millicent Shelton, Vanessa Parise, Kevin Smith, Brent Crowell, Eric Dean Seaton
- Writers
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Lauren Certo, Judalina Neira, Kelly Wheeler, Alison Schapker, Zack Stentz, Joe Peracchio, Julian Meiojas, Lilah Vandenburgh, Keto Shimizu, Gabe Snyder, Mike Alber, Gabrielle Stanton, Jaime Paglia, Carina Adly MacKenzie, Emily Silver, Bryan Q. Miller, Ray Utarnachitt