In the lead-up to the long-awaited DC Extended Universe project The Flash starring Ezra Miller, the CW's own Flash actor Grant Gustin has finally weighed in on his long-rumored involvement with the big-budget motion picture.
The Flash is the character's first solo outing in the DCEU, with the Miller-led film following its titular hero as he travels back in time to save his mother’s life, inadvertently trapping him in a strange reality where he must team with alternate versions of his heroic allies to save the world and find his way back home. Broadly based on the Flashpoint comic event storyline and set to serve as the narrative bridge between Zack Snyder's DCEU and the new DCU as envisioned by James Gunn and Peter Safran, speculation about whether The Flash would change the DCEU as much as its comic counterpart changed its medium has been abundant.
In a recent interview with TVLine, Gustin, who portrays the same character in the CW's popular series The Flash, which is currently on track to end after its 9th season, has finally settled the score on whether or not he will appear in the upcoming film, which is guaranteed to feature alternate universe versions of the Flash and other characters. "No,” the star answered when the question was asked. “No, there’s been a lot of rumors out there for a long time. And no one’s come out directly and asked me ever, you know, on the record. And the entire time, people ask me on the street all the time, and yeah, I’m not keeping some big elaborate secret, no."
While Gustin is uninvolved in the project, it’s not for lack of fan interest. Many fans actively campaigned for Gustin to replace Ezra Miller as the Flash in the film after the DCEU star’s string of worrying behavior exacerbated a sentiment that had long existed prior. Discussing his interest in having that role, Gustin insisted that he was satisfied with his CW job, saying, "No, I mean, I was happy. I was working with Geoff Johns and Greg Berlanti, guys that I couldn’t be more grateful to be working with and guys that I knew really understood who the Flash was and really wanted to take care of the character, so I was happy where I was. It’s just been there the whole time, but not really, because now it’s finally coming out as we wrap up."
Despite the long wait and stellar reviews, several people are still skeptical about The Flash, with many Snyderverse enthusiasts debating the pros and cons of The Flash retconning the DCEU. While the idea of neatly wrapping up the old guard with a thematically appropriate bow might be the right thing to do, the nature of the Flashpoint concept could singlehandedly seal the lid on any potential plans involving any of the DCEU's previously established characters and franchises, which might come in handy for Gunn and Safran if things get tight. Whether the film’s meta function will be for the best remains to be seen.
The Flash will be premiering in theaters on June 16, 2023.
Source: TVLine