The superhero genre continues to be wildly popular, but things are still in flux on the DC side of things. Co-CEO James Gunn has been crafting the DC Universe, with the first slate of projects titled Gods and Monsters (and streaming with a HBO Max subscription). Fans have endless questions about which actors will play roles in upcoming DC movies, and Tom Cavanagh recently offered his two cents about either him or his Flash co-star Grant Gustin reprising their roles in the newly formed shared universe.

The Flash show (which is streaming with a Netflix subscription) ran for a whopping nine seasons on The CW. Plenty of fans who watched the DC movies in order had hoped the cast would be able to play those roles on the big screen, but it never happened in the DCEU. In CinemaBlend's interview with Cavanagh about the Acorn series You're Killing Me, he spoke about the idea of Grant Gustin playing Flash in the DCU, joking:

Points were made. Grant Gustin has expressed interest in reprising his role as Barry Allen/ The Flash in the DCU. And as Cavanagh pointed out, who wouldn't want to work James Gunn on a superhero project? The Ed actor counts himself, and is actively campaigning to play his role Reverse-Flash in the burgeoning shared universe. I mean, can you blame him?

It's currently unclear who will be playing The Flash in the DCU, as the new shared universe is still in its infancy. There are countless theories and suggestions coming from the fans, including Grant Gustin. During our same talk with Cavanagh, he explained why his co-star would be great in DC role. In his words:

James Gunn is similarly nerdy by nature, so it certainly sounds like he and Grant Gustin would get along. Whether or not the Glee alum is actually given a role in the DCU remains to be seen, but it's definitely fun to see just how well-versed he is in the source material. No wonder he made such a memorable Barry Allen.

Despite how long Grant Gustin played The Flash, he never got to go from the small to silver screen. Fans were especially bummed when he didn't even get a cameo in the Flash movie. Tom Cavanagh went on to share how much both he and his co-star would like to join the DCU in any capacity, offering:

He's certainly not playing hard to get. But with the possibilities of the new DCU fairly endless given its infancy, why try to put yourself into one slot? Both Gustin and Cavanagh have proven themselves with genre work, so perhaps they'll get their wish and be hired by James Gunn for a future role. Fingers crossed.

The Flash is streaming in its entirety over on Netflix, while the DCU lives on HBO Max. As for Tom Cavanagh's new series You're Killing Me, that'll premiere May 18th on Acorn as part of the 2026 TV schedule.

The superhero genre continues to be popular, and the DC side of things has been going through some big changes courtesy of co-CEO James Gunn. The Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker is the architect behind the burgeoning DCU, releasing the first few projects in Gods and Monsters in theaters and streaming with a HBO Max subscription. Some fans asked him to bring Grant Gustin in for upcoming DC movies so he could reprise his role as The Flash, and Gunn's response seriously made me LOL.

Fans who watched the DC movies in order are curious about who will join the new shared universe, and which actors will portray various superheroes. Following the Flash TV show (which is streaming with a Netflix subscription), some folks want to see Gustin back in his signature role, this time in the DCU. Case in point: a fan told Gunn that it "needed to happen" over on Threads, with the filmmaker offering the following sassy response:

Savage! But honestly, he's not wrong. Grant Gustin got to play Barry Allen for a whopping nine season of The Flash, airing from 2014 to 2023. While fans of that CW series would like to see him get a chance to reprise that role already, it sounds like James Gunn is ready for someone else to play the Speedster in the DCU. Why not give another actor the chance to portray the beloved DC hero?

It's currently unclear exactly when The Flash will join the new shared universe. He wasn't expressly mentioned in the first slate of projects, but it seems inevitable that the superpowered character will eventually join the fray. After all, he's one of the most iconic heroes in DC lore.

While Zack Snyder quickly assembled the Justice League in the DEU, it doesn't seem like James Gunn is rushing to bring together that type of a crossover event. Barry Allen was famously played by Ezra Miller in the previous shared universe, with their tenure ending with Andy Muschietti's Flash movie. While it's unclear if/when the hero will join the DCU, that filmmaker is the man behind The Brave and The Bold, which will seemingly be Batman's big entrance.

We're still rather early into the DCU's time in theaters, so fans will have to be patient before seeing their favorite characters join the fun. Only three titles were released so far: Creature Commandos, Peacemaker Season 2, and Superman. Fans don't know what Gunn is planning for The Flash, but we can assume Grant Gustin won't be the only playing the role.

The next DC movie heading to theaters is Supergirl on June 26th as part of the 2026 movie release list. On the small screen, Lanterns is expected to arrive sometime this year with the 2026 TV schedule, although it doesn't have an official premiere date yet.

After debuting as Barry Allen in the middle of Arrow Season 2, Grant Gustin led The Flash for nine seasons, with his tenure as the Scarlet Speedster coming to an end on May 24, 2023. Nearly two and a half years later, Gustin admitted that The CW series’ final episode was not the sendoff for the show he’d hoped it’d be. Despite that, though, there was one silver lining that came with how filming “A New World, Part Four” worked out.

Grant Gustin recalled his experience filming The Flash series finale while sitting in on a SpaceCon panel (via X user @SnatchingTasha), first starting off with how the original plans for the episode needed to be changed after he got sick. As the actor explained:

For a TV episode, three to four days is a solid chunk of time, and for this to happen on The Flash’s final episode (which was inspired by shows like The Office and Lost) must have stung especially hard. But health and safety comes first, and one of the ways the script was reworked was scrapping Gustin from reprising his second biggest character on the series. He continued:

At the beginning of The Flash series finale, Eddie Thawne, who’d become Cobalt Blue, snatched past versions of speedster baddies Reverse-Flash, Zoom, Godspeed and Savitar to battle Team Flash. Savitar, of course, was the time remnant of Barry’s who served as Season 3’s main antagonist. While Tobin Bell retuned to vocally reprise Savitar, The Flash crew had to forgo showing showing the armored villain unmasked and making up Gustin to have the “pizza face,” as Eobard Thawne once described it.

Despite these setbacks, Grant Gustin was touched by the last scene he shot on The Flash. This was also the series’ last scene, with Barry Allen running through the streets of Central City, as seen at the top of the page. Gustin concluded:

Prior to this moment, Barry Allen unleashed a lightning bolt to share his speed with Avery Ho, Max Mercury and Jess Chambers. We’ll just have to imagine what having these three new speedsters running around Central City looks like, but I’m glad Grant Gustin found this silver lining in the midst of these disappointing, but necessary changes. You may also recall there was a time that Gustin approved of the fan theory that Barry would become the very bolt of lighting that gave him his powers, but Showrunner Eric Wallace convinced him this wasn’t the way to go.

The Flash can still be streamed with a Netflix subscription if you’re in the mood to revisit its nine-season run, as are Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl and Black Lightning. Batwoman, as well as Arrowverse-adjacent shows like Superman & Lois and Stargirl, can be accessed with an HBO Max subscription.

During its 11-year TV run, the Arrowverse introduced a slew of DC superheroes to audiences across a variety of shows, and many of the franchise’s biggest stars will likely remain tethered to their roles for the foreseeable future. Grant Gustin knows all about that, and seemingly at every turn, fans are clamoring to see him back in the role for James Gunn, even though he was seemingly happy to step away from the small screen role. Now, though? The actor sounds less hesitant.

Gustin and some of his former Flash co-stars appeared on stage for a reunion panel held at Fan Expo Denver, where a young fan made a big Q&A splash by asking the musical theater vet (via @superflashwest) who he’d want to play if Gunn asked him to head up one of the DCU’s upcoming superhero movies. Allowing only the slightest beat to pass before answering, Gustin shared this brevity-infused response:

Amusingly enough, Gustin sounded somewhat sheepish when replying, presumably because he knows it was the answer that everyone in the audience desired the most, and didn't want to go against such expectations. Especially when the person asking was so young. It'd be a lot easier to give a disappointingly practical answer when it's an adult fan holding the microphone, I can imagine.

All things pragmatic aside, the audience's jubilant cheering served as a pretty good example of how the superhero fandom at large would react if James Gunn dropped the surprise news that Grant Gustin would be joining the DCU show as a speedster. To be sure, the actor previously said he would portray the DCU’s Flash if James Gunn asked him to do it, but I'd have thought he'd want to take on another role beyond Barry Allen just so he wouldn't need to retread familiar ground.

It would have made way more sense to see Gustin specifically taking on the Barry Allen role again for a cameo in Ezra Miller's Flash movie, even though that didn't happen amidst all of the other multiversal tie-ins. Not that he would 100% need to play Barry Allen again for James Gunn.

In fact, whenever The Flash does zip into the DCU at whatever point, it's more than likely that Wally West will be the alter ego utilized. So Gustin will either be too old or too white for that gig, depending on what choices are made. But it's certainly possible that he could be cast as Golden Age superhero Jay Garrick for a briefer appearance, if not an Allen-specific cameo. There are plenty of ways to handle it, and that includes possibly casting Gustin as someone from Flash's rogues gallery.

We likely won't see Gustin or The Flash popping up in any upcoming DC TV shows like Peacemaker Season 2 or Lanterns, but I don't think it'll hurt to continue supporting the actor's chances of playing the Scarlet Speedster on the big screen in one form or another. The DCU will kick off in earnest when James Gunn's Superman hits the big screen on July 11, 2025.

Grant Gustin still has a long career in Hollywood ahead of him, but I'm sure he'll still be talking about The Flash for as long as he lives. His iconic CW series helped bring the character more mainstream popularity than ever, though DC failed to reward him for that with a cameo in Ezra Miller's multiversal movie. I might have a chip on my shoulder if I were him, and he seemingly nodded to that slight while addressing the upcoming DC movies under James Gunn's umbrella.

Several beloved cast members from The Flash were on hand at Comic Con Liverpool (via @Flashverse_yt), and Gustin couldn't help but get a little cheeky when he was asked who he felt would be a good choice to eventually play Barry Allen within Gunn's DCU. The actor's lack of a direct answer ended up being better than any straightforward response he could've given. As he put it:

Gustin would sooner talk about The Flash's TV cast getting an Arrowverse movie than he would discuss anything about other Barry Allen incarnations, and I get it. He faced a slew of those questions at every turn during the long period while Miller's Flash movie came together.

Plus, it's funny to see him leaning into the narrative over the years that he's felt he never really got his flowers from DC for his work on The Flash, at least in the same way that colleague Stephen Amell did for his years on Arrow.

Of course, Grant Gustin's snub had to sting a little more, given that his show was used to hype up Ezra Miller's movie with an unexpected cameo from the actor during the Crisis crossover, which is one of TV's most iconic Multiverse projects. With the sheer amount of cameos The Flash movie wedged into its runtime, it was baffling that there wasn't a single scene set up to acknowledge Gustin's DC legacy.

The fact that Grant Gustin can make a tongue-in-cheek joke seemingly referencing all that drama, however, makes me feel like he's not too worried about whether he's involved in the future of The Flash or not. That said, the actor has gone on the record and said that if James Gunn were to ask him to play the hero again, he'd do it.

Meanwhile, there has been a fan casting circulating the web, with some hoping Glen Powell would portray the speedster. Ultimately, James Gunn went with a relative newcomer in David Corwenswet for his Superman, so I don't think it's too wild to speculate he may do the same for whoever becomes his Barry Allen. Maybe Gustin can get a cameo as another character in the DCU, or play a younger version of Barry's father on the fateful night his mother died?

Those with a Netflix subscription can now enjoy Grant Gustin's time in The Flash and revisit some of his best adventures as the DC superhero. CinemaBlend is also keeping an eye on updates for James Gunn's DC universe, and is ready for the premiere of Superman this summer.

There once was a time when the Arrowverse was the best live-action franchise DC had going for it, but it's a long-gone era here in 2025, and everyone is looking ahead to James Gunn's vision for upcoming DCU projects. Even so, there's a big multiverse out there, and shows like The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow still have fans calling for more, so it's not too wild to foresee a day where fans with Max subscriptions could one day get an Arrowverse movie, and it seems like Grant Gustin and others are up for it.

Candice Patton, Tom Cavanagh, and Danielle Panabaker joined up with Gustin for Fan Expo Cleveland, and they had some encouraging takes on whether they'd appear in a hypothetical Arrowverse movie. CinemaBlend's Laura Hurley attended the convention and can confirm that the cast responded to the idea almost in unison with positive thoughts:

• Grant Gustin: "Yeah."
• Tom Cavanagh: "100%, absolutely."
• Danielle Panabaker: "I'm available!"
• Grant Gustin: "We are actors with families."
• Candice Patton: "We got bills to pay!"
• Tom Cavanagh: "We are all available! We are in, fully in!"

It's only been about two years since the series ended, but apparently, a good chunk of the stars are interested in making a comeback for an Arrowverse movie if that's a possibility. The Flash did leave the door open for future adventures in its finale, so it wouldn't be too hard to pull them back into the mix for a movie, at least speaking from a story standpoint. I would certainly love to see more with Barry's kids, as we only just scratched the surface of what they were capable of.

I don't think it's a question of whether fans want to see The Flash crew back in action, because YES. But I think it's fair to say we have to wonder if any current DC execs want that to happen. Let's not forget that Grant Gustin was snubbed from appearing in The Flash movie, despite DC having Ezra Miller appear in The CW series years prior. It felt like a big oversight, considering The Flash's popularity as a TV series had to play some role in the movie getting a feature film in the first place.

Beyond that, it seems everything in DC is shifting under James Gunn's vision, with his upcoming Superman movie primed to really get the new era underway. With so much focus on building up the movie side of DC and the Arrowverse completely dying out with the conclusion of Superman & Lois, I don't like the odds of any revival happening, but I would love to see it happen all the same.

While we have no idea if The Flash will ever return in any form, The CW's series is available to stream with a Netflix subscription. While the latter seasons are hit and miss, I still stand by it as one of the best superhero shows ever to grace television, and I would love to experience it for the first time all over again if I had the chance.

While Grant Gustin made his first big splash on TV when he recurred as Sebastian Smythe on Glee, it was playing Barry Allen, a.k.a. The Flash, that catapulted him to worldwide fame. After guest-starring in two Arrow Season 2 episodes, Gustin took center stage for The Flash TV series in fall 2014, which ended up airing for nine seasons on The CW (and I covered it for the entirety of that time). Looking back on this time of his life, Gustin admitted he was always confident that the Arrow spinoff would have a long and “popular” run (pun intended), but co-star Jesse L. Martin, who played Joe West, wasn’t so sure in the beginning.

Gustin recently went on the The Sackhoff Show to chat with host Katee Sackhoff, who played Amunet Black in a handful of The Flash episodes. When the Battlestar Galactica and The Mandalorian actress brought up how Gustin couldn’t have known he’d end up leading The Flash for nine seasons, the Barry Allen actor acknowledged that was true, but then explained:

On the one hand, I can see where Jesse L. Martin was coming from as an experienced TV actor. At the point in his career he was arguably best known on the small screen for playing Detective Ed Green in Law & Order, a role he inhabited for nearly 200 episodes. On the other hand, The Flash was also several years removed from Martin’s stints on the NBC shows The Philanthropist, which only lasted one eight-episode season, and Smash, which was cancelled after two seasons. He knew how hard it was for shows to get renewed once, let alone last multiple seasons, so he wanted Grant Gustin to manage his expectations accordingly.

Gustin may have been naive, but he ultimately under-predicted The Flash’s level of success. At 184 episodes across nine seasons, it was the longest-running Arrowverse show, as Arrow concluded after eight seasons of 170 episodes. He also made a good point that The Flash is a more well-known character than Green Arrow, which is even more true today thanks to Ezra Miller having also portrayed the Scarlet Speedster in the DCEU. As such, there was more material to work with and stood a slightly better shot of hooking viewers.

So Grant Gustin got to spend close to a full decade bringing Barry Allen to life, and earlier this year, he admitted that if James Gunn asked him to reprise Flash in the DC Universe, he’d accept that offer. Should that day come, we’ll let you know. Until then, The Flash can be streamed alongside Arrow and many of the other Arrowverse shows with a Netflix subscription.

In 2012, Arrow premiered on The CW and kicked off a shared universe of DC Comics properties on television. The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, Batwoman and Black Lightning followed, and for nearly a decade, this franchise delivered interconnected stories that channeled the same appeal that their comic book source material had been doing for decades. Many superheroes were featured in the Arrowverse, but we’re here to talk about 32 that had major roles in the franchise.

Before going further, there are some stipulations to point out. First, these characters need to have been established in the comics as superheroes before they were introduced in the Arrowverse, hence why characters like Nia Nal/Dreamer, Sara Lance/White Canary and John Diggle/Spartan aren’t on here. Second, these characters need to be chiefly known as heroes in the comics, which is why the likes of Captain Cold, Heat Wave and Killer Frost won’t be mentioned. Finally, we’re only covering the six live-action shows that made up the main Arrowverse continuity, both pre and post-“Crisis on Infinite Earths,” so don’t go looking for people from shows like Superman & Lois and Stargirl.

Green Arrow

Arrow starred Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen, and while he initially went by The Hood and The Arrow, this version of Oliver finally started going by Green Arrow in Season 4. In addition to his eight seasons leading Arrow, Amell’s Oliver participated in all the biggest Arrowverse crossover events. He died in “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” but fans got to reunite with him in the Arrow series finale and The Flash episode “It's My Party and I'll Die If I Want To.”

The Flash

Oliver Queen may have ushered in the Arrowverse, but it wasn’t until Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen got struck by that bolt of lightning that this franchise started getting truly fantastical and fully embracing its superhero roots. Barry protected the citizens of Central City for nine seasons of The Flash, and he was also present for every big Arrowverse crossover event. This Barry also had the unique privilege of being the only Arrowverse hero to cross over with the DCEU, as he met Ezra Miller’s Flash in “Crisis on Infinite Earths.”

Supergirl

Although Supergirl originally debuted on CBS, it was established to take part in the wider Arrowverse continuity when Barry Allen traveled to the Earth of Melissa Benoist’s Kara Danvers late in Season 1. Those ties only grew stronger once the show moved to The CW, and from there, Kara rounded out the Arrowverse’s main trinity of superheroes with Barry and Oliver Queen. At the end of “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” Kara’s Earth merged with the franchise’s main Earth, so Supergirl concluded its six-season run in the same world where the majority of her superhero cohorts now live.

Batwoman

Initially Batwoman starred Ruby Rose as Kate Kane, the same character who holds the mantle in the comics. However, following Rose’s exit post-Season 1, Ryan Wilder (seen above) was created to take over as the vigilante, with Javicia Leslie being cast to play her. Batwoman only lasted three seasons, but both Kate (later played by Wallis Day) and Ryan still stood out as important heroes before, during and after that time, with the former appearing in both the “Elseworlds” and “Crisis on Infinite Earths crossovers,” and the latter both reprising her role on The Flash and playing an evil speedster version of Ryan called Red Death early in Season 9.

Black Lightning

When Black Lightning came along, there was absolutely nothing connecting it to the Arrowverse. Jefferson Pierce’s return to superheroing unfolded in its own corner of the multiverse, but then “Crisis on Infinite Earths” came along and merged his Earth with the main Arrowverse Earth and Supergirl’s. Cress Williams would later reprise Jefferson for an episode of The Flash Season 8, but it was across Black Lightning’s four-season run where he shined best, with no one but the allies in his immediate circle on hand to help him out.

Black Canary

Five individuals held the Black Canary mantle in the Arrowverse: Sara Lance, the Laurel Lance from Earth-1, Evelyn Sharp, Dinah Drake (seen above), and the Laurel Lance from Earth-2. Of those five, the two Laurels and Dinah were able to unleash a sonic scream on their enemies, although Earth-1’s Laurel’s came from a device rather than as a metahuman ability like the other two. There had been plans for Katie Cassidy and Juliana Harkavy to continue respectively playing Earth-2 Laurel and Dinah alongside Katherine McNamara’s Mia Smoak in a Green Arrow & The Canaries spinoff, but it was never picked up.

The Atom

Brandon Routh’s Ray Palmer debuted at the beginning of Arrow Season 3, where he would unveil his A.T.O.M. exosuit. After initially having been presumed dead by the end of the season, Ray resurfaced in Season 4 having been revealed to be shrunken to the size of an atom, and he was able to incorporate shrinking into his exosuit. From there, he became one of the founding Legends of Tomorrow and stuck around on that show as a series regular until midway through Season 5.

Arsenal

By Arrow Season 3, Colton Haynes’ Roy Harper, who’d already appeared in the first two seasons, had taken up archery and joined Oliver Queen in fighting crime as Arsenal, though he was also called Red Arrow by the media. Although Roy had to leave Team Arrow that same season after he masqueraded as The Arrow and faked his death, he would still pop in and out of the show throughout the rest of Arrow’s run to help out his friends. He also followed in his comic book counterpart’s footsteps by gaining a cybernetic arm.

Speedy

The second Speedy in the comics was Mia Dearden, so it was only appropriate that Willa Holland's Thea Queen, who was a loose adaptation of the character, also received that name. When Roy left Star City, he left his Arsenal costume behind, and she made adjustments to it so she could wear it out in the field and join her brother Oliver as a bow-and-arrow-wielding superhero. Eventually she embarked on a personal crusade to battle the Thanatos Guild.

Vibe

Carlos Valdés’ Cisco Ramon was already a valued member of Team Flash at the beginning as its tech genius, but after he discovered he was a metahuman capable of manipulating dimensional energy, he became Vibe. Cisco took a metahuman cure in Season 5, but he continued to fight crime as Mecha-Vibe using a suit that provided him with some of his former powers until he left in Season 7 to join A.R.G.U.S.

Superman

I know, I said I wouldn’t include anybody from Superman & Lois on this list. However, in this case, I’m talking about the Superman from Earth-38/Earth-Prime. In other words, this is the Clark Kent who appeared on Supergirl and participated in “Elseworlds” and “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” We’d assumed he was also the one leading Superman & Lois until it was revealed that show is set on another Earth.

Martian Manhunter

Originally Supergirl viewers thought David Harewood was playing Hank Henshaw, the man who became Cyborg Superman in the comics. But early in Season 1, it was revealed that his character was actually J’onn J’onzz, a.k.a. Martian Manhunter, who assumed Henshaw’s identity to try and do good as the director of the Department of Extranormal Operations. Harewood would later play the sinister Henshaw for a few episodes, but it was J’onn who stuck around for all of Supergirl as one of Kara’s most important allies.

Elongated Man

Ralph Dibny gained his elastic powers from The Thinker’s machinations in The Flash Season 4, and after being stabilized, he joined Team Flash to help them fight crime as Elongated Man. Hartley Sawyer portrayed the character through to the end of Season 6, but after the actor was fired from the show, a stand-in performer was used for the Season 7 premiere. While healing from some major burns, Ralph decided to leave Team Flash to travel the world with Sue Dearbon and dismantle various criminal organizations.

Vixen

Although Mari McCabe, the Vixen from the comics, was played by Megalyn Echikunwoke in the Vixen and The Ray animated web series, as well as an episode of Arrow, it was the character’s grandmother, Amaya Jiwe (seen above), who got more attention in the Arroverse. An original character created for Legends of Tomorrow, Amaya, played by Maisie Richardson-Sellers, was active as Vixen during World War II as a Justice Society member, and after traveling through time with the Legends for a while, she returned to her original time period at the end of Season 3. Richardson-Sellers then stuck around a few more seasons as a shapeshifter named Charlie.

Firestorm

Just like in the comics, the Arrowverse’s original Firestorm duo consisted of Robbie Amell’s Ronnie Raymond and Victor Garber’s Martin Stein, with the two being recurring characters in The Flash Season 1. However, after Ronnie died in the Season 2 premiere, Stein merged a few episodes later with Franz Drameh’s Jefferson “Jax” Jackson (seen above), and the two went on to join the Legends of Tomorrow. That’s where they stayed until Stein died in the “Crisis on Earth X” crossover, prompting Jax to leave and resume his normal life.

John Constantine

Although NBC’s Constantine series only lasted one season, Matt Ryan was able to keep playing the trenchcoat-wearing sorcerer in multiple other ways, most notably in the Arrowverse. Following a guest appearance in Arrow Season 4, he returned two years later in Legends of Tomorrow, where he eventually became part of the team and hung around until the end of Season 6. Even then, Ryan remained on the series to play Gwyn Davies, the inventor of time travel.

Kid Flash

Depicted as Iris West’s long-lost brother rather than her nephew like in the comics, Keiynan Lonsdale’s Wally West was introduced midway through The Flash Season 2. After Season 3’s premiere showed him as the Kid Flash of the Flashpoint timeline, the main version of Wally gained super speed when Doctor Alchemy restored his powers from that other reality. Wally exited as a series regular at the beginning of The Flash Season 4, but would later make guest appearances in Seasons 6 and 9, as well as appearing in the latter half of Legends of Tomorrow Season 3.

Jay Garrick

After it was revealed that the Jay Garrick that viewers had been following along with in The Flash Season 2 was really the sinister Zoom, the real Jay was revealed at the end of that season to be a doppelgänger of Henry Allen from Earth-3. With John Wesley Shipp having played Barry Allen in The Flash TV show from 1990 (whom he also reprised in “Elseworlds and “Crisis on Infinite Earths”), it was only fitting that he also play this veteran speedster as well.

Thunder/Blackbird

If you’re making a show about Black Lightning, then it’s only appropriate that you include his superhero daughters too. The first of them was Nafessa Williams’ Anissa Pierce, a.k.a. Thunder, although there were also various instances where she went by the moniker Blackbird. Unlike her father and sister, Anissa didn’t generate and manipulate electricity, but rather was able to manipulate her density with her breathing, giving her super strength and durability.

Lightning

Like her superhero name clearly indicates, not only did Jennifer Pierce inherit the same kind of powers as her father, but she also had the added ability to generate electricity on her own rather than just manipulate it like Jefferson. China Anne McClain played Jennifer for the majority of Black Lightning’s run, but for a good chunk of Season 4, Laura Kariuki took over the role, though this was later revealed to be an ionosphere entity who stole her identity.

Mister Terrific

After being introduced in Arrow Season 4 as a Palmer Technologies employee who worked closely with Felicity Smoak, Echo Kellum’s Curtis Holt (rather than Michael Holt, like in the comics) officially joined Team Arrow at the beginning of Season 5, taking the identity Mr. Terrific, which had previously belonged to his favorite wrestler. Curtis stuck with the team until the end of Season 6, and from there he briefly worked for A.R.G.U.S., then took a job in Washington D.C.

Wild Dog

Instead of using Jack Wheeler from the comics, Arrow gave that superhero identity to the original character Rene Ramirez, played by Rick Gonzalez. Although frequently hotheaded, Rene was nonetheless another valued member of Team Arrow for many seasons, though there was a period where he, Curtis and Dinah formed their own group. Eventually, Rene retired from being Wild Dog and became mayor of Star City by the end of the show.

XS

While XS is indeed a character from the comics, The Flash’s version of her is a melding of her and Barry Allen’s daughter, who was known as Dawn in the comics. In this show, while it’s implied that’s what Jessica Parker Kennedy’s character used to be named too, changes to the timeline led to her being named Nora, after Barry’s mother. The original version of Kennedy’s Nora was erased from the timeline after Cicada’s dagger was destroyed, but fortunately, a new version of her came into being afterward.

Impulse

Rather than being Barry Allen’s grandson like in the comics, Jordan Fisher’s Bart Allen, a.k.a. Impulse, is depicted as Barry and Iris West’s son, i.e. Nora’s sister. Introduced towards the end of Season 7, and a speedster just like his father and Nora, Impulse shared a special connection with Jay Garrick and had already made an enemy out of Godspeed from his time period.

Guardian

In Supergirl, the Guardian mantle was held by the Olsen siblings rather than Jim Harper or Mal Duncan. James Olsen first started fighting crime as Guardian in Season 2, with Winn Schott making him his suit and shield. Then in Season 6, one season after Mehcad Brooks stopped playing James as a series regular, Azie Tesfai’s Kelly Olsen (seen above) took over as the new Guardian, although James did don his costume one last time in the series finale.

Citizen Steel

Nick Zano’s Nate Heywood joined Legends of Tomorrow at the beginning of Season 2, gaining the ability to transform his body into steel from an experimental serum. This power is more like Colossus’ from the X-Men than the Nate from the comics, but it was a welcome one to have until mustard gas eroded the steel in Season 7, which led to him retiring from the team. This version of Nate also simply went by Steel rather than Citizen Steel, not to be confused with the John Henry Irons Steel.

Mon-El

Hailing from Daxam, a planet populated by Kryptonian offshoots, Mon-El gained the same kind of superpowers as Supergirl when he landed on Earth. However, because he was a spoiled prince from the Daxamite monarchy, it took a while for him to start behaving like a hero. Mon-El and Kara fell in love, but while Chris Wood and Melissa Benoist married in real life, it wasn’t meant to be for the characters. Mon-El ended up traveling to the 31st century and joined the Legion of Super-Heroes.

Batwing

When Batwoman began, Luke Fox initially started out working behind the scenes to help Kate Kane out, having already been keeping Wayne Tower secure on Batman’s behalf. Then in Season 2, Campus Johnson’s character began his own superhero journey, one which culminated in him constructing a supersuit and becoming Batwing, just like in the comics.

Brainiac 5

Brainiac 5 was one of Mon-El’s teammates in the Legion of Super-Heroes, and together with Saturn Girl, they traveled back to the present day in Supergirl Season 3. By the end of that season, Winn Schott decided to travel to the future to stop an AI-killing virus, Jesse Rath’s Brainiac 5, a.k.a. Brainy, stayed in the present and became one of Supergirl’s most valued allies. He also formed a romantic relationship with Nia Nal.

Hawkgirl

Although both Hawkgirl and Harman appeared in Legends of Tomorrow Season 1 following their introductions in the “Heroes Join Forces Crossover,” Ciara Renée’s Kendra Saunders unquestionably had the bigger role. After her version of Carter Hall was killed by Vandal Savage, she joined the Legends to help try to defeat the villain across time. By the end of Season 1, Kendra and a later incarnation of Carter left after Vandal was finally killed for good.

Rip Hunter

Arthur Darvill’s Rip Hunter, one of DC Comics’ greatest time travelers, assembled the Legends of Tomorrow to help him stop Vandal Savage. Season 2 saw him bring brainwashed by the Legion of Doom, but fortunately, their programming was erased, and he then decided to leave the Legends after realizing he had nothing left to teach them. He then spent the next five years of his personal timeline forming the Time Bureau, but by the end of Season 3, Rip sacrificed his stop the demon Mallus.

Jesse Quick

Rather than being Jesse Chambers like in the comics, The Flash’s version of Jesse Quick was Jesse Wells, the daughter of Earth-2’s Harrison Wells. Violett Beane's character gained her super speed after being exposed to dark matter during an attempt to restore Barry Allen’s own speed. By Season 3, she began fighting crime on Earth-2, and occasionally on Earth-1, as Jesse Quick. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear as though Jesse was restored to life in the new multiverse created during “Crisis on Infinite Earths.”

While the Arrowverse is over, these 32 will be remembered as some of its most prominent superheroes, and there are plenty of others we could spend time talking about. They’re just among the many reasons why this franchise will continue being enjoyed for years to come.

Grant Gustin is hard at work on his dream gig on Broadway with The Flash in his rearview window, but he's still finding time to connect with superhero fans off the stage. A video started circulating online that features the Barry Allen portrayer being asked whether he'd return to play his Arrowverse role now that James Gunn is running DC. The chances for such a thing are naturally slim, but I know exactly what I'd want to see if Gustin jumps back into his ring-encased suit. 

It hasn't even been a full year since The Flash's series finale dropped on The CW, potentially opening the Speed Force door to spinoffs elsewhere, and fans haven't stopped asking Grant Gustin about potentially returning as The Flash in one way or another. His latest response to capture fans' attention (via Arrowverse.Canaries) was specifically to an inquiry about returning for James Gunn's in-development DCU, to which the actor replied with:

Grant Gustin might love the glitz and glamour of Broadway, and may not be inherently enthusiastic about returning to tight, sweaty costumes and green screens, but it seems like there's still a part of him that misses being TV's fastest man alive. That interest could be entirely tied to working on any project with James Gunn, even outside the superhero genre, as I'm sure few actors in Hollywood would pass up that opportunity. But since Gunn is keeping busy with Superman: Legacy, Creature Commandos and more comic book fare, this would be the core way to work with him in the near future. 

Gustin's Barry Deserves Some DC Multiverse Respect

As a fan of both Grant Gustin and the bulk of The Flash's run, I'd love to see his version of Barry Allen get an upgrade within the new DC universe at some point, even if it he's not part of the first wave of Superman: Legacy cast members. It doesn't have to be something massive, although it certainly could be.

On the one hand, I would at least like to see a situation where the Glee alum could reprise his role as Barry in a way that's wholly consistent with the show that brought the character to prominence, even if it's technically an alternate take that isn't canonical with the small screen series. Fans decried him getting snubbed by Andy Muschietti's 2023 film The Flash, especially after the TV show's creative went out of its way to include Ezra Miller for a scene in its "Crisis on Infinite Earths" arc.

Gustin's Barry Can Be The DCU's Cautionary Tale To Avoid Time Travel Plots

In a new DC universe that will be ripe with new stories, Grant Gustin's Barry Allen would be a great veteran to bring in to warn about the dangers of time-meddling. After all, he messed with time more than anyone else in the live-action and was a key person in the massive crossover event "Crisis On Infinite Earths." 

It would be pretty easy to use that as a reason to bring him back into the DCU, as well as a great way to acknowledge everything that happened during the Arrowverse era without totally eradicating everything. Although if Gunn did decide to eliminate that entire block of canon, perhaps Gustin's Barry Allen could be the sole survivor of that timeline, serving as a warning against messing with time travel in any capacity. 

The idea of Grant Gustin collaborating with James Gunn in DC is an interesting one, as we don't know what the status is of the Arrowverse in this brave new direction for the franchise. The Arrowverse will officially die with the conclusion of Superman & Lois, but it could always exist in another world in the multiverse. 

Those with a Netflix subscription can check out Grant Gustin in The Flash. There are plenty of great episodes worth checking out, and all of them show in their own way that he's owed some sort of acknowledgment by the greater DC properties for his contributions, even if that acknowledgment never comes. 

The Flash ended on The CW last year, yet I'm still getting emotional over how close some of the cast appears to be in the present day. Even now that he's off doing his own thing on the 2024 TV schedule, Jesse L. Martin is still pumped about the latest project his former co-star Grant Gustin is gearing up for. With no need to worry about The Irrational coming back for Season 2, Martin recently revealed his excitement about Gustin finally making the jump to Broadway, and it's just so heartwarming. 

Martin -- whose latest series, The Irrational, is available to stream with a Peacock Premium subscription -- recently spoke to Screen Rant about his excitement for an upcoming project starring his former television son/son-in-law, Grant Gustin. He talked about the Barry Allen actor's upcoming stint on Broadway in Water For Elephants and why he's so thrilled to see that happen: 

It makes sense that Jesse L. Martin would be excited about Grant Gustin's Broadway debut, given his past. Martin has previously performed on Broadway in Timon Of Athens, The Government Inspector, and The Merchant Of Venice in addition to being part of the original cast of Rent. It's clear he understands the accomplishment of making it to one of the world's greatest stages for theater and how much Gustin has wanted to perform on Broadway. 

Grant Gustin even expressed how much of an honor it was to star in Water For Elephants, noting it was his dream since childhood to perform on Broadway. While the actor had previous opportunities to sing on The Flash, like the musical crossover with Supergirl, there was never a ton of time between shooting seasons, so he wasn't able to pursue a theater project of this magnitude. 

It's great for me as a fan to see Jesse L. Martin cheering on Grant Gustin, and it brings me back to the great moments their characters shared on The Flash. That's especially comforting at a time in which we now know Superman & Lois will end with Season 4, presumably bringing an end to what remains of the Arrowverse that The Flash and other DC hero shows helped bolster for close to a decade. I wish it could've gone on forever, but given Gustin's life changes in the latter seasons, I get why he needed it to end. Now, both his co-star and I are thrilled about what's to come.

Those who won't have a chance to catch Grant Gustin on Broadway, you can always watch his old episodes of The Flash with a Netflix subscription. It's worth the rewatch. While you do that, we'll be sure to keep you posted on all the career updates coming from the beloved cast of The Flash.

Before Grant Gustin was a superhero, he was a theater kid. Now, after The Flash came to a close on the 2023 TV schedule, the beloved DC actor will take his talents back to the stage as he makes his Broadway debut in the new musical Water for Elephants. As someone who has been a fan of the actor since his Glee days, I couldn’t be happier for him and this incredible news!

Not long after The Flash star was in a fun ad with Ryan Reynolds, he announced another exciting (and much bigger) project. Grant Gustin has a background in musical theater, and now that his schedule is free, he’s able to take a job on the stage. While he was “honored” to play Barry Allen for nearly a decade, making it to Broadway was a childhood dream of his. The actor told EW: 

While we’ve seen Grant Gustin sing and dance in The Flash and on Glee, Water for Elephants -- which is based on Sara Gruen's bestselling book -- will be a true showcase of his musical talents. In the circus-based musical romance, he’ll play Jacob and Isabelle McCalla (who is known for her work in Broadway’s The Prom and Sucked) will play Marlena. 

The Barry Allen actor went on to say that because he’s not doing The Flash anymore, he has time in his schedule to actually take on a musical. Calling Water for Elephants a “pinch me moment,” he said:

Personally, I can’t wait to see Grant Gustin in this production. I remember seeing him sing “Smooth Criminal” on Glee in 2012, and ever since, I’ve been hoping he would do a musical. Now, not only is he harnessing his musical talents, he’s getting to perform on Broadway! Talk about exciting! The actor also posted about his enthusiasm for the show and the Great White Way on Instagram, check out the sweet photo of him with the marquee:

Overall, it seems like Grant Gustin is over the moon about his next career move, and I’m so excited for him. You can see him on stage in Water for Elephants starting when their previews begin on February 24. The show will then officially open in the Imperial Theatre on March 21. If you aren’t in the New York City area, and are looking to see the actor do what he does best, you can stream The Flash with a Netflix subscription. 

Ryan Reynolds and the other Deadpool 3 cast members might still be waiting for the threequel’s production to resume with the conclusion of the SAG-AFTRA strike, but that doesn’t mean the Wade Wilson actor can’t still do a little performing. In recent years, Reynolds has frequently appeared in ads for companies he owns or is partnered with, including Mint Mobile (where he once teamed with Rick Moranis) and Aviation Gin (which often uses to celebrate Father’s Day). The actors’ latest ad sees him teaming with The Flash’s Grant Gustin, and in addition to obviously referencing the latter being DC Comics’ Scarlet Speedster, I also dug how a nod to the former’s Green Lantern movie.

Reynolds and Gustin were paired together for an ad about MNTN, a company that sells television software. Rather than playing himself, Gustin appears as Seymour Moas, MNTN’s chief performance officer who’s there to tout its services to advertisers. Only, Reynolds, who’s the company’s chief creative officer, doesn’t shy away from not-so-subtly implying he’s standing next to the man who played the Arrowverse’s Flash, as evidenced by him dropping lines like “Sounds fast” and “… Could see results in a flash?” See for yourself:

The ad would have been amusing enough with those references to The Flash TV series, but the cherry on top of this proverbial sundae is it capping off with Ryan Reynolds telling “Seymour” that “You’ll always be my Barry,” to which “Seymour” responded, “You’ll always be my Hal,” leading Reynolds to counter, “That hurts, Seymour.” This is, of course, referring to Barry Allen and Hal Jordan, the respective identities of their versions of Flash and Green Lantern. While The Flash remains the jewel of Gustin’s acting resume, Reynolds often jokes about at his time on Green Lantern, so it’s hardly surprising that he’d take offense to “Seymour” fondly remembering his take on Hal. I wouldn’t want anything less from him!

Reynolds debuted as Hal Jordan in 2011, two years after his first outing as Wade Wilson in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. While there had been plans to make Green Lantern 2 and perhaps use the first movie as a launching pad for a shared universe, Green Lantern’s critically and commercially underwhelming performance resulted in those plans being scrapped, and Man of Steel was instead the first entry in the DC Extended Universe. Fortunately for Reynolds, he got another bite at the superhero lead apple when he got to bring a more faithful version of Deadpool to life in 2016, and he’s still breaking the fourth wall as the Merc with the Mouth to this day.

As for Gustin, following his debut as Barry Allen in Arrow Season 2, he started leading The Flash TV series in 2014, and that show concluded this past May after nine seasons. Funny enough, The Flash premiered on The CW one week before Ezra Miller was announced to be playing the DCEU’s Barry, and it ended a little under a month before The Flash movie finally came out. Unfortunately, Gustin was not among the cameos squeezed into the latter project, but perhaps there will come a day when he’d be game to suit up as the Fastest Man Alive again… more so than Reynolds wanting to reprise Green Lantern, at least.

In addition to The Flash wrapping up, this year also saw Grant Gustin starred with Lucy Hale in the Freevee movie Puppy Love. Ryan Reynolds’ last lead role was in the Christmas movie Spirited, which can be streamed with an Apple TV+ subscription, and if the actors strike ends soon, he may be able to resume work on Deadpool 3 by next January. However, that would still necessitate it be moved off its current May 3, 2024 release date.

It’s been just over four months since the Scarlet Speedster took his last run on The CW, but that isn’t stopping people from talking about Grant Gustin and The Flash. The actor has become a fan-favorite among DC fans due to his portrayal of the beloved superhero. Some were even hoping that he would appear in The Flash movie alongside Ezra Miller, which unfortunately did not happen. However, Gustin’s role as Barry Allen and his place in DC is still talked about, and one fan proved that by reimagining the small-screen hero with the blonde locks his comic book counterpart had. 

Fans of The Flash comics know that Barry Allen has blonde hair, as opposed to Gustin’s brown hair. However, that wasn't an issue for them because the Glee alum was loved by many, even though his hair wasn't comic book-accurate. Fans won’t have to wonder anymore what he would look like with blonde hair though, because buffy2ville on Instagram used AI to show it off, and it actually looks pretty good:

AI technology can do some incredible and freaky things, and sometimes at the same time. Of course, Grant Gustin looks great as is, and he was a pretty great Flash. However, seeing that blonde hair makes me wish there was a scene in Flashpoint where Barry was blonde. That way, fans could have it both ways. Maybe if he ever makes a return as The Flash, he could look a bit different. Though I do have to admit, the brown just fits Gustin a little bit more.

Coincidentally, this isn’t the first time Gustin and his locks have been making waves, whether real or not. Back in August, he rocked the signature Superman curl. Even though there were a lot of actors who almost played Superman, it’s hard to not imagine him playing the Man of Steel after seeing this photo. That would have made for an interesting plot, maybe like “Elseworlds.” The Arrowverse crossover saw Barry and Oliver switch lives at one point, and it was amusing to see Gustin as Green Arrow and Stephen Amell as The Flash. If only one happened that involved Barry becoming Superman, however, The Flash fits him more, even if the hair may be a bit different. 

Even though Gustin didn’t appear in Ezra Miller’s The Flash, that doesn’t necessarily count him out of the DCEU. Miller’s Barry Allen did appear on The CW in the “Crisis” crossover, so there’s always the possibility the two universes could be interconnected.

The actor previously opened up about why he decided to end The Flash, saying that he wanted to spend more time with his family and his young daughter. That doesn’t mean he’s permanently walking away from the role though. Maybe in time, fans will see him return, and maybe even with comic-accurate hair.

While we may never get a blonde Grant Gustin as The Flash, what you can see is him in all nine seasons of The Flash. All you need is a Netflix subscription.

Now, I know Grant Gustin was The Flash, but, could you picture him playing Superman too? His time as Barry Allen just came to a close on The CW’s The Flash, which aired its final season on the 2023 TV schedule. So, as we wait to see what he does next, this new video of him rocking a Superman curl in his hair, has me thinking he could easily play Superman, but let’s not give James Gunn any ideas, he already has his caped hero cast. 

There are lots of actors who almost played Superman, and more who could easily fit the role. However, since Grant Gustin is known for being The Flash, it seems highly unlikely he’ll ever step into the role of another iconic DC hero. But, a girl can dream, and with this new video of the actor, a girl can really picture the actor as Superman, especially with that curl! Take a look at this clip of him rocking a Superman-esque hairstyle in a video posted to X:

If that’s not a perfect Superman curl, then I don’t know what is. While David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan will be playing Superman and Lois Lane, respectively, in James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy, it’s hard not to imagine Gustin in that role now that I’ve seen this video. You know, if I let my imagination really run wild I could totally see Candice Patton, Iris West in The CW’s The Flash, as Lois Lane in another universe. 

Now, I know we shouldn’t be giving James Gunn any ideas with this, he already has a lot of work on his hands with Superman: Legacy and all the other upcoming DC movies and shows. However, let’s take a moment to dig deeper into why it’d be so fun to see Grant Gustin as Superman. First of all, he has the looks for it. That curl in his hair is perfect, and I’m positive he could pull off a red cape – we already know he can rock a red supersuit. 

Secondly, the actor is a massive Superman fan. He has a tattoo that says “Superman…I love him,” which is written in his mom’s handwriting. He told the sweet story behind the ink to Comicbook.com in 2013, saying:

So, not only does Gustin have the looks for the part, but he also has the love for it. While I think David Corenswet is literally the best choice for Superman, I can’t deny the fact that the former Flash would also be great in the role. 

However, considering The Flash just ended after ten years, I understand if Grant Gustin is ready to simply be a fan of DC projects again. Admittedly, it would also be an odd creative choice to have someone who just finished playing a Justice League member hop over to playing another one. 

It’s fun to fantasize about what could be, and based on this video of The Flash's leading man, I really could see him as Superman. And considering actors like Oscar Isaac have played different roles in various Marvel projects (X-Men, Moon Knight and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse in his case), it’s totally possible for The CW’s Flash to find his way into James Gunn’s DC Universe as a different character. 

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, but overall, James Gunn has a lot on his hands right now. And while it’d be cool on a few levels to see Grant Gustin play Superman or even reprise his role as The Flash in the new DC universe, I think we should all focus on what we actually know is coming: Superman: Legacy.  

Marvel and DC fans have been debating one another for decades now, whether it’s about these companies’ original comics or the many media projects that spin out of their respective source material. With each new entry on the upcoming Marvel movies and upcoming DC movies slates, along with plenty of TV shows being released between the two, there’s more for both camps to argue about. For example, one of the debates currently doing the rounds on social media was prompted by a side-by-side video of Grant Gustin and Ezra Miller’s Flashes, and in this instance, I can’t help but rooting for the MCU.

2023 was a big year for DC Comics’ Scarlet Speedster, because along with The Flash movie finally hitting theaters nearly a decade after it was announced, The Flash TV series from The CW concluded after nine seasons. With the former now being streamable with a Max subscription and the latter being available for Netflix subscribers to watch, it’s easier than ever to compare Miller and Gustin’s versions of Flash. The Twitter account @HeroesUnbound opted to showcase the differing final runs between the movie and Season 9, as seen below.

Naturally this ignited a debate over which final run was better, and this is more than enough to keep DC fans arguing amongst themselves over whether The Flash movie or TV show is better. But then things kicked up a notch, as various people started critiquing for both these versions of Flash and steered attention towards Eternals, the 26th MCU movie which introduced the speedster Makkari, played by Lauren Ridloff. A lot of people prefer the way her super speed looks compared to Flash, as evidenced below:

Let me be clear about something: I’ve been a fan of The Flash for a long time, so if you’re asking me to pick between him and Marraki overall, he’s easily winning out every time. In this instance though, I find myself preferring the way Makkari’s super speed is presented. Maybe that’s because I’m so used to the lightning effect from Flash that it’s lost its uniqueness a little bit in my eyes, although to be fair, the lighting is certainly called for given that the Fastest Man Alive channels his power from the Speed Force. In any case, I find myself in good company.

Makkari isn’t the first speedster to be seen in the MCU, as Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Quicksilver had some time to shine in Avengers: Age of Ultron. However, Wanda Maximoff’s brother died in that same movie, whereas Makkari made it out of Eternals alive, meaning we could see more of her. Let’s hope so, as watching her run at such a rapid pace is mesmerizing.

Right now, it’s unclear if Eternals 2 is moving forward, with director Chloé Zhao saying “No comment” when asked about the sequel back in March. Of course, with two more Avengers movies on the way, it’s possible Makkari could reappear in one of those movies, as her super speed would certainly come in handy against Kang the Conqueror or whatever other threat has emerged. As for The Flash, it’s unclear what the character’s live-action future holds in store. Grant Gustin’s tenure as DC’s Fastest Man Alive is obviously over, and it hasn’t been clarified yet if Ezra Miller will continue playing the character in the new DC Universe franchise or if someone else will be recast in the role.

As always, continue checking in with CinemaBlend for all the biggest updates concerning Marvel and DC in film and television. For details on the wider cinematic landscape, consult our 2023 movie release schedule and 2024 movie release schedule.

Major spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t yet watched The Flash on the big screen, so be warned!

For all that it’s centered on the fastest man alive within the world of DC Comics, The Flash certainly took a while to make its highly anticipated theatrical debut. With Ezra Miller in the starring role, the time-traveling blockbuster is finally here to deliver all the Flashpoint-adjacent emotional trauma that fans have been waiting for, and it broke open the DC multiverse in some pretty massive and unpredictable ways that will no doubt get picked apart by viewers. But as awesome as it was to witness gobsmacking moments such as Nicolas Cage’s live-action Superman (among other things), Andy Muschietti’s film somehow dropped the ball when paying off on the live-action history of its titular hero, and I’m all the more peeved that TV’s Scarlet Speeder Grant Gustin did not make a cameo appearance.

• The Flash Review: Ezra Miller's Speedster Adventure Is DC At Its Lore-Building Finest

Let’s run through why ignoring the Arrowverse’s Barry Allen and that universe seems like such a glaring issue in my mind now after having watched The Flash feature in full.

Ezra Miller And Grant Gustin's Barry Allens Already Met

Thanks to the Arrowverse’ bonkers “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” which served as The CW franchise’s sixth big crossover, TV audiences already had the privilege of watching Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen sharing the screen with Ezra Miller’s Barry, which was a doozy of a moment. (Even for a TV event that also included appearances from ‘60s Batman star Burt Ward, Kevin Conroy’s Bruce Wayne and the Doom Patrol.) So no matter how one slices up the timeline shenanigans that take place within the movie, big-screen Barry should have the memory of meeting a wholly different version of himself. And in a film where he spent much of the runtime quasi-training himself as a teenager, one would think Ezra Miller’s character would have mentioned that previous incident, even if just in a throwaway line. 

Aside from that, it’s also a bit of a face-smack for WB execs to have made the Miller cameo demand late in the game for the show’s creative team, presumably as a way to further bolster the show’s popularity, while apparently not making similar requests to include Gustin in the feature. The actor shared as much back in April when first confirming that he wouldn’t appear in the film, even though some fans were still holding out hope that his Barry Allen would show up in archival footage or something similar, especially since the actor wasn’t made aware that he was shown in Titans’ huge multiverse sequence until after the fact. His take was unfortunately correct in this case, however.

Ignoring Grant Gustin Is Flat-Out Weird Given All The Other Multiverse Connections

One of the biggest selling points for The Flash’s pre-release marketing for literal years now has been Michael Keaton’s return to the role(s) of Bruce Wayne and Batman. Had he been one of very few pieces of canonical connective tissue utilized in the timeline-changing chaos, I might not be so quick to question others’ absences. But this is also a movie that delivered Michael Shannon’s return as General Zod (even if he wasn’t so pumped about it), the perhaps final on-screen appearance from Ben Affleck’s Batman, and a bunch of literal alt-universe worlds colliding. 

But those worlds were almost entirely focused on the various live-action iterations of Superman and Batman from the past 100 years. For example, moviegoers could see TV’s first Man of Steel George Reeves, a poignant shot of CGI Christopher Reeve alongside Helen Slater’s Supergirl, the Batman and Robin from the 1940s movie serials, the aforementioned Super Nick Cage, and way more. There were more than enough moments during that sequence (or elsewhere in the 144-minute movie) where Grant Gustin’s Barry could have been featured prominently, if temporarily, as everything started to converge. Hell, he could have easily lent a helping hand or two in the process, having already saved his Earth’s Central City and beyond from time-traveling no-nos. (Far too many of them, some might say.) 

I personally would have found it to be awesome if Grant Gustin’s Barry was revealed to be the Dark Flash who’d spent years and years trying to perfect the time traveling rescue mission. Especially since that reveal was one of the film’s weaker moments. 

At The Very Least, John Wesley Shipp Should Have Been Honored

Perhaps Andy Muschietti and the film’s producers felt that the Arrowverse’s Flash already featured too many examples of ‘90s Flash actor John Wesley Shipp returning as either Henry Allen or Jay Garrick. Or maybe there was another reason behind it all, but I couldn’t help but also feel a bit judgmental about the movie not paying respect to the first person to ever play The Flash in live-action. Shipp starred as Barry Allen for a single 22-episode season in the 1990s TV series, and went on to appear in even more Arrowverse episodes. 

So even if there were issues over scheduling or timing or whatever when it came to bringing Grant Gustin into The Flash’s storyline fold, it’s possibly a bigger miscue for the movie to also not have paid direct tribute to Shipp ushering DC’s speedsters into live-action for the first time. Granted, he wasn’t the very first to play the part, as Mary Tyler Moore Show vet Ted Knight and voice acting great Jack Angel were two of the actors to voice Flash for the animated SuperFriends series. References to those two would have been cool as well, but nah. 

No doubt various reasons exist for why The Flash so deliberately ignored its main character's own pop culture history, but it was still disappointing to walk out of the theater without witnessing any love being shown to the TV universe. But we can always return to Grant Gustin's version of the Speed Force with a Netflix subscription, assuming Barry didn't accidentally erase Netflix from existence at some point.

It’s been almost three weeks since the series finale of The Flash aired and effectively closed out Grant Gustin’s time as the Scarlett Speedster. The actor portrayed the beloved DC hero for 10 years, first appearing on Arrow’s second season before winding up with his own starring vehicle. It was announced in 2022 that the show, the last remaining and longest-running Arrowverse installment, would be coming to an end after its since-concluded ninth season. With that, a number of fans may have been wondering what prompted the decision. Now, Gustin -- who was emotional and nostalgic during production -- is opening up about why he decided to end the series. 

While appearing at Phoenix Fan Fusion, Grant Gustin shared his decision to conclude the show. As explained by Parks and Cons via Twitter, the actor initially found it daunting to be leading a major TV show at the age of 23, though in time, he grew into the position. Nevertheless, things have changed in Gustin's personal life since then, as he now has a family. And due to his work responsibilities he's had to spend time away from his daughter, meaning he can't even do things like read her a bedtime story. So given the push and pull, he ultimately reasoned that it was time to hang up his famed costume.

I can imagine it's hard doing such a job while having a child at home. As is the case with the fan-favorite actor, one can't help but feel like they're missing all of the important milestones in their kid's life. The Glee alum and his wife welcomed their daughter in 2021, so she's still quite young. It's understandable that star would want to ensure that he's around during her formative years.

Seeing the beloved superhero series end was bittersweet, but it was able to have a proper finale, which nearly marked a full-circle moment for Barry. Unfortunately, due to the shortened 13-episode season, some "spectacular" storyline plans had to be cut. Even though a lot of familiar faces returned to Central City for the final season, not everyone could make it, which was definitely disappointing. Still, you can't help but appreciate that there was closure and that the leading man was able to conclude things when he was ready.

When Grant Gustin wrapped filming on The Flash, he posted a lengthy message to his Instagram about how much the series means to him. He also included photos from his last day that feature him, his wife, and their daughter. Walking away from something that's been part of his life for 10 years had to be bittersweet. Nevertheless, I'm sure he takes comfort in the fact that he was able to walk away on his own terms and is now in a position where he can spend more time with his family.

Check out all nine seasons of The Flash now with a Netflix subscription. Also, know that while the journey of Grant Gustin's Barry Allen may be over, the show left the door open for spinoffs. The chances of them happening may be slim but, who knows, maybe an offshoot could happen that doesn't require Gustin to reprise his role.

The Flash has been a popular subject of late for two reasons: The Flash movie is finally coming out nearly a decade after being announced, and The Flash TV series recently concluded after nine seasons. Well these two projects have now converged in arguably the biggest way since Grant Gustin and Ezra Miller’s versions of Barry Allen met in Crisis on Infinite Earths. The movie’s director, Andy Muschietti, recently stated that he thinks Miller’s the only one who could effectively play the character, and fans of Gustin’s Scarlet Speedster were not pleased with that comment.

Muschietti shared this opinion while talking about how if The Flash 2 happens, he would definitely bring back Ezra Miller rather than recast the role. Fans have wondered if the latter is an option given the numerous controversies that have surrounded the actor in the last several years, with last summer seeing the actor issue a public apology and saying that they had “begun ongoing treatment” for their “complex mental health issues.” In any case, Muschietti’s saying that Miller’s the only actor fit to play The Flash resulted in Grant Gustin enthusiasts coming to his defense, like @lexibexwrites:

Although The Flash TV show didn’t premiere until September 2014, Gustin first appeared as Barry Allen in the Arrow Season 2 episodes “The Scientist” and “Three Ghosts,” meaning he played the role for nearly 10 full years. After so much time, it’s no wonder Gustin’s take on Barry has so many fans, with @SmashTriviaJohn having this to say:

Interestingly enough, Ezra Miller’s casting as Barry Allen in the DC Extended Universe was announced on the same day that The Flash TV show’s second episode aired. Miller has since played Barry in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, both versions of Justice League, the Peacemaker Season 1 finale and the aforementioned Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover. While Miller’s Barry certainly isn’t lacking in fans, there are also those who feel he hasn’t been a good fit in the role, including @SimplyDango:

All this isn’t to say that The Flash TV show was a perfect product; you certainly don’t have to look long to find criticism concerning the later seasons. Nevertheless, if you feel the same way that @TigheSammy does, Gustin’s performance as its leading character was never one of the show’s problems:

Naturally opinion is subjective, so whether Ezra Miller or Grant Gustin is the better Flash is up to each individual person. Still, it’s clear that Gustin’s fans won’t stand for the claim that Miller is the only one capable of bringing Barry Allen to life. As @thcfastestman put it:

Unfortunately, despite the two Flashes meeting each other a few years ago and this movie delivering a multiversal adventure, Grant Gustin will not appear in Ezra Miller’s Flash story. What moviegoers can look forward to is Miller’s Barry teaming up with both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton’s versions of Batman, Sasha Calle’s Supergirl and even his own doppelgänger, who also gains super speed. The Flash opened to critical acclaim at CinemaCon in late April, and a DC video showed various moviegoers sharing their positive reactions after early screenings.

The Flash movie races into theaters on June 16, and for those of you interested in watching the entirety of The Flash TV show, all nine seasons can be streamed with a Netflix subscription. Keep your eyes peeled on CinemaBlend for more coverage on upcoming DC movies and upcoming DC TV shows.

Warning! Spoilers ahead for the series finale of The Flash, “A New World, Part Four.” Read at your own risk!

The The Flash's series finale has come and gone, marking the end of The CW's Arrowverse era. There were technically endless possibilities for how the series would come to an end after nine seasons, but fans got to see Barry and Iris finally welcoming Nora to the world, with Barry sharing his speed powers amongst a group of new heroes. However, that wasn’t the only idea that was bounced around by the creative team, as star Grant Gustin recently revealed.

Grant Gustin wrapped filming on The Flash in April, and it was just a month later when the finale aired for fans. While the series’ ending seemed to be a solid way to maintain a happy ending, considering what the team has been through, Gustin told Entertainment Weekly about a fan theory that caught his interest, and how he wanted that to be the ending, but showrunner Eric Wallace was set on the final version:

If Barry had sacrificed himself to the Speed Force, the ending would have obviously been very different, from the tone to the aftermath in Central City and beyond. He would have sacrificed himself to save the world, but it would be at the cost of his family, and with Iris being pregnant, it would have changed that storyline as well. Not to mention if Barry had sacrificed himself, their second child, Bart, would have never been born. Luckily, Eric Wallace came through and did not want to change the ending, even if it made for a full-circle moment. 

One's mileage will vary as far as whether Eric Wallace was right in not moving forward with Grant Gustin’s original idea, but Gustin himself ended up being glad it wasn’t used. The ending that made the cut was a positive conclusion that gave the various Team Flash members a brighter future, whether it was together or apart. Plus, Barry’s hypothetical sacrifice would have mirrored a plot device that was already used for Stephen Amell's Arrow hero Oliver Queen, and Gustin realized he didn’t want it to happen that way. In his words:

When Oliver Queen sacrificed himself in the “Crisis” crossover, it was a highly emotional affair that marked the beginning of the end for the lineup of Arrowverse dramas. Barry had survivor’s guilt, feeling like he should have tried to do something to save Oliver, which in turn motivated him to do better. Barry sacrificing himself for the Speed Force after Oliver sacrificed himself for Barry, Kara, and the rest of the world really would have upended things. This way, Barry gets his happy ending and gets to keep Oliver’s legacy alive.

The Flash ended by introducing comic characters Avery Ho, Jess Chambers, and Max Mercury, but there's no telling whether or not a potential spinoff will happen, considering The CW is shifting entirely away from superhero shows. So fans will just have to keep an eye out and hope that this isn’t the complete end of the small screen's Scarlet Speedster. In the meantime, check out the 2023 TV schedule to see what other premieres to look forward to.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for The Flash series finale "A New World: Part 4." Read at your own risk!

The Flash closed out its nine-season run in a most epic fashion, as Eddie Thawne used his new Cobalt Blue persona to bring back almost all of Barry's greatest rivals in an attempt to kill him once and for all. Fortunately, Team Flash was prepared for the just such a cataclysmic situation, and managed to defeat the villains and save Central City yet again. And while this was the swan song for this particular series, The Flash's finale actually set the stage for a potential follow-up somewhere down the line by introducing a batch of new characters who will now be just as capable of protecting the Arrowverse as Barry Allen, but without necessarily using star Grant Gustin. 

The series came to its conclusion with Barry holding the infant Nora West-Allen, and telling her that he decided to share and spread the ability to do good for the world by distributing his powers from the Speed Force. The weight of the world doesn't need to squarely rest on his shoulders anymore, at least the part of that weight that required super-speed.

In going this route, The Flash introduced a new set of speedsters that, theoretically, could lead a future spinoff on a platform other than The CW, should DC decide to keep the Arrowverse alive and kicking on Earth-Prime. Here's are the three new characters revealed as the next generation of speedsters, and a bit of what we know about them from DC Comics lore.

Avery Ho

Avery Ho previously appeared in The Flash Season 8 as an intern whom Bart Allen quickly developed a crush on whenever he was time traveling with Nora, although we only knew her then as Avery. Now that we know her last name, and that she'll become a speedster, it seems like the Arrowverse sneakily introduced the Chinese-American speedster who would go on to become The Flash of China in DC Comics. 

No word if that'd be her fate within this show's canon, but given her super speed, I can't imagine it would be a rough commute. I'd also like to know if her powers might make a relationship with Bart more viable. Hey, it has to be easier when both people can travel through time for dates!

Max Mercury

Max Mercury is another character who has featured in plenty of DC Comics adventures, but it looks like the man we met in The Flash may be on a different narrative path than the source material's versions. I say that mainly because Mercury's origin story starts in the past, and this character was clearly seen in the present day. 

Additionally, Mercury becomes an eventual mentor of Bart Allen on the page, but The Flash already established Jay Garrick in that role in previous seasons. All that said, actor Trevor Carroll looked pretty damned cool in the role, and I'd love to see more of him should a spinoff be announced. 

Jess Chambers

Actress Hana Destiny Huggins was introduced as Jess Chambers, one of the newer speedsters of DC Comics. Again, there doesn't seem to be much connection between Jess in The Flash and the comic book counterpart. But then there wasn't that much time to develop the character within this episode. 

Even so, it's cool to see yet another speedster in the fold who would be capable of carrying on the show's legacy into the future, if that becomes a possibility. Hey, there's plenty of time to work out the details, as these are just short scenes of regular folks about to get their powers. 

Will The Flash Get A Spinoff? 

There hasn't been serious talk about a direct spinoff to The Flash outside of Tom Cavanagh's interesting pitch for an Thawne series. For now, the story of DC stories on the Arrowverse's Earth Prime are through, though there's always a possibility that a series like Superman & Lois could use interdimensional travel to bring out another crossover. The good news is that showrunner Eric Wallace at least laid the groundwork for a follow-up should anyone be interested, and that might be the best possible thing to do to set it up for a future.

The Flash is over,  but anyonet with a Netflix subscription can binge Seasons 1 through 8 while they wait for Season 9 to hit streaming. Those who are all caught up might want to head over to the 2023 TV schedule and see what else can be picked up now that there's a vacant hour in Wednesday-night primetime. 

The Flash’s final season is currently airing on The CW, meaning we're just weeks away from the Arrowverse ceasing to exist, at least as far as future projects go. (Most are still available to stream with a Netflix subscription.) With filming now completed on the relative handful of episodes that are left of the superhero series, Grant Gustin officially wrapped his final day portraying the Scarlet Speedster, and while it seemingly wasn't a hectic day full of stunts and emotional turmoil, it’s still a lot to take in.

Grant Gustin posted a video to his Instagram Stories with an update for his followers that confirmed he'd just walked out of his final ADR session and supplied presumably the very last bits of dialogue as Barry Allen. The actor looked to be a mix of several emotions in the video, and after playing a well-known superhero for nine years, I don’t blame him. Here's what he had to say:

Grant Gustin revealed that filming wrapped for The Flash at the beginning of March, and now with this final ADR recording session in the books, it seems like Gustin is officially saying goodbye to Barry and his speedy superhero counterpart. It’s never easy saying goodbye to a series or character, but luckily, there’s still a month left of episodes, so fans still have plenty of time until really having to say goodbye to Team Flash.

When it was announced that The Flash was ending with Season 9, Grant Gustin shared a heartfelt message about how much the show and the fans have meant to him for almost a decade. His take on the Flash has become a fan-favorite, especially in comparison to the slowly developing speedster's journey on the big screen, so it’s going to be quite the sad affair when the final episode airs. The last nine years have definitely been a whirlwind for the series and a roller coaster of storylines. How The Flash comes to an end will be something to look forward to, even though it will be coming to an end. It's almost sad that Gustin's final day wasn't more of an emotional gut punch, with other stars there to share in his final day.

However, despite some storylines getting cut, Team Flash still has more adventures and world-saving on the docket. Before The Flash takes its final run, fans are going to be in for a treat. This week’s episode will feature the long-awaited return of Stephen Amell’s Oliver Queen. While even Gustin didn’t think it’d happen, the reunion will likely bring some tears out within the fanbase, as if they haven’t been shedding some already. Check out the trailer for that episode below! 

Even though Grant Gustin is officially wrapped on The Flash, that doesn’t mean he’s forever done playing the character. There is still hope that he’ll cameo in the upcoming The Flash movie, especially since Ezra Miller cameoed on The CW for the “Crisis” crossover. Unfortunately, nothing is set in stone, but it would be a mistake if Gustin wasn’t in the movie, even if it’s for a few seconds.

The series finale of The Flash is set to air on Wednesday, May 24, as part of the 2023 TV schedule, so there’s still some time left to prepare for the end. Although it will be hard, it should be intriguing to see how this whole journey wraps up and what Team Flash will be up to next.

The Flash is in its final season on The CW, and while the series hasn't been able to bring back a number of its former stars over the years, it will bring back a very big one soon. Stephen Amell will reprise his role as Oliver Queen in the upcoming episode "It's My Party And I'll Die If I Want To," which is a character return that star Grant Gustin didn't see coming. Having previous posted behind-the-scenes photos together, both actors recently spoke about the reunion ahead of the episode and shared some details about the return. 

Barry Allen will reunite with Oliver Queen in an adventure involving returning villain Dr. Ramsey Rosso, who crashes Barry's birthday party. It's not entirely clear how Stephen Amell's Oliver will return in The Flash, which might be why Grant Gustin confessed to TVLine he wasn't sure it would happen. Gustin talked about the return and how he didn't believe Stephen Amell's return was actually possible:

Arrowverse fans might've felt it was impossible for Stephen Amell to return as Oliver Queen as well considering he's dead. Of course, the DC universe has any number of ways to bring a hero or villain back from the dead, and The Flash only adds to the number of possibilities. We've learned that Barry will actually team up with the original Oliver from the afterlife, which is a new one, even for this series. 

What was it like for Stephen Amell to get back into the saddle after leaving the Arrowverse? The actor has managed to stay busy with his series Heels since the end of Arrow, but that didn't make the return to The CW any less stressful for him:

Stephen Amell had some jitters when he first showed up to the set, but once he had some time to get back into the swing of being on an Arrowverse set, he was comfortable. I wouldn't have expected anything differently given he was a fixture on the network for the better part of a decade.  

Overall, Stephen Amell is happy that he was able to return for the final season of The Flash and to share scenes with Grant Gustin. Amell talked about the experience briefly, and confirmed how great it was to be on the show: 

Stephen Amell is just one part of what looks to be an exciting final stretch of episodes for The Flash. Among other things, it's looking like we'll finally get to see Cobalt Blue and some more returning villains. After being disappointed by some of the earlier surprises in this season so far, I'm hoping the show can finish strong with this appearance by Stephen Amell and others toward the end. 

The Flash airs on The CW on Wednesdays at 8:00 pm ET. This season is hurdling toward the finish line, so be sure to take a look at our 2023 TV schedule to see what new shows are on the way after it's over. 

The Flash movie is coming, and with it, a lot of multiversal goodness. Ezra Miller's Barry Allen will rub shoulders with the likes of Michael Keaton's Batman and many others, but apparently this movie can only have so many DC legends. Not every actor can be celebrated in this movie, but I have to say, if this movie isn't going to show any love to Grant Gustin's Barry Allen, it's making a huge mistake. 

For those unfamiliar, Gustin has played The Flash on The CW ever since his character was first introduced in an Arrow Season 2 episode at the end of 2013. A decade later, The Flash series is in the home stretch of its final season and closing out its story with Barry Allen and the rest of Team Flash. It seemed logical that Grant Gustin would have some part to play in the upcoming Flash movie, but as Gustin himself confirmed, that may not be the case: 

If we are to believe Grant Gustin at his word, then he did not film any new footage for The Flash. While that doesn't effectively rule out the possibility that Gustin's version of Barry will appear in the upcoming DC movie, it does make it seem like the movie could leave the beloved Arrowverse incarnation of the hero out of one of its biggest events for the character in a long time. To me, that's a massive mistake for several reasons. 

Grant Gustin's Flash Has Elevated The Character In The Mainstream

Speaking for myself, I can say that prior to the start of The Flash on The CW, I didn't know a ton about the title character. Much of what I knew about Flash was from Justice League and Justice League Unlimited in the 2000s, which provided a fairly bare-bones representation of him. Furthermore, that Flash, voiced by Smallville actor Michael Rosenbaum, was actually Wally West and not the Barry Allen we grew to know throughout the course of The CW series. 

It was through The CW's The Flash that I learned about the romance with Iris West, the death of Barry's mother and the various nuances of Barry's powers. Of course, the series took some liberties with the character and his story in various points compared to what's in DC Comics, but some of those changes were certainly for the better. 

The Flash's legacy on The CW will live on through the series, but also through original characters like Harrison Wells and Joe West. These characters elevated the Flash lore, and let's be honest, the hero as a whole that, to that point, was probably more known for the symbol worn by The Big Bang Theory's Sheldon Cooper. 

And really, even The Big Bang Theory did a better job of pushing The Flash into the mainstream than DC movies did. Following cameo appearances in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad, Barry Allen made his full film debut in Justice League as an ensemble player, and if that was the only information we had to go on the character and his history, there would be a lot of ground for this upcoming movie to cover. Fortunately, The CW series and Grant Gustin's character has already put in some leg work over the past decade so that Ezra Miller's Flash can spend more time breaking the multiverse. 

The Flash Movie At One Point Tried To Tie-In With The Series

Beyond the fact that The Flash movie is a tale of Barry Allen tapping into the multiverse, it needs to be said that it seemed as though there were plans for Grant Gustin to be in it at one point. At least, that's what we were led to believe when Ezra Miller made a very unexpected cameo during the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover event. Check it out below in case you've never seen it: 

For those that haven't watched a lot of The Flash on The CW, the manner in which that scene was shot on is not the usual quality of the series. As such, it seemed like it was made to be used elsewhere, and it's possible we see this scene recycled in the upcoming Flash movie. Of course, there's also a chance that we don't see that happen, which would have me all the more confused as to why it was shot in the first place. 

Granted, this scene aired back in early 2020, when the movie we will soon see was still pretty early into pre-production. The Flash has gone through a lot beyond all of Ezra Miller's controversies to make it to theaters, so it's entirely possible whatever was planned with Grant Gustin initially was scrapped down the way. Even so, one wouldn't think if someone wanted to include that scene or a different one with Gustin in any incarnation that followed, it wouldn't be a huge problem. 

DC's Continued Snubbing Of Its Television In Movies Sends The Wrong Message In A New Era

I don't think that it's any secret that in spite of a few hit movies along the way, the DCEU wouldn't have been retooled if Warner Bros. had thought it was a success. Despite that failure, fans were given plenty of DC content during that time thanks to The Flash and other Arrowverse shows. Without them, there would've been far less DC content in the past decade, and even fewer to celebrate. 

And yet, so much of that decade was hampered by some of the most ambitious Arrowverse ideas being scrapped because of film division reportedly not allowing the rights to certain things. Additionally, the Arrowverse has acknowledged the films a number of times, while the movies weren't expected to do the same. I get that one property is much bigger than the other, but that doesn't make it any less disrespectful. 

I believe if Grant Gustin is excluded from The Flash movie, it's a big sign that the DCEU isn't really interested in honoring the Arrowverse and possibly the other upcoming DC television shows in its film universe. Gustin deserves some shine for this movie, even if it isn't a big part, but instead it appears we'll just get Ezra Miller playing two versions of Barry Allen instead. 

The Flash premieres in theaters on June 16th. Those looking to binge The CW's The Flash can do so with their Netflix subscription and revisit some of the best episodes of the series. 

The DC Universe has had an unprecedented life in theaters, full of peaks and valleys. New co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran are currently working hard to create a more cohesive shared universe, making bold choices like firing Henry Cavill from the role of Superman. One of the most highly anticipated upcoming DC movies is definitely Andy Muschietti’s The Flash, which is expected to course-correct the official timeline. And after Ezra Miller’s Flash TV show cameo, will Grant Gustin appear in the DC movie? Here’s his honest reaction.

Acor Ezra Miller is the DCU’s version of The Flash, having already appeared in Justice League in addition to cameos in Batman v Superman and David Ayer’s Suicide Squad. They also broke the internet when appearing opposite Grant Gustin in The CW’s Flash show. Fans are hoping that the Glee alum will return the favor in the upcoming movie, and he was recently asked by TV Line if this is a possibility. Gustin responded honestly, saying:

Well, there you have it. While some fans might still be holding out hope, it doesn’t look like Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen is going to get in on the multiversal action of the forthcoming DC flick. But from the looks of it, the Flash movie has enough superheroes that it probably didn’t need yet another version of the speedster included. After all, Miller is playing multiple versions of their signature character.

Even if Grant Gustin didn’t get to film a role in Andy Muschietti’s Flash movie, at least DC fans got to see the two Barry Allen actors on the small screen together. That crossover was a small but thrilling sequence, and marks the only time the DCU really interacted with the Arrowverse. Funny enough, the final season of The Flash is wrapping up around the same time that the movie is released.

Of course, there are plenty of fans out there who might not believe Gustin’s comments about not appearing in the Flash movie. After Andrew Garfield lied about his role in Spider-Man: No Way Home for months, it seems like we just can’t believe superhero actors when they deny roles in upcoming projects. Hey, that’s just part of the gig in a world full of spoilers.

While Grant Gustin is seemingly not appealing in The Flash, there’s plenty of other exciting superhero appearances in the upcoming blockbuster. For instance, the mysterious projects will feature both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton as Batman. We’ll also be introduced to Sasha Calle as Supergirl, while Ezra Miller appears as two different forms of Barry Allen.

The Flash is currently expected to arrive in theaters on June 16th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Since the early days of its second season, ABC’s The Goldbergs has provided a professional home for star Sam Lerner, whose Geoff Schwartz has been a fan favorite for much of that stretch. As such, it only makes sense that his longtime sitcom co-stars were quick to reach out after he shared the news that his uncle Michael Lerner, Hollywood icon known for works such as Elf, and Barton Fink, passed away over the weekend. 

Sam Lerner took to Instagram to share a loving and kindhearted message about his talented uncle, while also showing off plenty of picture’s from the actor’s career. Here’s what he had to say about Michael Lerner’s passing:

Quite a loving and honor-driven post from the Monster House voice actor, and it's clear there was a lot of love going around this particular sector of the Lerner family tree. And it's clear that the Eight Men Out star had a big influence on his nephew's career goals. Considering the older actor's first handful of years getting regular Hollywood gigs had him on memorable shows such as The Brady Bunch, That Girl and The Doris Day Show, only to go on and land nearly 200 other roles throughout the industry. (Though never on The Goldbergs, unfortunately.) 

Quite a few of Sam Lerner's co-stars, friends and followers reached out with condolence-filled messages following his reveal. One actor who rushed to share his feelings was The Flash soon-to-exit star Grant Gustin, who said the following:

To be expected, several of Sam Lerner's co-stars from The Goldbergs also reacted to his sad news on social, such as the '80s family matriarch Wendi McLendon Covey, fellow student portrayer Alex Jennings, and the actor's TV mom Mindy Sterling. Their comments can be read below. 

• Alex Jennings: Oh man, so so sorry Sam. Sending love to you and the whole fam. ❤️
• Wendi McLendon Covey: I'm so sorry! Sending love to you and your family.
• Mindy Sterling: Sam I know it’s tough I also no how proud you were of him. Sending love to you and your family and especially your dad❤️

Beyond his own Goldbergs co-stars, Sam Lerner also got some love from some former ABC sitcom stars such as Last Man Standing vets Kaitlyn Dever and Molly McCook. 

• Kaitlyn Dever: ❤️
• Molly McCook: So sorry, Sam. ♥️♥️♥️ sending love

Fear the Walking Dead alum Alycia Debnam-Carter shared a heart emoji in response to Sam Lerner's news, while Flight Attendant and Glee vet Nolan Funk expressed how sorry he was to hear the news. Fans can check out the bulk of the photos that Sam Lerner shared on his Instgram post, while also going through the comments to read all the kind words for the actor.

The Hollywood icon's death clearly serves as a major blow to Lerner, who is already dealing with having to say farewell to the biggest TV gig he's landed so far when The Goldbergs ends with Season 10's conclusion. The show wrapping up at ABC was partially expected in the aftermath of Jeff Garlin's exit in Season 9, with the tenth season itself being something of a surprise when it was ordered. 

While some may have been introduced to Grant Gustin from his recurring role as Sebastian Smythe in Glee, there’s no question that being cast as Barry Allen/The Flash catapulted the actor to significantly higher levels of fame. Following his debut as the character in Arrow Season 2, Gustin moved on to leading The Flash spinoff series, which is now in the middle of its ninth and final season on The CW. While the public is still a few months away from seeing The Flash’s last episode, Gustin’s time as the Scarlet Speedster is now over, and he turned to social media to reflect on his time in the Arrowverse.

Taking to his Instagram page, Grant Gustin shared that he shot his final The Flash scenes this past Saturday, and his family was on hand to see his last shot suited up as the DC superhero. Gustin expressed gratitude to all the people he’s worked with on this nearly decade-long journey that will ultimately add up to 184 episodes of The Flash, not to mention his guest appearances on other Arrowverse shows. Gustin also thanked the fans who have “remained passionate about our show through 9 seasons” and so many changes. You can read his full thoughts, and check out some pictures he shared, below.

Although there was a period where The Flash showrunner Eric Wallace was plotting a tenth season, The CW decided to bring the show back for only one more round,  albeit with a reduced 13-episode order. While Grant Gustin was abundantly clear he has a lot of positive memories from working on the second Arrowverse show, he also said in February that he was “ready” for The Flash to be over because he’s geared up to move on to the next phase of his life. Gustin’s farewell post about The Flash follows just a few days after he was seen in a sweet behind-the-scenes photo with Stephen Amell, who’s reprising Oliver Queen/Green Arrow in Season 9’s ninth episode.

The Flash fans are four episodes deep into Season 9, and the main conflict has so far revolved around Javicia Leslie’s Red Death, a speedster version of Ryan Wilder from an alternate timeline who referenced the best line from Michael Keaton’s Batman in last week’s “The Mask of the Red Death, Part 1.” The Red Death saga comes to a close this week, and while it hasn’t been officially announced who will be the series’ final big bad, it’s looking like it will be a resurrected Eddie Thawne becoming Cobalt Blue. Other familiar faces who will be back later this season include Teddy Sears’ Zoom, John Wesley Shipp’s Jay Garrick, Keiynan Lonsdale’s Wally West, Sendhil Ramamurthy’s Bloodwork and Matt Letscher as Eobard Thawne in his original form.

New episodes of The Flash air Wednesdays at 8 pm ET on The CW. Make sure you’re using our 2023 TV schedule to keep track of when your favorite shows are airing/returning, and continue visiting CinemaBlend for coverage on current and upcoming DC TV shows.

The final season of The Flash is now airing on The CW, and as production winds down for the last ever episode (at least filming, if not post-production efforts), the reality is really setting in that the Arrowverse will be tying off its 11-year existence. Luckily, it will go out with a varied assortment of bangs, with Season 9 welcoming back familiar faces spanning the superhero drama's entire run. That of course includes the man who started everything: Oliver Qu..., er, Stephen Amell. The Arrow alum previously confirmed his return, and is now celebrating the end of an era with a sweet behind-the-scenes photo. 

Cast posts started pouring onto social media regarding The Flash's final episode being filmed, and Stephen Amell wasn't about to get left out. He took to Twitter to share the BTS photo seen below of him and Barry Allen portrayer Grant Gustin, which appears to be from a previous crossover episode, but is still making me think of what we used to have while anticipating scenes yet to come.

Amell and Gustin have always enjoyed a close bond, which always made it a treat when Arrow and The Flash crossovers happened, since their chemistry helped strenghten Oliver and Barry's on-screen bond. With Amell guest-starring in at least one upcoming episode, we will all likely be bombared with all those feels again, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we get tons of new behind-the-scenes photos to pore over after the episode airs.

Even after Arrow ended, Stephen Amell still kept Oliver and Green Arrow close to him, whether by permanent tribute to the hooded vigilante or posting throwback training videos on occasion. The fact that he also said yes to appearing on The Flash one last time, albeit with an understandable request, seemingly proves that he will never turn his back fully on his DC past, so long as it makes sense narratively for him to return.

The ever-changing crowd of Arrowverse cast members has always appeared to keep close with one another, with one example being Supergirl vet Melissa Benoist’s favorite crossover memories including Stephen Amell and Grant Gustin. To say nothing of the endless love shared by stars from Legends of Tomorrow, Batwoman and other shows. So seeing any number of flashback photos as The Flash wraps up filming will inevitably make me nostalgic, and I miss the golden time of the Arrowverse. But it looks like the bond and relationships that have been formed over the years will not go away.

The Flash’s final season was initially announced last year, and premiering later than usual gave fans more time to prepare for the inevitable. However, we're getting only 13 episodes as opposed to the usual 20, meaning some storylines were cut that would have been wild to see. But it seems like there will still be plenty to look forward to, including, oh I dunno, Oliver Queen's post-death return!

Don’t miss a second of The Flash's nostalgia tour when the drama airs on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST on The CW as part of the 2023 TV schedule!

Spoilers ahead for the Season 9 premiere of The Flash, “Wednesday Ever After.” Read at your own risk! 

It’s the beginning of the end, as the Season 9 premiere has officially kicked off The Flash's final stretch on The CW. With it being the last season of the superhero series, Team Flash is going all out by bringing a lot of familiar faces back to Central City, when it comes to both heroes and baddies. The original plans were meant to go even bigger, however, when showrunner Eric Wallace and the rest of the team thought there'd be a full slate of episodes and the potential for Season 10. 

It was only after The Flash’s final season was announced that the reveal came confirming only 13 episodes were on the way instead of a total closer to 20+ (as it's gone in past seasons not affected by COVID). Which came after Eric Wallace already had to downscale his plans that would have fed into a tenth season. Wallace spoke with The Nerds of Color and shared he had spectacular plans for Seasons 9 and 10, which would have involved the 200th episode:

When The Flash airs its series finale, it will wrap at about 184 episodes, making it just 16 short of 200, which is definitely a disappointment, though still a huge feat for any genre series. It sounds like Eric Wallace had some pretty big plans for Season 10 that had to get left out before the cutting room floor even came into it. As far as specifics, those may need to be kept secret until the season is over, as not to spoil the things that definitely won't happen. 

Luckily, there will still be lots of big Flash plotting and character work to look forward to throughout the rest of Season 9. Eric Wallace promises there will still be tons of nostalgia as fans somewhat travel back to the first season where it all began, for a reworked version of his Episode 200 plan. In his words:

Whenever shows go back to their roots for final seasons, you know (or at least hope) it’s going to be good. While it is sad that some storylines did have to be cut, like a potential return to Legends of Tomorrow’s unfinished stories, at least there’s still a decent amount of episodes to wrap up Team Flash’s story, with an official conclusion in place. Too bad the same can’t be said for all the shows canceled in 2022.

Meanwhile, there’s already been some spectacular storylines this season, as Danielle Panabaker’s new character was revealed to be someone very different from Caitlin and Frost. Not only that, but Javicia Leslie’s character also made an appearance, and not as Ryan Wilder this time around, but instead, the big bad Red Death. How those two will impact the final season will be something to look forward to, as well as what this means for Barry and the team. 

With what Eric Wallace still has planned for this season of The Flash, including an epic-yet-emotional reunion between Barry and Stephen Amell’s Oliver Queen, tissues are definitely still going to be needed. And I can’t wait to see how Team Flash’s story comes to an end amidst everything else in the 2023 TV schedule.

There was a time when Grant Gustin was best known for his recurring role as Sebastian Smythe in Glee, but for almost a decade now, the actor has been entertaining the masses as the Arrowverse’s Barry Allen, a.k.a. The Flash. This chapter of his professional journey is ending soon though, as it was announced in August that The Flash is wrapping up with Season 9. Production on the final season has now kicked off, and Gustin shared an emotional message and some throwback pictures to commemorate the beginning of the end.

Several days after the news broke that The Flash will be ending its run (pun intended) on The CW, Grant Gustin said on social media that the show concluding was “bittersweet” and thanked fans for all their support over the years. A little over a month later, Gustin returned to Instagram to talk about this final stretch of the proverbial race now that cameras now rolling on The Flash Season 9. As he wrote in the caption:

Arrowverse fans will recall that Grant Gustin debuted as Barry Allen in the Arrow Season 2 episodes “The Scientist” and “Three Ghosts,” the latter of which ended with Barry being struck by the lightning that gave him super speed. Almost a year later, The Flash premiered on The CW, and you look through Gustin’s collections of photos from the Season 1 period below, with some highlights including him looking at a Flash building advertisement, performing opposite John Wesley Shipp and promoting the show with the rest of the cast. Now we have to wait to regroup with Gustin after Season 9 is finished filming to read the longer emotional message he’ll write.

The Flash will go down as the longest-running Arrowverse show, overtaking Arrow’s 170 episodes across eight seasons. The Flash is also the last series set in the “main” Arrowverse continuity, as Superman & Lois has been revealed as taking place on a different Earth. So although The CW still has Superman & Lois Season 3 on the way, as well as fellow DC fare like Stargirl and the forthcoming Gotham Knights, The Flash’s final season will also essentially conclude the continuity that launched with Arrow’s premiere in 2012, excluding any comic book tie-ins, and provided that Justice U project starring David Ramsey’s John Diggle doesn’t get off the ground.

No specific plot details for The Flash Season 9 have been revealed yet, although we will be reuniting with Sendhil Ramamurthy’s Ramsey Rosso, a.k.a. Bloodwork, who hasn’t appeared in Season 6. While the majority of the The Flash’s main cast will remain intact for this final batch of episodes, Jesse L. Martin  will only reprise Joe West in a recurring capacity. Originally Barry Allen’s showdown with Eobard Thawne, a.k.a. Reverse-Flash, at the end of Season 8 was intended to wrap up the series, but now showrunner Eric Wallace and his writing team have an extra 13 episodes to make that happen.

The Flash Season 9 will begin sometime in 2023, but you can catch up on the previous eight seasons with a Netflix subscription. Learn what’s premiering on The CW later this year by looking through the 2022 TV schedule.

The final stretch of The Flash’s race on The CW is here. Earlier this week, it was announced that the long-running DC Comics TV show will conclude next year with Season 9. Now Grant Gustin, who’s been leading the charge on The Flash as Barry Allen, has delivered a heartwarming message about this popular DC series coming to an end.

Following his debut as Barry Allen in the Arrow Season 2 episodes “The Scientist” and “Three Ghosts,” Grant Gustin, who’d previously appeared on TV shows like Glee and 90210, took the spotlight in The Flash, and we’ve spent nearly a decade watching the character and his allies protect the citizens of Central City and save the world on multiple occasions. With this era of his professional life coming to an end, Gustin said the following words on Instagram about The Flash’s final season.

During the first chunk of The Flash Season 8, it was unclear if the series would return for another season, but in January, it was reported that Grant Gustin had signed a new one-year deal to keep going as the Scarlet Speedster. At that time, it was said the actor “capped his involvement” at 15 episodes, but because  there will only be 13 episodes in The Flash Season 9, we can presumably expect to see Gustin in all of them. The Flash propelled Gustin to worldwide popularity, and as he laid out above, he’s enjoyed playing Barry Allen for all these years and is looking forward to shooting this final batch of episodes. More importantly, the actor thanked the fans, as The Flash wouldn’t have aired for as long as it did without their support.

Ahead of The Flash Season 8 finale, which featured a climactic showdown between Barry Allen and Tom Cavanagh’s Eobard Thawne, a.k.a. Reverse-Flash, it was confirmed that Candice Patton, who plays Iris West-Allen, will also be back for Season 9. Other actors expected to return for this final season include Danielle Panabaker, Danielle Nicolet, Kayla Compton, Brandon McKnight and Jesse L. Martin, although the latter will reprise Joe West in a recurring capacity rather than as a main cast member. The Flash showrunner Eric Wallace has also said that the Season 8 finale was originally envisioned as a series finale, but now he and the other writers have an extra 13 episodes to wrap things up.

Although The Flash Season 9 won’t premiere until early 2023, we do have some clues about what’s in store. For one thing, among the teases sprinkled into the end of The Flash Season 8 finale include Cecille suddenly being telekinetic, an unseen character played by Danielle Panabaker emerging from the CRC, and a mysterious blue crystal being shown at a laboratory in 2049. It was also revealed in the comic book issue Earth-Prime: Hero’s Twilight #6 that Bloodwork will return in Season 9, though it’s unclear how much we’ll see of Sendhil Ramamurthy’s character.

The Flash wrapping up marks the end of an era, because although shows like Stargirl and Superman & Lois are set in the Arrowverse multiverse, this was the last show to take place on the main Earth. CinemaBlend will pass along more information about what’s to come in these last episodes, but until then, find out what small screen entertainment is ahead this year by scanning through our 2022 TV schedule.

The Flash has been a staple on The CW since it first expanded the Arrowverse in 2014, and while the Season 9 renewal gave fans hope that the speedster might hit a full decade's worth of TV season, the previous rumors suggesting this upcoming season would be the end of the line were correct. The CW just announced that this will be the final season for Barry, Iris, and Co. save Central City, and there's even more bad (if not completely unexpected) news to report, as it'll be an abbreviated season that won't even hit the network in 2022. 

Those who haven't had a chance to watch Season 8 still have plenty of time to do so with a Netflix subscription before Season 9, as THR reported The Flash won't return for its final season until 2023 as part of The CW's midseason lineup. Furthermore, this scarlet swan song will only be thirteen episodes, which will limit the series' time to wrap up the story for all the heroes, villains and non-metas. 

Despite all of this downer news, showrunner Eric Wallace sounded thankful in his official statement that accompanied The CW's confirmation. Wallace gave appreciation to both fans and everyone involved on The Flash team ahead of the official start of production on Season 9 next month. In his words:

Both Grant Gustin and Candice Patton solidified deals to return for The Flash Season 9, despite only previously being under contract up to Season 8. One challenge the show will face in the final stretch is constructing an ending that's better than the one it delivered with the eighth season's conclusion, which featured an epic and seemingly final showdown between Barry Allen and Tom Cavanagh's Reverse-Flash. Wallace admitted it was a finale he originally planned as such because he thought the show was ending, so now he and the other writers have quite the challenge in finding ways to top that in thirteen episodes. Expect one or two (or 30) guest stars to be announced in the coming months.

With Season 9 getting an abbreviated season, I’m personally wondering if The Flash will have enough time to tie off its myriad loose ends alongside setting up an entertaining and satisfying finish for fans. Season 8 set up a radical transformation for Caitlin Snow after she tried to resurrect Killer Frost following her death, so I’d have to think that will play into at least part of the season. So far the only thing we've heard in terms of villains is that Ramsey Rosso, a.k.a. Bloodwork, will return for what's now officially the final season. 

Returning villains are nice, though I'm not sure Ramsey Rosso was on a short list of villains The Flash's fandom wanted to pull focus in the final season. I'm sure many will wonder if Eobard Thawne will make another return after his dramatic exit, as it seems fitting to have Barry face his greatest enemy in the final season. Tom Cavanagh agreed with that statement back in 2021, but who knows how he feels after Season 8's satisfying close?

Villains aside, I'm sure many would love to see The Flash try to bring back old characters like Cisco Ramon, or at least try to work more on finishing out storylines for its present cast. At the very least, it would be great to see if Chester and Allegra end up together, or if Iris is finally going to officially get pregnant with Nora and Bart (who could totally shoulder a spinoff after this). That would probably take a flash-forward to see that happen, but with only 13 episodes to wrap up the rest of the series, I wouldn't mind seeing a few jumps in time!

The Flash Season 9 will air in 2023 as part of The CW's midseason lineup. It'll certainly be weird to see it outside of the fall lineup this season, and even weirder to see it gone even though it outlasted quite a few Arrowverse shows that came after. 

The Flash Season 8 finale delivered its huge Reverse-Flash twist and other big moments a month ago, and while The Flash Season 9 is on the way, it won’t air on The CW until sometime in 2023. At this point, it’s unclear if the ninth season will be the final one for the adventures of Barry Allen and his friends and family, or if this DC TV show could make it to ten seasons. Either way, showrunner Eric Wallace is looking to accomplish certain goals before The Flash ends, and that includes Barry and Iris West-Allen conceiving at least one of their children.

Future versions of Barry and Iris’ children, Nora and Bart, have factored into The Flash mythos since the earlier version of Jessica Parker Kennedy’s Nora West-Allen was introduced in Season 4. Thanks to their ages being mentioned at certain points in the series’ run, we know that Nora is born around 2023, and Jordan Fisher’s Bart will follow seven years later. So on the subject of if at least Nora will be conceived before The Flash is over, if not Bart too, Eric Wallance simply said:

I highly doubt that The Flash will still be running (pardon the pun) into 2030, taking us to roughly 16 seasons, as not even Supernatural hit that number. So unless there’s a flash forward to over half a decade from now now, it seems unlikely that Bart’s conception, let alone his birth would be touched on in The Flash. Nora, on the other hand, is a different story, because unless some retconning is coming up, she’s supposed to be born next year! Granted, just because The Flash Season 9 won’t air until 2023 doesn’t mean that the season’s events couldn’t at least start back in 2022, but still, we’re coming to a point where this needs to be addressed.

However, as Eric Wallace added in his chat with TV Line, since he doesn’t know when The Flash will come to an end, he has to always act as those this TV journey could come to an end at any point, which affects how he tackles plot arcs. In his words:

With Batwoman and Legends of Tomorrow having been cancelled earlier this year, and the revelation that Superman & Lois has been set on a different Earth, that leaves The Flash as the only CW series still set in the main Arrowverse continuity. Some teases have been set up for Season 9, like Season 6 baddie Bloodwork coming back, as well as the Season 8 finale setting up things like Cecile getting telekinesis and a mysterious blue crystal being shown in a lab in 2049, potentially setting up the Arrowverse debut of Cobalt Blue. For the most part though, Season 9 is shrouded in mystery, and if it’s like the last several seasons, Eric Wallace and everyone else working on the show will only have around 18-20 episodes to tell their story. So while Eric is hoping to throw Nora’s conception into the mix, don’t presume it’s guaranteed.

As we move closer to The Flash Season 9’s premiere, CinemaBlend will pass along any big news concerning what’s coming in this upcoming batch of episodes. Fortunately, there’s plenty of upcoming small screen content to look forward to in the coming months listed in our 2022 TV schedule.

The Flash Season 8 kicked off a few months back on with the five-episode “Armageddon” event, which saw Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen teaming with Arrowverse heroes like The Atom and Black Lightning during his conflict with Despero and Eobard Thawne, a.k.a. the Reverse-Flash. Season 8 will resume in March, and now it looks like The CW might be laying the groundwork for a ninth season. However, the downside is that this could mark the beginning of the end of Gustin’s run (pun intended) on the CW series.

According to Deadline, Grant Gustin is finalizing a new contract to return to The Flash for Season 9, but it would only be for one year rather than a multi-season deal. This new contract could see the actor netting upwards of $200,000 per episode, and he’s also reportedly “capped his involvement” at 15 episodes. This could mean one of two things: either The Flash Season 9, assuming it’s greenlit, will be much shorter than its predecessors, or Barry Allen would be absent for a sizable chunk of the season.

Hearing news like this might also lead one to assume that The Flash might just be ending altogether, and that’s certainly possible. The series is already on track in Season 8 to surpass Arrow’s total number of episodes, and so scoring one more season than the Stephen Amell-led show would be the icing on the proverbial cake. Plus, few shows ever get to run for nearly a decade, so it’s not like The Flash is leaving too soon. For right now though, the available information is just pointing towards Grant Gustin seemingly preparing to retire as the Scarlet Speedster.

On the chance that The CW wants to keep The Flash going into Season 10 without Grant Gustin, it’s fortunate that this is a superhero mantle that’s been shared by multiple people in the comics. John Wesley Shipp’s Jay Garrick also fights crime as The Flash, but if the network wants a younger lead to take over, Keiynan Lonsdale’s Wally West/Kid Flash or Jordan Fisher’s Bart Allen/Impulse could easily fill that role, just like their comic book counterparts did. I’d also throw in Jessica Parker Kennedy’s Nora Allen/XS as a worthy candidate.

In addition to The CW’s The Flash series still chugging along, there’s also The Flash movie coming out in November, which wrapped filming last October and sees Ezra Miller reprising his version of Barry Allen following his appearances in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad and Justice League. Miller and Grant Gustin’s respective Flashes met each other during Part 4 of the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” in early 2020, and part of me wonders if Gustin might cameo in the Scarlet Speedster’s first solo movie given the presence of other superheroes, like both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton’s versions of Batman. But as far as the TV show goes, once an official announcement is made about its future one way or another, we’ll pass it along.

The Flash Season 8 will resume Wednesday, March 9 at 8 p.m. ET on The CW. Keep track of when your other favorite shows are airing by scanning though our 2022 TV schedule.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for The Flash’s Season 8 premiere “Armageddon, Part 1.” Read at your own risk!

The Flash Season 8 opened on a check-in with Barry Allen six months after all the chaos in Season 7. Barry is the strongest he’s ever been, and all episode long, there was the sense that his immense power is too much for any villain. Unfortunately, that could be a bad thing as Despero arrived from the future intent on killing Flash on the grounds that he’ll cause an armageddon in ten years from the present timeline. 

The accusation that Barry Allen is the big bad of this mega-event sounds unbelievable, but is it really? The Flash star Grant Gustin spoke to TVLine about Barry’s thoughts in the premiere and teased what’s ahead that makes this seemingly unbelievable scenario a little more feasible.

Barry Allen’s villainous twist doesn’t seem possible in The Flash premiere, but perhaps by the end of the next episode, fans will understand that it can happen. I guess it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility, especially when considering Savitar was a future version of Barry Allen. If Future Barry could become Savitar, it’s not too crazy to believe he’d also become the destroyer that Despero thinks he’ll be. 

With that said, Despero is a supervillain in DC Comics. His debut on The Flash made him seem like a stoic guy willing to give Barry a fair shake, but make no mistake. He’s a manipulator and master of psionic powers and mind control in the comics, so he could absolutely be tricking Team Flash, and so could Grant Gustin with his comments. In short, I’m still not so sure we’ll see Barry actually be responsible for the destruction of everything, unless of course someone else has a hand in manipulating him. 

The Flash Season 8 airs on The CW on Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Season 8 is off to a great start, especially if Barry is about to be a villain. We’ll have to wait and see exactly what’s going on and what other heroes will drop by in the coming weeks.

The Flash Season 8 will kick off with a five-episode event titled “Armageddon,” which will see the hero and his allies go up against yet another extraterrestrial threat. This time, though, Grant Gustin’s speedster will call upon some reinforcements, as heroes from other Arrowverse shows will lend a hand. One of those familiar faces is Cress Williams’ Black Lightning, and Gustin recently dropped some teases regarding the character's role in the crossover.

Fans are sure to be excited to know that the electrically charged protector will be showing up in Central City to help Team Flash. But how exactly does Jefferson Pierce come into play here? Grant Gustin, while talking to EW, didn't give too much away, but it sounds like Jeff plays a key role in stopping the incoming threat:

It'll be interesting to see what that “dark twist” is. For a long time, the comic book-faithful superhero show was known to be one of the lighter Arrowverse shows. But over the last few seasons, it’s definitely had its fair share of somber moments. Dire circumstances aside, Barry and Jefferson’s dynamic in the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” special was excellent, and it'll definitely be great to get more of that in the second episode of “Armageddon.” Months ago, Cress Williams also seemed excited when he first revealed that the producers had reached out to him.

The actor wasn't the only franchise alum who was recently asked to return and obliged, either. Around the same time, Katherine McNamara was approached about coming back to the Arrowverse as Mia Smoak/Green Arrow. At the time, she didn’t know if she would, though she wasn't opposed to it. Now, we can take comfort in the fact that she will indeed return for “Armageddon.”

The five-part saga will also feature Chyler Leigh’s Alex Danvers/Sentinel, Brandon Routh’s Ray Palmer/Atom, Javicia Leslie’s Ryan Wilder/Batwoman, Osric Chau’s Ryan Choi and more. Given that all of this is occurring within one show, it's definitely not a typical Arrowverse crossover. But given that we haven't had one since "Crisis," fans like myself will certainly take what we can get.

We'll see how things pan out for Barry Allen and his various comrades when The Flash Season 8 kicks off with "Armageddon" on this Tuesday, November 16th at 8 p.m. EST on The CW. And for more on other shows that are premiering or returning this fall, check out CinemaBlend's 2021 guide.

It’s almost time for the series finale of Supergirl, which will mark the third Arrowverse entry to come to an end. While the series came into The CW's superhero stable a season late after debuting over on CBS, Supergirl was in crossover-mode from the jump thanks to a shared episode with The Flash's Grant Gustin. And now that the crossovers are coming to an end (potentially), star Melissa Benoist is looking back on her favorite Arrowverse mash-up memories.

Crossovers are some of the biggest events in the Arrowverse each year, with Arrow, The Flash and Supergirl comprising the core squad of characters. Melissa Benoist recently spoke to EW about Supergirl’s end and shared some fun recollections about bringing the comic book characters together. In her words:

It always seems like Melissa Benoist, Grant Gustin and Stephen Amell had the best time filming their shared episodes together. Add in Tyler Hoechlin as the small screen's Man of Steel, and it’s even more costumed fun. The four stars were good about posting videos from set during each crossover's production, and even started up a running gag that Benoist would fall asleep while filming. 

Although Supergirl is ending, this doesn’t mean the crossovers and appearances have to stop. In fact, Chyler Leigh, who portrays Alex Danvers/Sentinel on the series, will appear in the upcoming “Armageddon” five-episode event on The Flash. This could mean that even more Supergirl stars, like Benoist, can still appear in future Arrowverse episodes, depending on how the series ends for their characters of course. 

Melissa Benoist also recently revealed whether she’d put on the cape again following the series finale, saying she’d love to appear on either The Flash or Superman & Lois. Considering she always has a great time filming with Grant Gustin and Tyler Hoechlin it’s not surprising that her favorite crossover memories include the two of them. Here's hoping Kara lives to see another day and another sun so that she can kick up some dust on Superman & Lois in a later season. 

Fingers crossed we get Benoist in one more crossover because she always looks like she’s having a blast. But in the meantime, you can get ready to watch the final two episodes of Supergirl airing Tuesday, November 9, on The CW at 8 p.m. EST! Check out CinemaBlend’s 2021 fall TV guide to see what other shows to look out for.

Fans of The Flash have known for a while that the superhero series is pulling out all the stops for its Season 8 return, and now it turns out that the new episodes will pack in more than just a bunch of familiar Arrowverse faces. Barry Allen is getting a new supersuit, and it’s a look straight out of the comics. According to star Grant Gustin, it’s the “final touch” that The Flash needed. 

The Flash’s revamped supersuit for Season 8 was revealed at the DC FanDome event, and it delivers not only what comic fans have been waiting for, but also what Grant Gustin has been waiting for: the gold boots! Take a look: 

Barry Allen has had some pretty fantastic suits over the course of the first seven seasons on The CW, but this image of Grant Gustin in his new costume looks like he sped right off the pages of DC Comics! The iconic gold boots really complete the look that has been slowly but surely building over the years. That said, those aren’t even the only new additions to the suit. The suit now features a newly designed center crest and wings. 

Still, the gold boots have to be the highlight of the new supersuit, and not just because they’re straight out of the comics. A closer look at the boots reveals the detail that went into the design, including the lightning bolts on the side (and trusty treads to keep Barry from sliding across the streets of Central City). Check them out:

Grant Gustin, who has said over the years that he really wanted the gold boots for his supersuit as The Flash, unsurprisingly had some comments about them during DC FanDome’s presentation for The Flash. According to the star, the boots are:

Should fans be concerned that Grant Gustin referred to the bo and bring in familiar faces from athe Arrowverse to help combat a powerful alien threat that has come to Earth. Actors reprising their roles for ns have a lot to look forward to with the first multi-episode event of Season 8 without worrying about a ninth season. 

Season 8 of The Flash will kick off with a five-episode event and bring in familiar faces from across the Arrowverse to help combat a powerful alien threat that has come to Earth. Actors reprising their roles for The Flash’s “Armageddon” event are Javicia Leslie as Batwoman, Brandon Routh as Ray Palmer, Cress Williams as Black Lightning, Chyler Leigh (who was not ready to leave the Arrowverse after Supergirl) as Sentinel, Kat McNamara who is already hyping her return as Mia Queen, and Osric Chau as the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” character of Ryan Choi.

The five-part “Armageddon” event kicks off when The Flash returns with Barry’s new supersuit in the Season 8 premiere on Tuesday, November 16 at 8 p.m. ET on The CW. There’s plenty of superhero action to be found with the Arrowverse, so be sure to check out our 2021 fall TV premiere schedule for the dates you need to tune in!

Spoilers ahead for The Flash Season 7 finale, “Heart of the Matter: Part 2.”

Season 7 of The Flash came to an end last week and included many surprises for fans. Amid the return of Tom Cavanagh’s Eobard Thawne, who came to help Barry defeat the many Godspeeds terrorizing Central City, and Barry and Iris' vow renewal, the episode made the characters really think about what lies ahead for them moving forward. Now, showrunner Eric Wallace has previewed what viewers can expect from Season 8, specifically how in regard to how it will embrace the comic book roots of the character.

Eric Wallace's recent comments specifically referred to Grant Gustin, who portrays the titular speedster. While the actor been able to show off his talents in the previous seasons, but it sounds like the upcoming season will aim to update the character in interesting and familiar. And as Wallace mentioned in his interview with Deadline, the classic DC comic books will play a big part will be vital to Season 8 achieving this goal:

During its earlier seasons, The Flash had a lighter tone, especially in comparison to parent show Arrow. But in recent seasons, Barry and Team Flash have faced darker moments, as they've gone up against villains like Savitar, Godspeed and DeVoe. Barry and Iris even faced tragedy after they lost Nora due to the timeline.

But now that the worst is apparently over and Barry and Iris received their dream wedding (with their future children present), there seem to be happier days ahead. Even though joy isn’t always with Team Flash for very long, Eric Wallace seems to be inferring that the show could be making a return to its initial tone, which is somewhat closer to that of the classic Flash comics.

The Flash has already adapted plenty of elements from the comics, including characters, storylines and even The Flash's costume. But it's still great to hear that Season 8 will double down on this by attempting to get as close to the comics as possible. It will be interesting to see how things pan out and what this direction means for Team Flash moving forward.

It's unknown whether Season 8 is the last season of The Flash, considering flagship series Arrow ended its run at eight seasons, but it sounds the superhero series is going above and beyond for it. But whether or not this is the end, comic book fans should be fully satisfied by the final product. The Flash Season 8 premieres on Tuesday, November 16th on The CW.

Major spoilers below for anyone who hasn't yet watched The Flash's Season 7 finale!

Season 7 of The Flash came to an end following a two-part finale, and it was full of surprises. Not only did the episode include Barry and Iris’ future kids, with the return of Jessica Parker Kennedy's Nora and the introduction of Jordan Fisher as Bart, but it also included the return of Carlos Valdes' Cisco Ramone, as well as the Flash’s long-time enemy, Eobard Thawne, with Tom Cavanagh back in Reverse-Flash mode.

After having officially exited the series in a full-time capacity, Tom Cavanagh did indeed return to The Flash for the Season 7 finale, but not just as another thorn in Barry's side. In order to get help to defeat the many Godspeeds that were terrorizing Central City, Barry teamed up with his kids, Iris (who got help from the Speed Force), John Wesley Shipp's Jay Garrick, Michelle Harrison's Speed Force Nora, and yes, Eobard Thawne himself.

Instead of trying to help defeat The Flash, Barry’s greatest enemy returned to provide assistance with Godspeed and August, and while Nora and Bart didn’t understand why their father asked for Reverse-Flash’s help rather than theirs, Barry was more than understanding. Since Thawne's ideal future is such where HE'S the one who gets to defeat Barry, it was only normal for him to help with the Godspeed sitch so that he can go back to scheming and trying to eliminate The Flash once and for all on his own terms. Plus, this way, Nora and Bart were out of harm’s immediate path.

After Tom Cavanagh’s exit, it was hard to tell exactly when he would show up in later episodes, as well(s) as whether it would be as a different Wells or as Thawne himself. It’s been implied before that Thawne could return but as someone else without Cavanagh involved, so I was pleasantly surprised to see the actor back in fine form as Thawne/Reverse Flash in the season finale. The fact that it reversed expectations was a great touch as well, not to mention it being the icing on the "returning character" cake, with all those other actors reprising their roles.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, The Flash showrunner Eric Wallace discussed the Season 7 finale and everything that went into it. Below, Wallace addressed how long he’d been planning Thawne’s return, which Tom Cavanagh was totally in on, and why he brought the villain back during the Godspeed war.

Eobard Thawne’s return was not expected - at least outside of general theories that he could return at any given moment - and the finale only makes me wonder whether or not Reverse-Flash's role in this series could shift moving forward. Perhaps this could be the beginning of Thawne turning good? Or at least some version of that. Though it's unlikely, given his mega-villainous nature, Tom Cavanagh’s roles in this show are ever-changing, so if there's ever going to be a different version of Thawne in the future, I'd imagine that would be the ideal way to make it happen.

While Season 7 is now in the books, The Flash fans can already look forward to Season 8 arriving on The CW on Tuesday, November 16.

If you tuned into Zack Snyder’s Justice League, chances are you’re a lot more intrigued to see what’s next for Ezra Miller as The Flash in the DC Extended Universe’s future. Well, something big is definitely coming for the Scarlet Speedster real soon in the form of Andy Muschietti’s Flash movie, which is expected to arrive next year. We don’t know much about what’s ahead for Barry Allen, but the movie will be opening up the multiverse. So bring on the CW Arrowverse comparisons!

CW’s The Flash series is well-loved and has successfully brought together some incredible storylines within the comic book character’s career throughout its seven seasons on the air. Warner Bros’ big-screen adaptation of the zippy superhero shouldn’t copy the CW’s homework, but when it comes to building out the DCEU’s multiverse, there are a few takeaways the TV show can teach the movie. Let’s talk it through:

The Multiverse Can Be A Tool To Bridge Gaps Between DC Projects

Just in case you need a refresher or are just now joining us in the DC world, the multiverse, in short, refers to a number of different universes that exist, which Flash can visit thanks to his super speed. One major development for CW’s The Flash that lent itself well to the multiverse was how it used the concept to allow Barry Allen to travel to the universe that was home to another one of the sister properties within the Arrowverse, Supergirl. Supergirl initially was a CBS show before it switched to The CW, and it made sense for the Arrowverse to have different superheroes split up among different versions of Earth. Oh, and let's not forget how Grant Gustin's Barry briefly met Ezra Miller's Barry in the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover.

Looking to the DCEU, the multiverse could be the perfect secret weapon for the franchise to connect some dots between the breadth of visions being explored within Warner Bros’ umbrella. For example, The Flash will reportedly feature multiple versions of Batman from different universes. One will be Ben Affleck from the universe Ezra Miller’s Flash is from, and another will be Michael Keaton’s Dark Knight. (Matt Reeves’ The Batman starring Robert Pattinson will also take place on another Earth in the multiverse, but Pattinson's Bruce Wayne isn't expected to show up.) The Flash should learn the power it has here. Theoretically, something like the SnyderVerse could play out while the main DCEU continues its current trajectory by the rules of the multiverse. Multiple types of DC projects can flow freely once The Flash’s explores the multiverse, and Warner Bros should take advantage of this.

The Multiverse Could Allow Flash To Be In DCEU’s Fun Side

The DCEU tends to be the more serious one when it comes to Marvel vs. DC, but that doesn’t mean everyone of its heroes have to be dark and brooding. The Flash has a tragic backstory involving the death of his mother and his father being sent to jail after he's framed for murdering his wife. Yeah… like I said, dark. While CW’s The Flash does recognize the tragic elements of Barry Allen’s story, as far as the Arrowverse goes, the TV show has taken a looser and more good-time approach to its established world at the same time. It’s an admirable balance that The Flash does better than some of the other shows in the CW universe. And things tend to get really fun when Barry and his STAR Labs team venture into the multiverse.

The DCEU’s Flash can learn here that the multiverse can be a gateway to a good time for Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen. We’re talking about multiple universes here. I would sincerely hope The Flash movie doesn’t get too sincere when it’s inherently more amusing than terrifying that there are different worlds out there. Aquaman may be fiercely protecting the seas and the new Batman looks to be solving grisly crimes in Gotham City – Barry is discovering new variations of worlds. That’s the perfect ticket to invite lightness to his world.

The Rogues Gallery Needs Time And Space To Be Built Up

CW’s The Flash has had an impressive run when it comes to its use of building the character’s rogues gallery over the years. Typically, the series has a central big bad that is developed throughout the season amidst Barry Allen defeating villains of the week, along with recurring threats like King Shark. The series has built a solid lineup of heroes and villains over its seven seasons to draw on, and fans are on board for that because many of these characters have each been given the room to be developed over multiple episodes. With the multiverse, The Flash has gone so far as to introduce different versions of characters from other worlds who we can still follow.

The DCEU’s Flash movie should watch back the CW series and take away the benefit of time the Arrowverse show has that it does not have in a single movie. Comic book movies have a tendency to overpack its heroes and villains in order to get fans hyped and set up a number of storylines, and leave its films overstuffed. On the surface, it may look like CW’s The Flash is overstuffed, but it’s really not; it has had the beauty of time and space to develop its many characters. In turn, I hope the Ezra Miller-led movie realizes this and prioritizes developing great arcs over a lot of them, especially when it comes to the multiverse, because it can be super confusing.

How To Recycle Familiar Actors With New Characters

Last, but not least, something that has somehow worked really well for CW’s The Flash is using the multiverse to implement the same actors to play a variety of roles. The multiverse means that a Barry Allen in one universe could look the same as one from elsewhere in the multiverse, but lead a completely different life. Seeing how the CW show does this over the years has been an unexpected strength of the show. Tom Cavanagh playing around each season with variations of Harrison Wells, as well as popping in and out as the nefarious Eobard Thawne, has been a clever way for the actor to stick around, but keep us guessing with new performances.

We know The Flash movie will use the multiverse to show off multiple actors as Batman, but going forward, the franchise could even take another familiar actor, such as Henry Cavill, and place him in a completely random and different role. The multiverse allows for some really fun shakeups, and it's something I’d imagine a lot of actors would enjoy playing with.

Andy Muschietti’s Flash movie and the continued use of Barry Allen in the DCEU has a lot of potential, and I hope it learns a little something from having the CW Flash series before it. At the same time, it will surely be its own animal with its own vision, and I’m excited for what’s to come for a big screen Scarlet Speedster. The Flash is coming to theaters on November 4, 2022. Check out the entire upcoming DC lineup here on CinemaBlend.

The Flash has delivered a lot of craziness to viewers over the years, but the Season 7 premiere, “All’s Wells That Ends Well,” brought one of the show’s weirdest moments yet. Thanks to a mishap with attempting to power the Artificial Speed Force with the multiversal particles contained within Nash Wells, all of the Harrison Wells personalities that had been languishing inside Nash post-“Crisis on Infinite Earths” ended up inside Barry Allen, resulting in series star Grant Gustin imitating a handful of the Wells characters that Tom Cavanagh plays. Perhaps understandably, Gustin was concerned about delivering these strange performances.

You’ll recall that The Flash Season 6 concluded early last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic interfering with production. However, much of what was meant to be the season’s 20th episode had already been shot ahead of the shutdown, including Barry Allen channeling various versions of Harrison Wells. While speaking with TV Line, The Flash showrunner Eric Wallace said the following about the conversation he and Grant Gustin had about the latter mimicking Tom Cavanagh:

I can understand Grant Gustin’s concern. Since Harry Wells and H.R. Wells hail from the United States, Gustin just needed to sound gruff as the former and enthusiastic as the latter. Even for Wells the Grey, all that was necessary was for the actor to channel the same kind of booming authority Ian McKellen delivered when playing Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings movies. But for Sherloque Wells, who was part of Team Flash during Season 5, Gustin felt it was harder for him to make the French accent sound authentic since he doesn’t actually speak the language.

However, Eric Wallace felt that Grant Gustin was up to the task, so the Flash actor went about giving the best Sherloque Wells performance he could. In the end, Wallace was impressed with what Gustin delivered. As Wallace put it:

Of course, Barry Allen being inhabited by all the versions of Harrison Wells was just a brief complication rather than the new norm, as Nash Wells realized that he needed to enact the original suggested plan: sacrificing himself so that the multiversal particle transfer would properly work. So with the help of Allegra and her electromagnetic powers, Nash and all the Wells’ essences were shifted to the Artificial Speed Force, resulting in Barry’s speed being restored.

But don’t go thinking this means The Flash will be Harrison Wells-less for the rest of its existence. In an interview with TV Insider, Eric Wallace said that “All’s Well That Ends Wells” doesn’t mark the end of these characters “by a long shot,” and that Tom Cavanagh will be sticking around the show, although his return will be in an “unexpected new way.” With that tease, we can presumably rule out Cavanagh reemerging as the disguised Eobard Thawne, although make no mistake, Reverse-Flash will eventually come back to wreak havoc on Barry Allen and the rest of Team Flash’s lives.

If you’re eager to learn what’s next for Tom Cavanagh in The Flash Season 7, then make sure to tune in to The CW Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET. You can also keep track of your other favorite shows with our 2021 premiere schedule.

The Flash was one of several Arrowverse series that had to end the 2019-2020 TV season early due to production shutdowns, so the Scarlet Speedster sped into hiatus between Season 6 and Season 7 earlier than expected. Star Grant Gustin hasn't spent the months since the premature sixth season finale back in May sitting idly by. Gustin got buff during the pandemic!

Grant Gustin took to Instagram with the Season 7 premiere of The Flash only a little over a week off to reveal that the Barry Allen dealing with the crises of Central City in the next batch of episodes will look different from the Barry Allen of the sixth season. According to the actor, getting buff wasn't about just changing his appearance during the long break caused by the pandemic. Take a look:

According to Grant Gustin, eating better and working out were part of his decision to break a cycle of not taking care of himself and deal with his anxiety. The pandemic gave him the motivation to start making changes to "be more present" and happy with who he is. The Flash star confirmed that he's proud of himself for the work he has put in mentally and physically, and even previewed that Flash viewers are going to notice a difference in Barry Allen, presumably once The Flash finishes telling the stories that were planned to end Season 6 and gets going into Season 7 in earnest.

Grant Gustin might not yet have the Flash suit that he wants to play Barry Allen, but his happiness with taking care of himself is definitely nice to see. Gustin has dealt with body shaming online over the years, specifically when it came to a previous new version of the Flash suit, which he addressed via social media. That said, as Gustin noted in his caption, he hasn't been especially active on social media lately, and he no longer has a Twitter account.

Still, the Flash star has used Instagram recently to share some good news even beyond the progress report on his well-being. Just a couple of months after celebrating his two-year wedding anniversary, he posted an image revealing that he's expecting a child with his wife, with their three dogs quite literally in hand to share the news. Take a look:

See Grant Gustin back in action as the Scarlet Speedster with the Season 7 premiere of The Flash on Tuesday, March 2 at 8 p.m. ET on The CW. The seventh season, which will feature a long-awaited villain, was originally intended to premiere a week earlier, on February 23, but The CW tweaked the schedule to give Superman & Lois a 90-minute series premiere as the newest series in the expansive Arrowverse.

For fans of the Arrowverse, Grant Gustin is and forever will be Barry Allen. His portrayal of the speedy forensic scientist on The CW series The Flash is so beloved that many would have rather seen him play the role in Justice League and the upcoming spin-off film (prior to Ezra Miller’s Crisis on Infinite Earths cameo, that is). However, while DC movies are not likely in Gustin’s future, he still has a chance to shine in the Marvel movies.

This is not to say that the 30-year-old Norfolk, Virginia, native is in any dire need of a big screen hit as his work on the small screen has clearly earned him a wonderful mainstream following. However, someone as talented as Grant Gustin, especially for how he captures the complexities of a modern superhero, at least deserves the chance to breathe life into a new cinematic portrayal of a comic book character, much like his Arrowverse buddy Stephen Amell did as Casey Jones in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.

Furthermore, among the many characters who still have yet to make their Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, Grant Gustin would be an ideal candidate to play a good chunk of them. Six particular characters come to mind, one of which the Flash actor already has something in common with.

Speed Demon

I will admit that casting The Flash as one of the fastest individuals in the Marvel universe sounds a bit too on the money, so to speak, but playing Speed Demon would actually be a bigger departure from Barry Allen than one may realize. After creating a serum, with assistance from the Grandmaster, that gives him superhuman speed, durability, enhanced healing, and deadly martial arts skills, pharmaceutical chemist James Sanders decides to use his powers for his own benefit, initially going by the less threatening alias “Whizzer,” and makes enemies with Spider-Man. Not only would this give Grant Gustin the irresistible chance to play a villain, but would be wish-fulfilling to anyone who ever wanted to see him and Tom Holland share the screen.

DJ

It became clear from the musical episode of The Flash, featuring Melissa Benoist’s Supergirl, in 2017 that Grant Gustin, who grew up with aspirations of Broadway stardom, is a very musical person at heart. The same can undeniably be said about young Xavier Institute trainee Mark Sheppard, otherwise known as “DJ,” whose powers literally run on music and vary by whatever genre he listens to (i.e., healing people with blues, flying with gospel, conjuring concussive blasts with rock ’n roll, etc). Even if the part did not end up going to Gustin, I believe this incredibly inventive character deserves some screen time, especially as a reimbursement for losing his powers at the end of Marvel’s House of M event not long after his comic book debut.

Gambit

Speaking of comic book characters who deserve a second chance, Louisiana-born mutant Remy LeBeau (who also goes by Gambit) has been waiting for his second round at big screen glory since his live action debut in the universally disliked X-Men Origins: Wolverine, as portrayed by Taylor Kitsch. Since it appears that the solo movie, announced in 2014 to be led by Channing Tatum-led solo movie (first announced in 2014) is probably not going to happen, the part is wide open for whenever the X-Men are finally introduced into the MCU. Not only does Grant Gustin share a closer resemblance this this bio-kinetic card shark’s comic book iteration than either actor previously associated with him, but Gambit’s reputation as a charming flirt (which his hypnotic abilities come in handy for) does call to mind one of the actor’s earlier TV characters.

Iceman

Understandably so, even when putting the musical Flash special into perspective, the deepest admirers of Grant Gustin on the Arrowverse may not remember his recurring stint on Glee, which Supergirl’s Melissa Benoist also had her breakout role on. His other otherwise endearing portrayal of the snobbish, troublesome, openly gay Sebastian Smythe on the high school dramedy makes me believe that he would be a good choice to play a more likable character whose true sexuality has not yet been depicted on the big screen: Iceman. Following early rumors of the LGBTQ+ X-Men member’s casting and considering the MCU’s commitment to diverse cultural representation in future films, it is only a matter of time before the icy mutant gets his real moment and, if not fellow Arrow star Colton Haynes, Gustin would be another good choice.

Thunderstrike

Like the previous two characters, Grant Gustin shares a resemblance with young adventurer Kevin Masterson, who fights evil with an enchanted mace called Thunderstrike, which is also what inspires his superhero alias. The tricky part about adding him to the MCU is that he is the son of the currently dead Eric Masterson who, at one point, bonded with the God of Thunder to become the new Thor - a plot point that looks especially unlikely for future Marvel movies as Jane Foster will be succeeding that moniker soon. However, if we can infer from its title that Thor: Love and Thunder will rekindle Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman’s on-screen romance, maybe they could go on to have a son named, say, Kevin?

Hulkling

On second thought, there might be a better a chance of seeing a Skrull and a Kree fall in love, leading to the birth of the half-Skrull, half-Kree Theodore Altman who becomes Hulkling when he joins the Young Avengers for his ability to shapeshift into a super strong, green behemoth. So, no, contrary to the casual Marvel movie fan’s likely assumption, Hulkling has no relation to Bruce Banner or Jennifer Walters, so if Grant Gustin were to play him, I would not anticipate an appearance on Tatiana Maslany’s upcoming She-Hulk series. However, in the comics, “Teddy” is married to Wiccan, Scarlet Witch’s reincarnated son, so at least a tease on WandaVision might not be totally out of the question.

What do you think? Is Grant Gustin ready to switch up comic book universes with any of the above characters, or should a Marvel character be reserved for someone whose DC stint was not so successful to begin with? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on the star of The Flash, as well as even more hypothetical comic book movie casting sessions, here on CinemaBlend.

For the better part of six years, the CW series The Flash has entertained and dazzled fans of the iconic DC Comics character with some of the most dramatic and flashiest (no pun intended) action sequences and epic storylines. But all of that doesn't come together overnight, as the series' numerous showrunners and stars have learned since the show first hit the airwaves back in 2014. And with so much happening on and off the screen, there are quite a few behind the scenes facts that only add to the drama of the superhero series.

That's why I've put together this list of facts, from the Flash's humble beginnings starting with the character's cameo on Arrow in 2013, to his very own groundbreaking and extremely popular series, and all the ups and downs that came in the process. Buckle up, because things are going to get fast.

The Flash Was Originally Supposed To Have A "Backdoor Pilot" On Arrow

This all may seem like history now, but The Flash was originally supposed to have a "backdoor pilot" near the end of Arrow Season 2 after introducing Grant Gustin's Barry Allen earlier in the season. As well all know now, that plan ended up not happening. Instead, The Flash got its very own standalone pilot before going into full swing as a spinoff series. According to a 2013 report from Deadline, the decision was made after CW executives saw cuts of the two Arrow episodes in which Barry Allen/The Flash was introduced (Episodes 8 and 9), and were so impressed that they decided to give the show's creators the chance to work with the characters and storylines more before jumping into production. I'd say they made the right decision.

A Backup Plan Was Set For Grant Gustin If The Flash Didn't Work Out

Even though The CW was high on the idea of having The Flash be its very own series with ties to the greater Arrowverse, there was a backup plan put in place for Grant Gustin just in case the series didn't work out the way the producers had hoped. Greg Berlanti, the show's executive producer and one of the masterminds behind CW's expansive shared universe, revealed in an interview with Digital Spy in 2014 just what kind of contingency he and his fellow showrunners had in place, stating:

As well all know now, The Flash pilot was a success, as was its first season, and we are all still talking about one of the most successful comic book television adaptions in recent memory.

Mark Hamill Was Shocked When He Was Asked To Reprise His Role As The Trickster

You can't have a great comic book show with including some of the superhero's fiercest adversaries, and that was no different for The Flash in 2014 when it was announced that Mark Hamill would be reprising his role as The Trickster in the CW series, nearly 25 years after he first portrayed the iconic villain in the 1990 Flash series. As shocking as this may have been for fans, it was even more shocking for Hamill himself, who shared his disbelief during an IGN interview, stating:

Mark Hamill went on to portray The Trickster in a total of three episodes of The Flash, but he also reprised the character (at least his voice) in a number of animated DC Comics projects over the years, with his most recent appearance being in an episode of Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? in 2019.

Arrow's Stephen Amell Did Not Like How Warner Bros. Announced The DC Movie Lineup

Shortly after The Flash TV series debuted on The CW in the fall of 2014, Warner Bros. and DC Comics announced the lineup of the DC Extended Universe, along with the fact that Ezra Miller would be playing Barry Allen/The Flash in this franchise. Stephen Amell of Arrow fame was not happy about the timing of the announcement, which was made around the same time ratings numbers for the second episode of The Flash came out, telling AMC Movie News (via Gizmodo):

Stephen Amell also explained that he spoke out because he was protective of Grant Gustin, especially so early into his run as The Flash. And with all of the recent controversy surrounding Ezra Miller, I wonder if Warner Bros. wishes it had selected Gustin way back when.

Candice Patton Had The Best Response When A Fan Said She Ruined The Show

Ever since it was announced that Candice Patton would be playing Iris West in The Flash, there has been a lot of backlash from DC Comics fans over the casting of an African American actress to play a character who has traditionally been presented as white. This animosity steered towards Patton is both cruel and unjustified, but the leading lady of the CW comic series never seems to let the racism get her down, as she responded to a comment on a picture she posted on Twitter saying that she single-handedly ruined the show, stating:

I guess the best way to stop a Twitter troll in their tracks is to shut them down completely, which is what Candice Patton did in tremendous fashion.

Building Gorilla City Was No Easy Task For The Effects Team

One of the biggest (and most technically-impressive) moments of Season 3 of The Flash was when Barry Allen and crew traveled to Gorilla City to see Grodd and save Earth-2's Harrison Wells. Upon first seeing the strikingly beautiful computer-generated city, it was hard to tell if this was from a CW series or one of Warner Bros' summer blockbusters thanks to some amazing visuals. In a behind the scenes documentary on the making of the now-iconic visit to Gorilla City, Andrew Kevorkian, the show's visual effects supervisor, went into great detail about creating the virtual coliseum in which The Flash and Solovar fight, stating:

And that doesn't even tackle everything that the effects team, as well as the live-action cast, had to do in order to make this adventure one of the greatest superhero television moments in recent memory.

Former Star Hartley Sawyer And Former EP Andrew Kreisberg Were Both Fired For Offensive Comments

The Flash has seen its fair share of controversies over the years, including the dismissal of two prominent figures both in front of and behind camera. Starting with the most recent incident, let's look at the firing of Hartley Sawyer, the actor behind Ralph Dibney, a.k.a. Elongated Man. Swayer was let let go after several offensive tweets resurfaced, including this one:

And then there was also the time former showrunner Andrew Kreisberg was let go following a 2017 investigation that uncovered claims from at least 19 women who accused the executive producer of on-site misconduct ,ranging from non-consensual kissing to asking female employees for massages. Prior to his dismissal, Kreisberg was suspended by Warner Bros. Television just before the formal investigation began.

Marv Wolfman Was Brought In To Pull Off Crisis On Infinite Earths

The "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover event is one of the most ambitious storylines of its kind to hit the Arrowverse, and that required someone well-versed in the history of the series; someone like Marv Wolfman, who wrote the original "Crisis" storyline. In the early planning stages of the event, Wolfman was brought in to work with the executive producers of the different shows involved in the crossover to help with the cohesion of the project.

In an IGN profile detailing the epic crossover, "Crisis on Infinite Earths" overseer Marc Guggenheim was ecstatic to be working with one of his idols, stating:

And with the success of the project and its impact on all the individual series included in it, you could say that bringing in Marv Wolfman was the right decision all along.

The Young Barry Allen Actor Died Of An Overdose In 2020

Fans of The Flash were shocked and saddened in April 2020 to hear of the death of Logan Williams, the actor who portrayed a young Barry Allen. Williams was seen in a series of flashbacks in the first two seasons of the CW series, including the show's pilot episode. The cause of death was originally unknown, but one month after Logan Williams' tragic passing, his mother, Marlyse Williams, told the New York Post that her son died of a fentanyl overdose. Williams said her son first started experimenting with drugs when he was 13 years old, but didn't know when he started using the extremely dangerous fentanyl that eventually claimed his life.

The Ezra Miller CW Cameo Was Requested By The Top Brass At Warner Bros.

One of the most exciting moments in the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover event was the face-to-face interaction between Grant Gustin's Flash and Ezra Miller's Flash, which surprised just about everyone. As it turns out, this shocking moment came at the request of Warner Bros. president Peter Roth, as Marc Guggenheim revealed to Variety in early 2020, stating:

The most amazing part of all of this is the fact that Ezra Miller's cameo was largely kept secret until the episode hit airwaves, and it ultimately became Arrowverse legend.

Well, that about catches us up with the behind the scenes facts from the CW series The Flash. If you're like us and still have questions about the Arrowverse and the future of the CW shows, or you want to learn about The Flash going up against a long-awaited villain, we've got you covered on CinemaBlend.

A huge change is on the way for The Flash, but not because of the events of the impromptu Season 6 finale. Actor Hartley Sawyer, who had been playing Ralphy Dibny/Elongated Man on The Flash since early Season 4, was fired after a number of offensive social media comments came to light. The Flash showrunner Eric Wallace wasted no time in releasing a statement to address the firing, and series star Grant Gustin followed suit with a message of his own.

In his statement, showrunner Eric Wallace shared that Hartley Sawyer's offensive posts broke his heart and made him "mad as hell," as they are "indicative of the larger problem in our country," which at present involves the acceptance of "continual harassment--unconscious or otherwise--terrorizing and brutalizing of Black and Brown people." Wallace continued to say that he's "committed to bringing permanent change to the work environment" at The Flash, which will include increased diversity. Grant Gustin reposted Wallace's statement on Instagram, and elaborated:

The discovery of Hartley Sawyer's tweets and his subsequent firing come at a time when much of the country has been impacted by people gathering to protest racism and promote police reform in the wake of the death of George Floyd. Although Sawyer had become a key member of the cast during his years on The Flash, his tweets (which he posted before joining The Flash) were enough to cost him his job. Notably, this isn't the first time that a member of the Flash team was fired from the show due to inappropriate behavior.

Grant Gustin didn't go into detail about his reaction to Hartley Sawyer's tweets, but "shocked, saddened, and angry" still says a lot. While Sawyer clearly won't be back to The Flash as Elongated Man, there are big questions as to how the show will handle his absence.

Ralph Dibny isn't quite as essential to the story as characters like Grant Gustin's Barry and Candice Patton's Iris, but The Flash spent a fair amount of Season 6 building a separate plot for Ralph, including the introduction of a character who becomes Elongated Man's wife in the pages of DC Comics. It would be a shame to lose Natalie Dreyfuss as Sue Dearbon just because Hartley Sawyer was fired. Might The Flash go for a recasting?

Sure, fellow Arrowverse series Batwoman decided to handle its main cast departure by writing her out and replacing her with a new character, but I think The Flash could get away with just switching actors and not addressing it in the show. Or, if it had to be addressed, just mention that he went on an adventure with the Legends of Legends of Tomorrow and something happened. Weird stuff happens on that show all the time!

However The Flash chooses to handle Hartley Sawyer's firing with regard to the story, fans won't see it for themselves for quite a while. The Flash, like its fellow Arrowverse series, won't return to The CW with new episodes until 2021, despite ending earlier than intended in 2020. The six seasons of The Flash so far are currently available streaming on Netflix, along with plenty of other options.

The Flash has provided no shortage of rivals for Barry Allen to do battle with during its six seasons. However, there is one that fans have been wanting to see for a while, as they've only seen false versions of this villain so far. Well, put on your seat belts because Season 7 is when the genuine article will finally be racing onto the scene.

So what villain on The Flash is it? Well, the villain in question is Godspeed and, before you start to worry, this time, the real Godspeed will be making his (or her) on screen debut. Teasing this story development, The Flash showrunner Eric Wallace told TVLine:

The Flash's most recent season’s finale left viewers with plenty of questions regarding the future, and this new piece of news only makes things even more intriguing. The prospect of seeing the actual Godspeed is exciting, to say the least. Unfortunately, it'll be a while before fans actually get a glimpse of the villain, as The Flash is not set to return until 2021. Nevertheless, this is quite the reveal to keep fans excited for what is to come when The Flash comes back.

The news comes a long time after Godspeed made his first TV appearance on the show, which happened back in spring of 2019. As mentioned, this Godspeed was an imposter and was followed by an onslaught of others.

After the disappointing reveal, The Flash’s then-showrunner Todd Helbing consoled fans with the news that the show was not done with the fan-favorite villain. This also lines up with recent statements made by Eric Wallace. When teasing how long the Mirror Mistress would last as the series’ big bad, Wallace hinted at a new villain taking over her spot.

The Flash’s showrunner did not leave things there, either. He also hinted that Season 7’s big bad would be a “he” and that his story would explore how he connects to Barry and Iris. Considering this information on top of confirmation that Godspeed is re-entering the picture, it looks like we might have something, here.

I am just speculating, but Godspeed could (emphasis on could) very well be the Season 7 big bad that the series’ showrunner is referring to. Of course, at this point, there's no way to get a clear indication as to who will be playing Godspeed the character returns. When asked about a potential return earlier this year, BD Wong had said that he would be open to vocally reprising the role.

It remains to be seen if BD Wong ends up doing so and how The Flash handles the storyline. One thing that is for sure is that this will be new ground for Team Flash. Because they've only dealt with imposters up until now, they will have to figure out how to face the real deal.

Find out how Team Flash’s clash with the real Godspeed turns out when The Flash returns for Season 7 in early 2021 on The CW, which will be long after this summer’s premieres have come and gone. You can relive past seasons of The Flash on Netflix, where they are streaming alongside a lot of new 2020 content.

With a hectic Season 6 that brought the organization Black Hole and Efrat Dor's genre-swapped Mirror Master Eva McCulloch, The Flash had to wrap things up early with a mega-cliffhanger, thanks to the production getting shut down in March. While waiting to see if Season 7 will incorporate the creative team's original plan to end the sixth season, fans can now start speculating about The Flash potentially returning to a pivotal moment in Barry and Iris' lives that Candice Patton understands viewers were upset about, and she kind of agrees.

The big polarizing event in question is Iris and Barry's "wedding ceremony," for lack of a better phrasing, which didn't even officially happen on The Flash itself, and was instead relegated to the end of Legends of Tomorrow's concluding chapter in the "Crisis on Earth-X" crossover event. When asked if she would be interested in The Flash righting that perceived wrong (which co-star Grant Gustin is totally down for), Candice Patton told Entertainment Tonight this:

Not only were Barry and Iris shoehorned into getting married on a show other than The Flash, but it was barely even a shadow of the original set-up, with zero proper guests and David Ramsey's John Diggle officiating the outdoor nuptials. What's more, their witnesses were Stephen Amell's Oliver and Emily Bett Rickards' Felicity, who also decided to tie the knot alongside their vigilante pals. So that's two huge super-couples that got married on a show that none of them starred on. Regardless of one's feelings in general, it was inarguably a weird choice to make.

The Flash fans have long wanted to see Barry and Iris take a trip down the aisle where there's an actual aisle for them to walk down, and it sounds like Candice Patton is in the same camp. I also adore that she's in the "fans watching The Flash DVDs in the future" camp. Long live physical media!

As it was stated above, Candice Patton isn't the only Flash star who would be interested in seeing Barry and Iris' full-blown wedding come to pass on the proper superhero show, with Grant Gustin also putting his support behind the matrimonial idea. Here's what he told ET:

Indeed, if there was ever a time for Barry and Iris to reconfigure their relationship to make that bond even stronger, it would be in Season 7 after Iris' Mirrorverse situation gets completely figured out. Things have been in a strange place for a while now, so The Flash would be smart to set up a noteworthy event to mark the two characters getting back on common ground. Let us know in the poll below if you agree or not.

The Flash Season 6 is now finished, with Season 7 already renewed and hopefully aiming for an October 2020 premiere, though fans will have to stay tuned to see whether production schedules will return to normal over the summer months. In the meantime, check out everything that is definitely coming to the small screen soon with our Summer 2020 TV schedule.

This poll is no longer available.

Grant Gustin has been playing Barry Allen for six seasons on The Flash and, in that time, his costume has seen some changes. For instance, when Season 6 started up, Gustin debuted the subtle upgrades the creative team made. Those specific embellishments involved some gold accents. But what does Gustin still want to see happen with the Flash’s suit?

Well, the actor recently opened up about another addition he would like to see the superhero series make to his character’s costume. Casual viewers may believe that the suit is already as close as its going to get to its comic book counterpart. However, hardcore fans may just agree with the one thing Gustin still wants:

That’s right, Grant Gustin told ET that he's ready for Barry Allen to put on his gold boots to complete his look as the Scarlet Speedster Gustin knows the show is close to crafting his character’s entire comic book counterpart, he's just missing that final accessory to put it over the top. If they do get added, they, hopefully, won't make his costume less comfortable. And as Barry faces new foes during The Flash’s run, he could use some gold boots to help freshen up his look.

With the gold boots being the final, true piece needed to complete the costume, I could see The Flash holding that one back indefinitely. But if Barry gets them, what would that signal about the future of the series? Would that be the equivalent of Clark Kent putting his full suit on during Smallville? For reference, that never truly happened.

Unless he somehow gets them in the Season 6 finale, fans will have to wait until Season 7 arrives to find out if Barry gets new footwear. Unfortunately, the current situation could make that easier said than done. As viewers more than likely know at this point, The Flash’s current season is ending early due to the Hollywood-wide production shutdown.

Because of the delay in shows returning to production, The Flash and other CW dramas are thought to possibly return later than usual for their fall seasons. So even if Barry does get those golden kicks, it could be some time before fans actually get to see them in action.

Of course, there are currently bigger questions on the table for The Flash that greatly outweigh what kind of shoes Barry Allen will sport in the coming season. Lately, the biggest question has been whether Barry’s wife, Iris, will return from the Mirrorverse.

Hopefully, Barry getting gold boots can happen well before The Flash ever ends. The Flash’s Season 6 finale airs Tuesday, May 12, at 8 p.m. ET on The CW. Afterward, you can anticipate this summer’s premieres, or relive the show’s past seasons on Netflix, where they are streaming alongside a lot of new 2020 content.,

The Flash has been going relatively strong since it debuted back in 2014. After six seasons, the series remains one of the most popular of the Arrowverse shows, which currently also includes Supergirl, Batwoman, Legends of Tomorrow, and now Black Lightning thanks to the "Crisis" crossover. The CW renewed the series for a seventh season in January, but will The Flash go for an eighth, ninth, or even a tenth season like Smallville? It’s possible, but even series star Grant Gustin doesn’t know if the superhero show will return beyond Season 7 right now.

After a month-long hiatus, The Flash returned with new episodes. The series will finish three episodes short in Season 6, as the last three weren’t completed due to the production shutdowns in March. However, viewers didn’t panic too much because the show was due to return for Season 7. Ideally, any storylines that remained unfinished would be wrapped up next season. That said, the future of the show beyond that remains unclear. Speaking with Michael Rosenbaum on his Inside of You podcast, Grant Gustin confirmed that his current contract for The Flash ends with Season 7 and that he doesn’t know for certain what’s in store after that, at least for now. Here’s what Gustin had to say:

The fact that contract negotiations had already begun prior to the pandemic is a good thing. It means there’s some possible interest for Grant Gustin to play the titular character for at least two more seasons beyond Season 7. Should The Flash actually get to Season 9, it will become the longest-running Arrowverse show. However, it’s important to note that nothing is confirmed yet as Gustin is unclear when those contract negotiation talks will resume.

Of course, there’s also a downside to being locked into a long-term contract. Grant Gustin continued, saying that one of the cons to being on The Flash for so long is that he’s missed out on a few other roles over the years. In his words:

Though losing out on other film and theater opportunities is definitely “frustrating,” Grant Gustin says that he does “want to do more” of The Flash and that he’s “glad” that he was locked into his original seven-season contract. For now, viewers can rejoice in the fact that the series will return for Season 7 at least.

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates. New episodes of The Flash Season 6 air Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET on The CW. For more on what to watch in the next couple of months, be sure to check out our 2020 summer premiere guide.

Stephen Amell has left quite a legacy with his run on Arrow. The series finale airs this coming Tuesday (January 28), and his Arrow-verse colleagues have a lot to say about him. The Flash’s Grant Gustin and more have honored Amell with some parting words ahead of the finale airing.

Things tend to be eventful when it comes to Stephen Amell and Grant Gustin. Having joined the Arrow-verse in 2013, Gustin has spent considerable time with his good friend and frequent co-star. With Arrow’s series finale only days away, it is time to get reflective! Cue Gustin, who had high praise for Amell telling, TV Guide:

It is not the first time that Grant Gustin has spoken kindly of the Arrow star. Gustin has previously called Stephen Amell a “legend” in a moving Instagram post last year. As you can tell, nothing has changed between the pals as Arrow’s series finale readies to air. In an important side note, Amell’s mom has already seen it!

Grant Gustin’s thoughts reflect on his personal relationship with Stephen Amell, as well as his professional respect for Amell’s contribution to what is now the Arrow-verse. Now, Arrow is readying to say goodbye to him and the series. Speaking of Amell’s contribution ahead of the series finale, Supergirl’s Melissa Benoist said:

While it all started with Arrow, it will not end with it when the series finale airs. A Green Arrow & The Canaries spinoff has been set up, and a Superman series is already on its way. As Melissa Benoist points out that there will be an adjustment in store without Arrow and accordingly, Stephen Amell.

The next seasons of Melissa Benoist’s Supergirl and the other Arrow-verse series will be their first full ones without Arrow. Stephen Amell has not ruled out a return in the future, so that is something. As for Arrow’s legacy and its long-term impact on the universe it started, Supergirl’s Chyler Leigh said:

No Arrow would mean no Arrow-verse and, subsequently, no mega-crossovers. That is a lot to take in. Fans of the superhero drama are preparing to say goodbye to it and hello to Felicity again in the series finale. The good news is that Arrow’s final episode will not be the last time fans get to see Diggle.

As for Stephen Amell, the actor will not be leaving television behind after Arrow. He has Starz’s wrestling drama, Heels, which Vikings’ Alexander Ludwig will co-star in as the brother of Amell’s character. Amell also has a second TV project with his cousin, Robbie Amell. Neither show is Arrow, but they will be something.

Arrow will conclude with a two-hour event. The emotional farewell begins on Tuesday, January 28, at 8 p.m. ET with a special and the series finale at 9 p.m. ET on The CW. You can currently relive past seasons of Arrow on Netflix, along with new 2020 content, and watch this winter’s premieres to cope.