After cameoing in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in March and being fully established next year in Justice League, Barry Allen, a.k.a. The Flash, will finally get to lead his own movie in early 2018. So far Ezra Miller's Barry has been the only confirmed character for the movie (duh), but now another piece of casting news has finally been confirmed. The word is out that Kiersy Clemons will officially play Iris West in The Flash movie.
Clemons was said to be the top choice to play Iris earlier this month, but Variety reported today that her deal has been finalized to play the female lead. Production on The Flash is reportedly beginning near the end of the year, so it was crucial they find Ezra Miller's costar as soon as possible. Clemons will be the second current live action Iris West, following Candice Patton on the CW Flash TV series.
Introduced in 1956's Showcase #4, the same issue where Barry Allen debuted, Iris West is a reporter for the Central City Picture News. She eventually learned that her boyfriend Barry Allen was The Flash the night of their wedding. While there have been bumps in the road for their relationship (including both her and Barry being dead for a time), Iris has remained Barry's primary love interest in the comics. The New 52 relaunch retconned history so that Barry and Iris were no longer married or romantically involved, but as of Rebirth, it appears that they're growing closer again. As the last name 'West' indicates, she is also the aunt of Wally West, a.k.a. Kid Flash, and for many years, the DC universe's main Flash.
Kiersey Clemons' recent movie appearances include playing Diggy in Dope and Beth in Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising. The former was directed by Rick Famuyiwa, who was brought in to helm The Flash following Seth Grahame-Smith's departure, so it's likely he was a big draw for her joining the project. Her other credits include the TV shows New Girl, Transparent and Extant, and she'll also appear in next year's Flatliners remake.
Now the cinematic Barry Allen and Iris West are finally paired together, but that's just the start for building The Flash movie's cast. While no other characters have been officially revealed by DC and Warner Bros yet, a list came out a few months ago that named Eobard Thawne (a.k.a. Reverse-Flash), Fred Chyre, Captain Cold and Jay Garrick as possible participants in the Scarlet Speedster's movie. That has yet to be confirmed, but as mentioned earlier, with the production nearing, we'll likely start hearing who else will be joining The Flash in the coming months.
The Flash races into theaters on March 16, 2018.
