‘That Was Years Of My Life’: DCEU Alum Kiersey Clemons Opens Up About Leaving The Franchise And Whether She'd Return

Kiersey Clemons in Zack Snyder's Justice League
(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)

In 2016, Kiersey Clemons was revealed as Zack Snyder’s choice to portray Iris West, the enduring main love interest and supporting character to Ezra Miller's The Flash, as seen in DC comics and other media. However, if you've been keeping up with the convoluted history of the now-deceased DC Extended Universe in recent years, you're aware that her time in the franchise was far from smooth. From numerous delays and changes in directors to “humiliating” rumors of potential recasting, the young actress expresses her contentment with moving on from DC movies after dedicating "years" to the series. She also addressed whether she'd return to it.

The Swarm star recently sat down with The Direct while promoting her new MonsterVerse series. Reflecting on her work in as part of the cast of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, the star touched on her brief stint in the DCEU, admitting:

I feel like I am so happy that I can move on from it and not answer questions about it anymore. That was years of my life. And that season is over. You know what I mean? And I'm also part of another universe now. And I like it a lot over here.

Having initially signed on for a much different take on the Scarlett Speedster in Rick Famuyiwa's vision of the hero, the Praise Petey alum found herself in a less-than-ideal situation due to The Flash's numerous delays, recastings and a series of directorial changes. Her sentiments on the matter were further clarified when she was asked about the possibility of returning as Iris West:

I don't make those decisions. I love being Iris West. I wish that I could have done more being Iris West. There's no part of me that does not appreciate that I got the honor of being cast as Iris, but now I'm May. And there are no superheroes. There's monsters now.

Reading Kiersey Clemons' remarks, one can’t help but sense a hint of closure and her excitement for a fresh chapter in her career. Frankly, given the thankless task she faced in recent box office letdown The Flash, it feels unlikely that the Antebellum actress will tackle any upcoming superhero movies any time soon. Who can honestly blame her?

As James Gunn’s DCU reboot looms, signaling the end of Zack Snyder’s era in the DC universe, Kiersey Clemons seamlessly transitions into the MonsterVerse. She takes center stage in the series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. Positioned between 2014’s Godzilla and 2019’s King of the Monsters, the show delves into a family’s connections with Monarch, the scientific organization at the forefront of studying the recently unveiled Titans. She's dwelled in the world of heroes, but it'll be truly interesting to see what she does in the realm of monsters.

Catch her in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, exclusively with an Apple TV+ subscription. You can also still stream the star's appearances as Iris West in Zack Snyder's Justice League and The Flash using a Max subscription.

Ryan LaBee
Writer

Ryan graduated from Missouri State University with a BA in English/Creative Writing. An expert in all things horror, Ryan enjoys covering a wide variety of topics. He's also a lifelong comic book fan and an avid watcher of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon.