Would Grant Gustin Sign On For James Gunn’s DCU? His One Word Answer Is Pretty Perfect

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.