The DC Universe is home to some of the strongest and most iconic superhero characters of all time. With the likes of Batman, Superman, Aquaman, Green Arrow, and many more. However, one character is more popular than the lot— The Flash. Over the years, the Speedster has gained immense popularity as he has been part of different narrative elements in the DCU, including a standalone film and being part of the Arrowverse.
One of the primary reasons for his massive popularity was how Grant Gustin portrayed the role of Barry Allen also known as The Flash. Gustin’s portrayal of the character is loved by the audience of the show, but he was quite close to getting replaced by an actor, who was featured as a villain in the Arrowverse.
DC Villain Nearly Replaced Grant Gustin in The Role of The Flash
Grant Gustin is quite popular as The Flash as his portrayal of the character has been loved by the fans as well as the critics, making him synonymous with the character. However, he was immensely close to getting replaced, as another actor had also auditioned for the same role.
Andy Mientus is quite popular among fans for his portrayal of Hartley Rathaway aka Pied Piper. The actor made his debut in season 1 of The Flash.
While Mientus had portrayed the role of a supervillain in the show, he had initially auditioned for the role of Barry Allen. During an exclusive interview with Collider, the 37-year-old actor opened up about his audition for the main role in the show, but he did not “get very far“ in the audition process for the role.
He said,
I didn’t get very far along in the process of reading for Barry. It’s not as if it was between me and Grant [Gustin], and I didn’t get cast. But I got great feedback that said, ‘He’s not quite the right fit for Barry, but we really like him. He’s really interesting. Maybe there’s something down the pike.’
He continued how he was eagerly waiting for their phone call and as an actor, he was quite excited to learn what they had to say because the disappointments taught him “to not get too attached to anything.“
He added,
You hear that a lot, as an actor, and you like to hear that. It’s a nice thing to hear, but you don’t necessarily think, ‘Oh, I better wait by my phone ‘cause they’re gonna call any minute.’ So, when they did call, my ears pricked up. You have so many auditions, as an actor, and so many disappointments that you learn to not get too attached to anything.
While the actor did not get too attached to the phone call, his life changed as he read the script for his new role, making him feel that there was an instant connection with the character and it is something that he would enjoy playing in the series.
Andy Mientus Opened Up About His Role in The Flash
In the same interview with Collider, Andy Mientus mentioned how he “felt an attachment“ to the role, and made him believe that it would be a better fit for him than the one he initially auditioned for.
He said,
But that first step in the process went really well, and then this character came up. When I read it, I saw that it was maybe a good fit for me, and I just really liked it. I immediately felt an attachment.
The actor added that the role of Pied Piper was something that the audience would love to see him in and he wanted to embody the role, making him synonymous with the role.
It was a character that I wanted to see and knew I would enjoy, as a viewer, so it was then somebody that I wanted to embody. So, I was hopeful. I really wanted this one, more than the average thing, and I’m really glad it worked it.
Indeed, Mientus killed it with his portrayal of the supervillain as he became a household name and received a significant fan following and fame following his role in the show.
The Flash (2014) can be streamed on Netflix.
