Regardless of one’s opinions towards the Arrowverse, it was difficult to criticize Tom Cavanagh’s portrayal of Eobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash. He has even played multiple versions of Harrison Wells on the CW’s The Flash, which stars Grant Gustin in the lead.
Cavanagh recently said that he would be amenable to reprising his role as Reverse-Flash in James Gunn’s upcoming DC Universe. Well, the Guardians of the Galaxy director, 57, would have a good reason to bring the Canadian actor back to the role in the DCU since the viewers praised his portrayal of Eobard Thawne.
And now, Cavanagh’s interest to reprise his role received a response from James Gunn, co-head of DC Studios. With a strong reception from both critics and viewers, The Flash ranked as The CW’s second-most-watched show ever. It also took home the People’s Choice Award for ‘Favorite New TV Drama’ in 2014.
James Gunn Weighs in on Tom Cavanagh’s Interest in DC’s Reverse-Flash Role
James Gunn responded to actor Tom Cavanagh’s recent remarks regarding the latter’s desire to take on the Reverse-Flash role again in the DC Universe. Not only did Cavanagh portray Harrison Wells in several versions, but he also played Eobard Thawne, also known as Reverse-Flash, for the whole run of The Flash.
Reluctant to give up his yellow suit just yet, Cavanagh gave the following response at Toronto Comic-Con (via X) when asked by a fan if he would want to play Reverse-Flash:
Via @CavanaghFansTom pic.twitter.com/gf6CmoCjDW
— DC Film News (@DCFilmNews) March 19, 2024
“I would love to work for you, Gunn. I hear all this stuff on social media about Grant Gustin, c’mon, he’s got a job”, Cavanagh added in a lighthearted jibe at the fans who want to see his former co-star Grant Gustin make an appearance in the DCU. With a menacing sigh, he concluded his response with “Reverse-Flash”.
After seeing a video of Cavanagh’s enthusiastic response, Gunn was notified on Threads (via X). The latter’s response was the Face with Tears of Joy emoji, also referred to as the ‘crying laughing emoji’. Nevertheless, Gunn clarified when some fans mistook his emoji response for a slight against Cavanagh’s nine-year run as Reverse-Flash.
“Anyone responding to this thinking I’m laughing AT Tom obviously hasn’t watched the clip. He’s being hilarious. I’m acknowledging that.”
This comes after Grant Gustin declared that if Gunn were involved, he would be open to portraying Barry Allen / The Flash again.
The Flash: Grant Gustin Revealed The Requirements For Taking On The Role Again
The conclusion of The Flash Season 9 signaled the end of an era for the Arrowverse and the end of one of the longest-running DC TV series. However, Grant Gustin has since talked about how much he missed the role and how much he was moved by the show’s support in interviews, which has fans clamoring for his return.
At a recent convention, the actor was asked if he would reprise his role as the Scarlet Speedster at James Gunn’s request (via DC Film News). In response, the actor, 34, shared the following:
“Yeah, if James Gunn asked me, I would. I trust James Gunn. He hasn’t, for the record.”
Last year, Gustin shared his thoughts on The Flash’s finale with Deadline:
“I’ve been talking a lot about his family. The show was always about family, and we finish it off by Barry and Iris bringing Nora into their world and into the family and going into the future together… So I think it was just a good testament and indication of what the show had always been and that there was a lot of hope on the horizon as we wrapped up the last couple episodes.”
Moreover, Gunn even discussed how Gustin complimented the character’s core, sharing it on Threads:
“Grant is an incredibly talented guy, performing now on Broadway, I believe, and is absolutely not going to waste just because he’s not currently in a DC project. But of course I’d love to work with him at some point.”
A number of significant projects are in the works for Gunn and Peter Safran. Among them is the Superman flick, which will star David Corenswet as Clark Kent and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane.
However, Gunn remained silent regarding Gustin’s potential to take Ezra Miller’s place as The Flash in the DCU. Having said that, no projects starring the Scarlet Speedster for the DCU have been announced as of this writing.
While Miller’ The Flash is available on Max, all nine seasons of The Flash are currently streaming on Netflix.
