Over the years, fans have got different iterations of DC Comics’ popular character, The Flash. Many actors have played the role but Ezra Miller’s portrayal of the character in Zack Snyder’s DC Extended Universe is surely the most talked about. Before it was confirmed that Miller would play the role, fans hoped to see actor Grant Gustin as Flash. However, Snyder rejected the actor because he wasn’t a good fit.
Not everyone was a fan of Miller’s Flash but it definitely helped in making the character popular among a wider audience. With DCEU wrapped up and Miller’s controversies piled up, it’s safe to say their time as Barry Allen / The Flash has officially ended. The star’s last performance as Flash in 2023’s The Flash was a massive disappointment and fans are now looking forward to James Gunn’s soft reboot of the franchise. It is yet to be announced who will take over the role in the new DC Universe.
Also read: Ezra Miller’s The Flash is Guilty of the Worst Crime Against Grant Gustin’s Arrowverse
Zack Snyder explained why Ezra Miller was hired instead of Grant Gustin for the role of Flash
Before Ezra Miller, actor Grant Gustin was the one who popularised the Flash with his portrayal of the character in The CW series The Flash (2014–2023) as part of the Arrowverse. When the DC Extended Universe was being set up, fans hoped to see Gustin as the character in the universe, however, Miller took over. Director Zack Snyder once revealed in an interview with the New York Daily News that Gustin was rejected because he wasn’t a good fit,
“I just don’t think it was a good fit – I’m very strict with this universe, and I just don’t see a version where… that (tone is) not our world.”
Gustin’s version was loved by the fans and it was indeed very disappointing to see that the actor was not included in the DCEU. Apart from this, Gustin also showcased his talent in movies like Puppy Love (2023), Rescued by Ruby (2022), and Affluenza (2014).
Will Grant Gustin return as The Flash?
With 2023’s The Flash turning out to be a massive disappointment and Ezra Miller’s controversies, it is officially the end of Miller’s journey as the character. With DCEU out of the way, James Gunn, the co-CEO of DC Studios, has been setting up a soft reboot of the franchise, DC Universe. Once again fans hope that Gustin gets the opportunity this time as he has a lot of experience.
The story of the DCU is divided into chapters, starting with Gods and Monsters, which will begin in 2024 with the animated series Creature Commandos. Gunn and Safran consider the chapter’s first film, Superman: Legacy (2025), to be the true beginning of the DCU.
