The superhero genre continues to be popular, and the DC side of things has been going through some big changes courtesy of co-CEO James Gunn. The Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker is the architect behind the burgeoning DCU, releasing the first few projects in Gods and Monsters in theaters and streaming with a HBO Max subscription. Some fans asked him to bring Grant Gustin in for upcoming DC movies so he could reprise his role as The Flash, and Gunn's response seriously made me LOL.
Fans who watched the DC movies in order are curious about who will join the new shared universe, and which actors will portray various superheroes. Following the Flash TV show (which is streaming with a Netflix subscription), some folks want to see Gustin back in his signature role, this time in the DCU. Case in point: a fan told Gunn that it "needed to happen" over on Threads, with the filmmaker offering the following sassy response:
It happened on TV for 9 seasons.
Savage! But honestly, he's not wrong. Grant Gustin got to play Barry Allen for a whopping nine season of The Flash, airing from 2014 to 2023. While fans of that CW series would like to see him get a chance to reprise that role already, it sounds like James Gunn is ready for someone else to play the Speedster in the DCU. Why not give another actor the chance to portray the beloved DC hero?
It's currently unclear exactly when The Flash will join the new shared universe. He wasn't expressly mentioned in the first slate of projects, but it seems inevitable that the superpowered character will eventually join the fray. After all, he's one of the most iconic heroes in DC lore.
While Zack Snyder quickly assembled the Justice League in the DEU, it doesn't seem like James Gunn is rushing to bring together that type of a crossover event. Barry Allen was famously played by Ezra Miller in the previous shared universe, with their tenure ending with Andy Muschietti's Flash movie. While it's unclear if/when the hero will join the DCU, that filmmaker is the man behind The Brave and The Bold, which will seemingly be Batman's big entrance.
We're still rather early into the DCU's time in theaters, so fans will have to be patient before seeing their favorite characters join the fun. Only three titles were released so far: Creature Commandos, Peacemaker Season 2, and Superman. Fans don't know what Gunn is planning for The Flash, but we can assume Grant Gustin won't be the only playing the role.
The next DC movie heading to theaters is Supergirl on June 26th as part of the 2026 movie release list. On the small screen, Lanterns is expected to arrive sometime this year with the 2026 TV schedule, although it doesn't have an official premiere date yet.
