Superman 2025 secretly debuted the DCU’s very first Flash, and it was not Barry Allen. Followers could also be acquainted with DC Comics’ Scarlet Speedster for his appearances in Zack Snyder’s DCEU and the expansive CW Arrowverse (performed by Ezra Miller and Grant Gustin in every respective franchise); nonetheless, since Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn took over DC’s on-screen efforts, phrase on the character’s return to TV or movie has been mum.
That was till Superman‘s launch in theaters, because the DCU’s debut movie featured a refined nod to the character, introducing a model of The Flash that followers haven’t seen in live-action for fairly a while. That is thrilling, because the David Corenswet blockbuster marks the primary time the superspeed supe has been acknowledged by the franchise (exterior of being seen useless in Creature Commandos) and will trace at larger issues to come back.
Throughout Superman‘s Corridor of Justice sequences, wherein Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane seeks the assistance of the Justice Gang to free Superman/Clark from Lex Luthor’s interdimensional jail, a peculiar mural will be seen on the wall above the heroes speaking under.
On this mural, a number of traditional DC heroes will be noticed, seemingly depicting the earliest model of the Justice League within the DC Comics generally known as the Justice Society of America. Considered one of these heroes is Jay Garrick (the very first Flash).
Garrick was launched as the primary Flash in 1940, almost 20 years earlier than Barry Allen made his comedian e book debut. The authentic Flash was a former scientist who gained tremendous velocity and agility after inhaling laborious water vapor throughout a lab experiment.
Gunn beforehand teased that one thing like this mural could be included in his new DCU blockbuster, telling followers at a London Superman fan occasion, “here is an iconic scene with an enormous, big mural within the background that tells you the story of metahumans within the DCU” (through Comic Book Movie):
“A lot of the companies are both named after both a comic book e book author or artist, or they’re named after companies that exist throughout the DC Universe, on the web page. In a while, there’s an iconic scene with an enormous, big mural within the background that tells you the story of metahumans within the DCU, and that is going to be actually, actually enjoyable after we launch these photographs to the general public. So the stuff goes deep, it is actually, actually enjoyable, and it was actually enjoyable creating the world. That was one of many explanation why I like DC rather a lot, as a result of it is not New York and Los Angeles, it is Gotham and Central Metropolis and Evergreen. It is actually creating one other world, with different guidelines and different issues which are widespread.”
Trendy-day followers might know Jay Garrick for his recurring position (performed by John Wesley Shipp) in The CW’s The Flash and Stargirl sequence, in addition to his cameo in 2023’s The Flash film.
James Gunn’s newly minted DCU simply made its massive display debut with the discharge of Superman. Whereas the Tornado actor brings to life the film’s titular DC hero, a number of different longstanding DC superheroes play key roles within the movie, together with Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion’s Man Gardner, and Edi Gathegi’s Mister Terrific.
The new movie from The Suicide Squad filmmaker follows Superman/Clark Kent three years into his journey as Earth’s mighty protector, because the maniacal billionaire Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) enacts a plan to discredit the Man of Metal.
What Are the DCU’s Flash Plans?
This Jay Garrick look in Superman is undoubtedly solely the start for the Flash character in James Gunn’s new DCU. Whereas nothing official is on the books that includes the character, that may probably not final lengthy, because the Scarlet Speedster has lengthy been considered one of DC Comics’ most distinguished names.
If Gunn and firm are working towards a full-on Justice League challenge, then a Flash will nearly certainly be current in some capability.
Whether or not that be Barry Allen or another iteration of the character, like Wally West, stays to be seen, however followers can relaxation assured {that a} Flash will probably be there when the League groups up.
One other avenue the franchise might go down is tackling the story depicted on this Corridor of Justice mural (learn extra concerning the DCU Corridor of Justice right here).
This portray confirms that the Justice Society of America has already come and gone within the DCU when Superman takes place. So, how cool wouldn’t it be to sort out the metahuman origins of those heroes in some kind of TV or film challenge set within the universe?
This may very well be a novel option to recount the early days of the universe’s first superhero group, displaying how issues got here to be within the DCU world a long time earlier than Kal-El arrived on Earth.
It might additionally introduce audiences to a brand new set of heroes, together with Jay Garrick’s Flash, Physician Destiny, and Wildcat.
