The Flash brings back Batwoman star Javicia Leslie to portray the Arrowverse's Red Death.
Filming is underway on the ninth and final season of The Flash, and set photos have surfaced through Canadagraphs (via Twitter) showing off the show's Red Death costume, with Leslie reportedly the actor under the mask. Red Death was name-dropped earlier in the series, but will now be the next evil speedster that Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) faces. However, bringing back Leslie hints that the show will be altering the villain's backstory from DC Comics.
Who Is Red Death? The Evil Batman Explained
Red Death was introduced during the 2017 event Dark Nights: Metal, first appearing in Dark Days: The Casting #1. Created by writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo, the speedster's origin was explored in the Batman: The Red Death one-shot written by Joshua Williamson and illustrated by Carmine Di Giandomenico.
The villain hails from the Dark Multiverse, specifically Earth -52. On this world, Batman (Bruce Wayne) grew angry with the Flash (Barry Allen), strapped him to the front of a modified Batmobile and drove them into the Speed Force to steal the Flash's speed. This merged the two heroes together to create the Red Death, where Bruce's mind was in control while Barry's mind was trapped within their shared body, forced to watch as Bruce raced across the globe and murdered all of his enemies.
Red Death Exists in the Arrowverse
Red Death was previously confirmed to exist at some point during the Arrowverse's timeline. During The Flash episode "Memorabilia," Barry and Iris West-Allen (Candice Patton) gain a glimpse into the future to learn more about the villain Cicada, Season 5's primary antagonist. In the Flash Museum, a recording of David Singh (Patrick Sabongui) informs the two that "Cicada killed more people than Zoom or even the Red Death."
Based on Leslie's return, it is possible that Red Death could be a version of the character similar to the comics, with a variant of Leslie's Ryan Wilder in place of Bruce Wayne, or the villain may just be an evil version of Wilder from another Earth. Leslie is returning to the Arrowverse following Batwoman's cancellation in April 2022 after a three-season run. Leslie starred in the show for Batwoman's latter two seasons, replacing Ruby Rose after the actor exited the series following her portrayal of Batwoman Kate Kane across Season 1.
The Flash Season 9 will premiere on The CW in 2023. The upcoming season will be shorter than the show's previous seasons, consisting of only 13 episodes.
Source: Canadagraphs via Twitter