The Flash almost included Lynda Carter's Wonder Woman and Grant Gustin's Barry Allen, according to director Andy Muschietti.
Muschietti revealed that Carter and Gustin's cameos were two of several that didn't make the upcoming DC Universe blockbuster's final cut at a press screening attended by Nerdist. The filmmaker added that cutting these nods to DC's small screen history was tough, but ultimately necessary to keep The Flash's runtime manageable. "[A]s I said before the list of cameos…was huge," Muschietti explained. "So obviously we played with the idea of including DC characters from TV, but we just had to pick." Other cameos axed by Muschietti and editors Jason Ballantine and Paul Machliss include Penguin (Burgess Meredith) and Joker (Cesar Romero) from the 1966 Batman TV show, and Jor-El (Marlon Brando) from 1978's Superman: The Movie.
Muschietti's comments (coupled with reports by those who attended the press screening) seemingly put to rest speculation that Gustin will show up in The Flash. Reports linking the star to the movie have been doing the rounds online since mid-2021, although Gustin insisted that this was not the case in April 2023. Even so, that same month established scooper KC Walsh tweeted that the then-latest cut of The Flash boasted an Arrowverse cameo so significant that it would be "what everyone talks about." Whether Walsh's unnamed sources were incorrect or this material was removed later on in the editing process is currently unclear.
The Flash Producer Talks Ezra Miller
Gustin's apparent absence from The Flash will no doubt come as a disappointment to many fans. That said, the movie won't be short on screen time featuring the DCU's Barry Allen, who is once again portrayed by Ezra Miller. Producer Barbara Muschietti talked up the size of Miller's role in The Flash, noting that they appear in almost every scene. She also praised the star's work ethic, saying Miller's dedication to the production during principal photography "was something like we've never seen, and the discipline, the work, the willingness, physical, mental, and just wanting to go beyond the pale [also impressed us]."
Aside from Miller's Scarlet Speedster, The Flash is loaded up with several other familiar faces from what was once known as the DC Extended Universe. This includes Michael Shannon's General Zod, who served as the primary antagonist of 2013's Man of Steel. Shannon recently opened up about reprising the Zod role, making it clear that he only signed on for The Flash after securing approval from Man of Steel's director Zack Snyder. "Zack, to his credit, was very understanding. He gave me his blessing, and I went to do it," he said.
The Flash arrives in cinemas on June 16, 2023.
Source: Nerdist