The Flash: Eric Wallace Says Directing The CW Series is "Long Overdue"
In The CW's Arrowverse, it's not uncommon at this point for there to be some familiar faces behind the camera instead of in front of it. Over the various shows and seasons, a number of Arrowverse stars have directed episodes. On The Flash in particular, series star Danielle Panabaker has helmed several episodes and even has one coming up this season. DC's Legends of Tomorrow alum Caity Lotz is also doing a turn behind the camera for The Flash as well. But this week's episode of The Flash, "Into the Still Force", sees series showrunner Eric Wallace step up to direct and according to Wallace, it's a moment that was long overdue.
"Yes, it was long overdue. My cast and crew have been saying to me for three years now, 'You need to direct. When are you going to direct? You love this show so much. We know how into this you are. You're a visually thinking guy. What are you waiting for? We support you 100 percent,'" Wallace told ComicBook.com. "And I'm like, 'I got to run a show, come on. I'm a little busy.' And we would laugh about it."
Wallace explained that while he is making his The Flash directorial debut this season, it's something that was actually supposed to happen in Season 7, but the real world had other plans.
"I was originally slated to direct in Season 7 so I'm like, 'This is great.' I think I was going to do one of the middle interlude episodes," he said. "But then, as you know, the global pandemic came along and suddenly the end of Season 6 wasn't the end of Season 6, it was the beginning of Season 7. Season 7 got truncated. It was a learning curve for all of us, cast, crew, myself the showrunner, the writers, the production people. How do we make a show during a global pandemic? And I realized at that point, 'This is not the time for me to just go off and direct. I need to stay behind the wheel of the ship and guide us through this.' So cut to Season 8. I had to push it off by a year and now, finally, I can get the cast and crew off my back and say, 'I told you so, I did it."
And now that Wallace has directed an episode, the cast isn't exactly off his back. He said that now he has everyone asking him to direct more, but the showrunner does have one request for his episode, should he do one in Season 9. He'd like to do something a "little less insane".
"I got about three days into directing because I have a very collaborative approach and I love it when everybody feels like they are connected to telling the story and everybody can offer up ideas and whatnot," Wallace said. "So, I got to halfway through the third day and my crew turned to me and said, 'You have to direct more of these. We're having too much fun. And this is too awesome. You have to.' So, I replied to them, 'Fine, I will, but maybe next season. Can I direct like a romantic comedy, something a little less insane? Like a dinner party episode? Because this is hardcore.'"
The Flash airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW. "Into the Still Force" airs May 18th.