The Flash: Billy Crudup Exits Movie Before Filming, Won't Play Barry Allen's Dad

Zack Snyder regular Billy Crudup (Watchmen) made his debut as Dr. Henry Allen, the father of Ezra Miller's The Flash, in 2017's Justice League and it would appear that the brief scene they shared in that movie will be the only one for a while (pending more scenes in Zack Snyder's Justice League). According to a new write-up from The Hollywood Reporter where they revealed that Y Tu Mama Tambien and Pan's Labyrinth actress Maribel Verdú has been cast in the part of Barry Allen's mother for the solo film, but in addition Crudup's schedule now prevents him from appearing in the movie.

Despite previously being set to return, the trade reports that Crudup will be in the midst of filming the next season of the Apple TV+ original drama, The Morning Show. Crudup previously won an Emmy for his role in that series, something he'd no doubt like to repeat. THR makes no note on if Crudup will be replaced or if the character will simply be written out of the project. Update: THR's Borys Kit has confirmed that the part of Henry Allen will be recast in the movie. Miller will reprise his role of the Scarlet Speedster in the film with Kiersey Clemons set to appear as his love interest Iris West. The film will also feature two different Batmen with both Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck appearing as the dark knight detective.

IT and IT Chapter Two filmmaker Andy Muschietti will helm the project which has a script by Birds of Prey screenwriter Christina Hodson. For as long as the movie has been in development it was reported that it will adapt the popular Flashpoint storyline, at least in some form. Speaking in a previous interview, Muschietti also referred to it as a time travel movie saying: "It is a story of time travel: Flash travels back to try to save his mother. It is a spectacular action movie but it has a big heart."

To that end, the time travel and Flashpoint elements will be how they address having multiple Batmen.

"This movie is a bit of a hinge in the sense that it presents a story that implies a unified universe where all the cinematic iterations that we've seen before are valid," Muschietti said in an interview with Vanity Fair last year. "It's inclusive in the sense that it is saying all that you've seen exists, and everything that you will see exists, in the same unified multiverse."

The Flash is currently scheduled to open in theaters on November 4, 2022, with production gearing up to begin in April of this year.