The Flash’s NBA TV Spot Teases Film’s Secret Villain

The DC Extended Universe is one month away from changing forever. The highly-anticipated Barry Allen standalone picture The Flash has been touted by Warner Bros. Discovery executives and film critics alike as a generational comic book movie, with some calling it DC’s best theatrical work since The Dark Knight. While the jury is still out on how the general public will respond to the Ezra Miller-led movie, WBD is shifting The Flash‘s marketing campaign into full gear as it prepares for that June 16th wide release. This has included an emphasis on TV spots that have showcased more looks at Michael Keaton’s Batman, Sasha Calle’s Supergirl, and a mysterious antagonist.

The latest TV spot from The Flash aired during the NBA playoffs this past weekend, featuring supercut footage between the movie and Philadelphia 76er’s star Joel Embiid. Lots of these frames are simply alternate looks at already well-known footage, but one blink-and-miss-it moment in the final seconds teases The Flash‘s secret villain.

The red boot on the right belongs to Miller’s Barry Allen, the primary antagonist of the film, but the black boot on the left is a bit more ambiguous. Based on merchandise for the movie, this footwear likely belongs to Dark Flash, a variant of Miller’s Barry Allen that is rumored to serve as the main villain throughout the events of this multiversal conflict.

Dark Flash is the DCEU’s answer to DC Comics’s Black Flash, the grim reaper of the speed force. This ebony-clad speedster is tasked with hunting down speedsters and bringing them back to the speed force, the source of their power. Black Flash has appeared in numerous episodes of The CW’s The Flash series.

The Flash races into theaters on June 16th, which is set to be a busy day for blockbusters. Wes Anderson’s latest film, Asteroid City as well as Pixar’s Elementals are set to open on the same day. Also within the same month are Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.

Which June blockbuster will you be venturing to see first? Can The Flash successfully course-correct the DCEU ahead of James Gunn’s launch of the DC Universe’s Chapter 1 slate? Let us know in the comments and hit us up on Twitter, @DCUonCB!