The DCU’s Flash Replacement Makes 1 of DC’s Smartest Retcons Canon

The DC Universe isn’t pulling any punches, launching its big-screen franchise with Superman, which pits the Man of Steel against his arch-enemy Lex Luthor and his cronies. Clark Kent won’t be alone for long, though, because his cousin, Supergirl, is getting her own solo movie in 2026, and three other DC heavyweights, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern, won’t be far behind. While there’s no Justice League movie on the docket just yet, it’s clear that James Gunn and Co. are setting the stage for the iconic DC team to assemble in live-action once again when the time is right.

One of the only other major members the DCU has to lay the groundwork for is The Flash. There’s been quite a bit of debate over whether Barry Allen or Wally West will be the franchise’s Scarlet Speedster, since both hold the title for prolonged periods in the comics. However, Gunn may have pulled a fast one by revealing that the DCU’s Flash won’t be either one of those heroes. Shockingly, it’s not even the “first Flash” himself, Jay Garrick.

The Flash’s First Mentor Makes 2 Very Brief Appearances in Superman

Despite having a few years of crime-fighting under his belt, the Man of Steel bites off more than he can chew in Superman. Lex reveals to the world that Superman’s parents sent him to Earth to conquer it, getting the public to turn on their favorite hero. Not wanting to seem like he’s hiding anything, Superman turns himself in, but Lex already has the government’s ear, and the powers that be allow the villain to send his enemy to a prison in a pocket dimension. Lois Lane learns about Lex’s secret jail, so she seeks out the Justice Gang for help. They’re hanging out in the Hall of Justice, and none of them is too eager to help outside of Mister Terrific. Lois probably wishes one of the heroes on the Hall of Justice’s mural were around to help.

The art in the background of the Justice Gang’s hideout features several major DC heroes, including some of Earth’s earliest heroes like Silent Knight, through to more familiar names like Wildcat and Zatara, and Sean Gunn’s Maxwell Lord. They’re great and all, but there’s another figure on the mural that could have a major impact on the DCU if he’s still around: Max Mercury, the oldest member of the Flash family. At first, it was widely thought that the speedster in the mural was Garrick, but closer inspection reveals Mercury, otherwise known as Whip Whiplash, and formerly known, confusingly as Quicksilver.

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Mercury actually appears twice in the mural, once earlier in the timeline as Whip Whiplash, and then further on as Max Mercury. In the comics, he was introduced as a time hopper, often disappearing and turning up decades later. Part of that is down to Mark Waid’s reinvention of the character: as Quicksilver, he was originally a Quality Comics character (and a Flash knock-off), who appeared for 9 nines without much detail given to him. But in 1993, Waid used him to expand the Flash and Speed Force backstory, bringing him into the family in a retcon that reinvented a character in such a successful way that his first iteration is largely forgotten. That’s very impressive, and the retcon is now canon to the DCU timeline. Effectively, Max Mercury is the first Flash, and could return again thanks to his time-traveling backstory.

The DCU Doesn’t Need Wally West and Barry Allen (Yet)

While The CW’s Arrowverse has its fair share of issues, there’s no doubt that it’s the most consistent DC franchise of the 21st century. One of its big selling points is Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen, who goes from nerdy scientist to full-blown hero over nine seasons. With help from his friends, Barry defeats every villain he comes up against and helps save the multiverse in “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” He also trains a new generation of speedsters, with Wally West being one of his first pupils. While Wally doesn’t have the resume his adoptive brother does, he still makes a major impact on the Arrowverse, even joining the Legends of Tomorrow for a brief period.

Mercury also shows up in the Arrowverse, but he doesn’t get anything like a chance to shine. Gunn could make up for that by having Mercury be the DCU’s first Flash, and exploring his time hopping adventures. The bold choice would allow an underutilized character to make for himself, as well as set the DCU apart from what’s come before, including the DC Extended Universe. After all, while the DCEU movies include Barry, they never allow him to hit his stride and force him into a solo story that’s as much about Batman as it is himself. There’s no reason for the DCU to try to fit a round peg in a square hole when there’s a perfectly good speedster waiting in the wings.

Superman is in theaters now.