Christopher Reeve’s Family Wasn’t Involved With Superman Star’s CGI The Flash Cameo

Prior to its release, The Flash was heralded as one of the most epic comic book films ever made. Once released, however, the Ezra Miller vehicle drew controversy for the use of extensive CGI and visual effects in one of the film’s most integral scenes. Towards the end of the movie, Miller’s eponymous speedster is racing through the Speedforce when the hero is able to peer into multiple universes. These universes were populated but heroes from all across the timeline from Cesar Romero’s Joker to Christopher Reeve’s iconic portrayal of Superman.

Reeve, having suffered a near-fatal injury in 1995, passed away in 2004 and was one of those recreated with the use of CGI. According to Reeve’s family, however, they weren’t contacted nor involved in the actor’s likeness being used in The Flash. In fact, his family says if Reeve were still alive today, he wouldn’t pick Superman as his favorite role.

“In our hometown in Bedford, New York…the local movie theater went through a rebrand a few years ago,” Reeve’s son Will said in a new chat with Variety.. “The person in charge of that shift reached out to me and said they’d love to have me screen a film of my choice of my dad’s. I responded, ‘Sure, but not Superman. We’re going to do Remains of the Day.’ He was so proud of his role in that movie. It’s not a big role. It’s an important role in the film. He got to show a completely different side of himself. I knew how proud he was of that. Not that he wasn’t proud of Superman…but if he were here he wouldn’t choose Superman, he’d choose Remains of the Day. I don’t think about the Superman films as much as I do about the swings he got took beyond this larger-than-life role.”

Warner Bros. describes the film as follows: “Worlds collide in “The Flash” when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past. But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. That is, unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian… albeit not the one he’s looking for. Ultimately, to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry’s only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?”

The Flash is now streaming on Max.