The Flash’s Kiersey Clemons Reflects on Being Attached to DC Movie for Years, “I Felt Dismissed”

The Flash finally sped into theaters earlier this month, after nearly a decade of being in the works. The DC blockbuster underwent a number of creative overhauls over the years, but what didn’t change was the casting of Ezra Miller as Barry Allen / The Flash and Kiersey Clemons as Iris West. Clemons was first cast as Iris in 2016, and eventually got to portray the character onscreen in 2021’s Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and eventually The Flash. In a recent interview with Nylon, Clemons reflected on the surreal experience of being attached to The Flash for so long, and the project eventually becoming a reality.

“I was freaked out because at one point, there were rumors going around online that I was getting recast, which is humiliating,” Clemons explained. “It was more embarrassing and hurtful than getting cut out of Justice League, which I was able to understand more than the rumors of being recast. They had to cut the movie down; that’s how it goes. With The Flash, I was so young and was so excited, and the director that I was supposed to be on with was gone. And so, I felt dismissed and replaceable.”

“Now that the movie’s out, I feel like for the last nearly 10 years, I’ve just been smiling and giving so much grace,” Clemons added elsewhere in the interview. “I think it was to protect my peace of mind. Now I can finally say and admit this whole thing made me cry more than it made me smile. I think I only smiled over this thing at the premiere.” She jokes that she tells people that the whole film has been cursed. “I mean, from my perspective, someone was over there mixing potions. Something was happening.”

What is The Flash movie about?

The Flash sped into theaters on June 16th, reshaping the DC Multiverse with the help of familiar faces and brand-new heroes. Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) ventures to the past to change history, resulting in massive repercussions for the future. Forced to team up with another version of Barry, the mysterious Kryptonian known as Supergirl (Sasha Calle), and the iconic Batman (Michael Keaton), the Scarlet Speedster is forced to reckon with his mistakes and save a doomed reality. The Flash is directed by Andy Muschietti, written by Christina Hodson from a story by Joby Harold, and produced by Barbara Muschietti.

“The studio wanted to tell the story and, of course, I agreed that it was a great story,” Muschietti recently told reporters. “It’s basically time travel that includes the origin story, which is basically the mother and the father, and their accident. All of those elements were sort of attached to this thing. That’s why in my opinion, it was like you’re killing several birds with the same stone in a way. And of course time travel is always a good idea. Batman is always a good idea.”

“This is more like a suspense. It is a buildup to that moment, which makes probably a more emotional experience, because you understand everything that’s happening,” Muschietti added. “In Flashpoint, it’s more like Jacob’s Ladder, ‘What is happening? Mom, I don’t have powers. My mom is alive.’”

The Flash is now playing exclusively in theaters.