Filming is currently underway on DC’s long-awaited The Flash movie, and snippets of information have gradually begun to come out about the project. We know the live-action blockbuster will see the return of Ezra Miller‘s Barry Allen/The Flash, as well as both the Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton incarnations of Batman, and the debut of Sasha Calle’s Supergirl. One aspect of the film that has remained a mystery, however, was the film’s villain — but a new report might prove that there’s more to that reveal than meets the eye. According to a new report from The Direct, the primary villain of The Flash will actually be a darker version of Barry Allen, who will also be portrayed by Miller.
If this report does turn out to be true, it could add more context to some of the film’s most buzzed-about set photos, starting with the photos that showed Miller and a Barry Allen doppelganger standing in street clothes. While many had suspected that this might be a version of Barry from an alternate corner of the multiverse — possibly the one that Keaton’s Batman hails from — the prominence of that other Barry was a mystery.
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There also were recent set photos of Miller filming outdoors in a largely-CGI costume, which some fans initially took to mean that Barry’s main costume in the film would not be practical. But if this twist is true, there’s a chance that costume could be one for “Dark Barry”, and might sport a color scheme that would confirm the twist if it was shown in public.
Beyond just the practical evidence, a narrative argument can also be made for an alternate version of Barry being the main villain of The Flash. It’s been clear that the film will draw inspiration from the Flashpoint comic event, which saw Barry accidentally creating a dark alternate reality after going back in time to prevent his mother’s murder. This brought Eobard Thawne/Reverse-Flash — Barry’s nemesis from the future, who was responsible for his mother’s murder — into the fold, only for him to reveal that Barry was the true “villain” behind the alternate reality.
Changing Reverse-Flash’s role in the original comic to another version of Barry himself — a version who could very well end up being characterized a lot like Eobard — significantly puts the emotional onus of the story on The Flash as a character, and also leans into the novelty of seeing alternate versions of the same character (which we know we’re already getting in the film with Batman). It also would clearly differentiate the film’s events from how The Flash TV series handled Flashpoint, with a seasons-long, still-ongoing beef between that show’s version of Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) and Eobard Thawne (Tom Cavanagh).
While there is always a chance that this report could end up being debunked, the implication of it definitely adds a compelling layer to The Flash movie as we know it.
The Flash will be released in theaters on November 4, 2022.
