An Underutilized Arrowverse Character Got a Second Chance in Another DC Franchise

There are a lot of mouths to feed in the Arrowverse. In addition to featuring the titular heroes, such as Green Arrow, The Flash, and Supergirl, each show features a team of characters that provide support and demand their own storylines. That doesn’t leave much time for guest stars to flesh out their characters, which is why a series like Legends of Tomorrow exists, offering a platform to B-tier characters with plenty of potential. However, not everyone can bum a ride in the Waverider, leaving many Arrowverse heroes and villains to settle for an occasional appearance that provides them with just enough material to sink their teeth into.

There are a few instances of characters in The CW’s franchise joining after a stint on another property, such as Matt Ryan’s Constantine. Having all that backstory gives the warlock a leg up when he starts running around with Oliver Queen and the Legends. One character, though, leaves the Arrowverse behind for another DC franchise, one that makes them a much bigger part of the story.

Jay Garrick Is an Important Figure on The Flash Until He Isn’t

The Golden Age Flash, Jay Garrick, lets his iconic helmet appear in the Arrowverse before he does, in the Season 1 finale of The Flash. He follows shortly after in Season 2, showing up on Earth-1 to warn Team Flash about Zoom, an evil speedster who’s causing trouble around the multiverse. Barry Allen and Co. help Jay learn more about his enemy, but things aren’t adding up, with it coming to light that Earth-2’s Flash isn’t a hero at all but Zoom in disguise. By the end of Season 2, the real Jay, who looks exactly like Barry’s late father, is free and ready to act as a mentor to all of The Flash‘s speedsters.

Probably around once a season, Jay will return to offer advice, including after Barry creates the “Flashpoint” reality and when a nuclear bomb goes off in Central City. But the original Flash never gets to be in the spotlight again. The closest he comes is when Impulse travels back in time to take down Godspeed, who kills Jay in the future. It’s only natural that The Flash doesn’t want two veteran speedsters around when problems arise, as it would be too easy to solve them, but the show really makes no effort to find a place for Jay in later seasons. Fortunately, he finds a home in another show that requires a speedster’s touch.

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The Flash Is Part of the Justice Society of America in Stargirl

At the same time that The CW had more DC shows than it knew what to do with, Warner Bros. launched the DC Universe streaming service, which was home to a few shows, including Titans and Stargirl. The latter focuses on Courtney Whitmore, a young girl who discovers a magic staff that grants her incredible abilities. She soon learns that the weapon once belonged to Starman, a member of the Justice Society of America. The team was wiped out years before Courtney arrives on the scene, but she must put a new version together when the Injustice Society of America kicks off its plan to take over the world.

Jay shows up in Stargirl via flashbacks, and John Wesley Shipp is the man in the helmet once again. The actor even wears the same outfit he does in The Flash, making it easy to wonder whether they’re the same character. That doesn’t seem to be the case, as Jay never mentions his adventures on Earth-1 or the other speedsters. In any case, having Jay be more active in Stargirl is great, especially when he shows up in the finale to tease future stories for the Justice Society. Those adventures have yet to be explored, but if they are, they’re sure to feature Jay heavily, which is great because the Arrowverse didn’t do right by him in the end.

The Flash is streaming on Netflix, while Stargirl is streaming on HBO Max.

Did you know that Jay Garrick showed up in Stargirl in addition to The Flash? Would you like to see John Wesley Shipp return to the role? Let us know in the comments below!