The Flash has been a fixture of the small screen for decades, with a big-screen debut to his name now too. Which version of the Scarlet Speedster is the best?
The Flash is definitely one of DC Comics’ greatest superheroes. Having first sped his way onto the pages of DC all the way back in 1940, the Scarlet Speedster – or the Crimson Comet as he was also called back then – has been lighting up all forms of comic book-inspired entertainment since.
The truth is that The Flash is more popular than ever. Having made multiple appearances on TV over the years through live-action and animated shows, he headlined his own long-running TV show which ran for nine incredible seasons (and was also a part of the wider shared universe of DC superheroes on The CW known as the Arrowverse). On top of that, he headlined his own solo big-screen adventure in his self-titled solo adventure – a movie that was integral in relaunching the DCEU as the DC Universe. Even though it struggled at the box office, it did what it needed to do, and entertained audiences at the same time.
Just as we’ve seen in the comics with Jay Garrick, Barry Allen, Wally West and Bart Allen, many men have taken on the mantle of The Flash on television and film, and that of course begs the question of: Who did it best? With that in mind, prepare yourself for a trip into the Speed Force as we rank all of the previous Flash actors.
With The Flash movie arriving on the big screen and the TV series ending earlier this year, it’s time to finally end the debate and find out who played the hero the best.
Note: While there were multiple other actors to voice The Flash on TV and in video games, this list will take a look at the nine most notable to do so on the big-screen or small-screen.
9. Rod Haase
Appeared in: Legends of the Superheroes
If you saw our ranking of the Black Canary actresses, you’ll know that the 1979 TV special Legends Of The Superheroes hasn’t exactly stood the test of time. Sure, it was wonderful to see Adam West and Burt Ward reprising their legendary roles as Batman and Robin from the iconic 1966 Batman TV series (and they were once again great), and the Black Canary was actually pretty good, but the concept of the special itself was quite baffling.
The Flash wasn’t handed the best deal by it, and by extension neither was actor Rod Haase. With a very poor costume, limited screen time and disappointing special effects, it was hard for Haase to stand out in the overwhelmingly strange landscape, and you can’t really blame him for that.
That said, he did approach the character with the enthusiasm that we’ve come to know from Barry Allen, giving us glimpses of what he was capable of. While the production values were not there, it was a memorable outing for the very first live-action appearance of the Scarlet Speedster.
This would only be the beginning for The Flash’s history on TV, but Rod Hasse etched his name in history as the first to bring him to life.
8. Kenny Johnston
Appeared in: Justice League Of America (1997)
Like the aforementioned Rod Haase, it’s hard to judge Kenny Johnston’s performance as the Scarlet Speedster when essentially all of the problems that lay with Justice League of America were down to, well, Justice League of America.
While it can now be appreciated for an enjoyably cheesy TV relic, the ill-fated TV movie (that was supposed to be a pilot for a TV show) was criticized for its poor costumes, cheap special effects and narrative plot holes, so it would have been difficult for any performer to stand out in something that worked against them so much.
Johnston did what he could with the role, but the material was limited. It certainly didn’t help that the film’s version of Barry Allen was a significant departure from the comics.
All that being said, it was technically The Flash’s first movie appearance (even if it was a TV movie) so that counts for something, and Johnston did lean into the recognizable elements of the character when he was allowed to.
While he certainly could have been used much more than he was, seeing The Flash in action was a lot of fun.
7. Kyle Gallner
Appeared in: Smallville
One of The Flash’s most well-known friendships in the comics is with Superman, so the producers of the Man of Steel’s prequel series Smallville decided to pay tribute to that. Following their trend of adding a more original touch when adapting aspects of the comics, they introduced the Bart Allen version of the character in Season 4.
Portrayed by Kyle Gallner, Bart was initially a speedster thief – who used the aliases Barry Allen, Wally West and Jay Garrick – when he crossed paths with Clark in Metropolis and, eventually, the pair bonded. He then went on to become a member of the show’s mini Justice League, using the alias Impulse.
Gallner did such a fantastic job of bringing Bart to life that it’s hard to believe he was only in three episodes. The on-screen chemistry that he shared with Tom Welling added an endearing layer to the iconic comic book friendship that hadn’t really been explored before, and his infectious charm made it hard not to smile whenever he was on-screen.
Youthful, energetic and a heart of gold that was buried underneath a rather loud center-of-attention personality, Gallner was incredibly authentic in the role. And looking back, he really should have appeared in more episodes.
6. Charlie Schlatter
Appeared in: Superman: The Animated Series, The Batman, Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts, Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants, Justice League Action
Charlie Schlatter debuted as the voice of the Scarlet Speedster in an iconic episode of Superman: The Animated Series, which saw The Flash and the Man of Steel attempt to race each other at a charity event. But when they were sidetracked by the Weather Wizard, they teamed up to stop him.
This was the beginning of the speedy hero’s legendary run in the DC Animated Universe, but it would mark Schlatter’s only performance as him in this continuity (as Michael Rosenbaum would take over the role in Justice League). However, that wasn’t the end of his race with the character either. I’m going to stop with the running puns now.
Schlatter went on to reprise the role in the fifth season of separate animated series The Batman, appearing in three episodes. He would then return to it again years later for the Batman Unlimited movie saga and the Justice League Action. That makes him one of the only actors to voice the character in four separate continuities. We know how important the multiverse is to The Flash, so that’s pretty epic that we know at least four of them out there sound like Schlatter.
There’s a charm to Schlatter’s performance that makes him easy to buy as the Scarlet Speedster. He approaches the role with a youthful energy that verges on cocky but only playfully so, nailing some of the attributes most closely associated with the hero. While it’s a shame he never got to showcase those talents in a regular role throughout the DCAU, we’re glad he got plenty more chances to impress us with his epic, comic-accurate portrayal. This is what we imagine The Flash should sound like.
5. Michael Rosenbaum
Appeared in: Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, Static Shock, Justice League: Doom
If you grew up watching Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series or Justice League/Justice League Unlimited, it’s a pretty safe bet that the DCAU Flash was the definitive version of the Scarlet Speedster for you.
With his sarcastic tone and playful quips, this animated version only shares some physical similarities with the Barry Allen of today, which is a good thing because he isn’t actually the Barry Allen iteration. That’s right, this famous jester is actually Wally West.
As awesome as the animation for the character is on Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, the thing that made this one so addictive was his overall personality – and that was down to the man who voiced him: Michael Rosenbaum.
You might recognize that name because, of course, Rosenbaum’s greatest performance came as a, well, very different DC character when he portrayed Lex Luthor in seven seasons of Smallville, so it’s nice to see something of a more light-hearted side to him here.
With personality galore and a zest for life that we know his comic book counterpart possesses, Rosenbaum’s Flash was one of the most enjoyable parts of the DC Animated Universe, and it was hard not smile (or laugh) every time he sped onto our screens.
4. Keiynan Lonsdale
Appeared in: The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow
Keiynan Lonsdale’s character on CW series The Flash may never have been directly referred to as The Flash (in the main timeline, at least), but the young actor did portray a version of the Scarlet Speedster on the show. Debuting in its second season, he portrayed Wally West, the son of Joe and brother to Iris. DC Comics fans were thrilled by his introduction, as Wally is also one of the multiple Scarlet Speedsters from the comics.
Before he dons the iconic red suit, he adopts the moniker of Kid-Flash – which is something the Arrowverse adapted well. In the third season, Wally develops super powers and evolves into the hero, helping Barry Allen protect the streets of Central City from harm.
Lonsdale was a delightful addition to The Flash in its second season and he quickly became an integral part of the show. While the material didn’t always serve him well, he did a wonderful job as Wally, delivering a earnest performance that made audiences root for him pretty quickly. He also slotted in really well on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, making us wish that he had been a part of the spinoff show for longer.
It would have been great to see Wally evolve into The Flash someday, but at least we got to see a glimpse of that in the Flashpoint timeline.
3. Ezra Miller
Appeared in: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, Justice League, Crisis On Infinite Earths, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Peacemaker, The Flash
The first actor to ever portray The Flash on the big screen, Ezra Miller made their first appearance as DC’s red streak in a very strange cameo in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. They then reprised the role in a much more traditional cameo in Suicide Squad before finally having a substantial role in Justice League.
Miller’s certainly got the acting chops to pull off a role as huge as this, but those films haven’t done the actor as much justice as they could have. From the cameo appearances limiting their role altogether to the fact that Justice League relied on them for comic relief more than anything else, it was hard to fully gauge this Barry Allen.
That being said, Miller’s intentionally awkward performance did add some much needed life to the latter and they definitely pull off the DCEU’s sleek Flash costume. They really got the chance to shine in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, which showed us what Barry was truly capable of, which set the stage nicely for when the DCEU’s speedster got the spotlight in the decade-in-the-making The Flash movie.
Miller’s performance in The Flash is incredible. Not only do they do a wonderful job of playing two different versions of Barry Allen, they deliver two incredible and different performances. From the awkwardly adorable way in which Barry carries himself, to the emotional moments in which he attempts to cope with the loss of his mother, Ezra Miller finally got the chance to showcase what their Barry was capable of – it was long overdue at this point, but worth the wait nonetheless.
2. John Wesley Shipp
Appeared in: The Flash (1990), The Flash (2014), Elseworlds, Crisis On Infinite Earths
A legendary performer of the screen, John Wesley Shipp was the first actor to headline his own TV series as the Scarlet Speedster back in 1990 when he portrayed the Barry Allen iteration in CBS’ The Flash.
With his impressive physique and comic-accurate outfit, Shipp certainly looked the part – but he also played the part really, really well. He was a formidable Barry Allen that commanded our attention when on-screens and he played the heroic role very convincingly, ensuring that even the colorful villains of the delightfully cartoonish show took him seriously.
The fact that he’s had prominent roles in the 2014 series of The Flash is a testament to just how important he is to the character’s legacy and it was wonderful to see him portray both Henry Allen and the original Flash himself, Jay Garrick. And it’s hard to fully sum up just how awe-inspiring it was to see him reprise his original role as ’90s Flash (a.k.a. The Flash of Earth-90) in the Arrowverse when he played significant roles in both the Elseworlds and Crisis On Infinite Earths crossovers.
The definitive Flash for so many people, John Wesley Shipp is a legend in every sense of the word, and his classic interpretation of the Scarlet Speedster will live on in history as one of – if not the – greatest of all time. And with that, we tip our Jay Garrick helmets to him!
1. Grant Gustin
Appeared in: The Flash (2014), Arrow, Supergirl, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Batwoman, Vixen
Grant Gustin’s performance as Barry Allen on The Flash has taken on such a life of its own over the past decade that it’s hard to remember a time when he wasn’t playing the Scarlet Speedster. That‘s how good a performer he is.
Initially overcoming some ludicrous controversy in regards to his unexpected casting, he brought out all of the qualities one would associate with Barry Allen throughout his two-episode stint on Arrow back in 2013 and magnified all of it when he began leading The Flash the following year.
Gustin’s performance has evolved over the decade that he has played the role but he’s never lost that infectious charm and effortlessly heroic aura that make up so much of what his Scarlet Speedster stands for. And, for the record, throughout those ten years, he has delivered some incredibly powerful performances, showcasing why he’s one of the strongest actors on TV today.
Without a doubt, the definitive Barry Allen in every single way, Gustin hasn’t just embodied The Flash… he is The Flash. And he’s done such an outstanding job that we’re not sure anyone will ever be capable of outshining the magic he created.
Keep running, Grant! Thank you for reinventing Barry Allen for a whole new generation.