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.