The Flash is one of the biggest superheroes in DC Comics history, but he has also been one of the biggest superheroes of the past decade. Make no mistake about it, that is down to the success of the TV series, which ran for an incredible nine seasons on The CW. Sure, not all nine of those seasons were among its greatest hits, but its historic run helped make the Scarlet Speedster a household name, with fans instantly falling in love Grant Gustin's performance as the character and sticking with him for the better part of a decade.
But that's not the only mainstream appearance for the character, as Barry Allen's chaotic speedster was also a fixture of the DC Extended Universe movie franchise. This time, he was played by Ezra Miller, who appeared in films such as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League, and his own solo movie.
The fact that there were two prominent versions of The Flash in two separate universes spawned a lot of conversations among fans. Most weren't happy that the cast of the TV series had been snubbed given how successful the Arrow spinoff was (both in the US for The CW and around the world). And even though the cast of the show were good sports about the whole thing, there were some people upset by that decision - something that one of the show's stars acknowledges.
The Flash star Danielle Panabaker says it was "hurtful" that the cast weren't a part of the DCEU
The Flash star Danielle Panabaker appeared on The Sackhoff Show with Katee Sackhoff earlier this year to discuss her time on the series, the directing opportunities that came from it and her career in general, but in a recently posted clip, she opened up about Warner Bros.' decision to opt for a different Flash in its film franchise.
"It was definitely surprising and I think hurtful to some people," Panabaker said, referring to the studio's announcement of a separate, unrelated Flash film just two weeks after the series had premiered. "Our show... was a hit and it took the studio two weeks to announce that they were also doing a Flash movie. So that timing was a little surprising... and I think hurtful".
While the series certainly had its ups and downs, it was always a hit for The CW Network, remaining its most-watched program for seven of its nine seasons (and remaining in its top three most-watched for the final two seasons). The same can't be said about The Flash movie which, although greenlit in 2014 didn't actually make it to screen until 2023 (a month after the series had concluded a successful nine-season run), and it unfortunately flopped at the box office. Now with James Gunn and Peter Safran set to launch a new DC Universe, a new Flash will likely make his presence felt at some point.
By the time that The Flash movie rolled around, it was clear that Gustin and the cast of the series weren't going to play the lead roles of the film as the DCEU's Scarlet Speedster was clearly Ezra Miller at that point in time. However, the film itself brought the controversy over their snub back into the spotlight because it actually took the time to showcase other iconic DC properties from the over years due to its multiversal plot, featuring CGI cameos from Nicolas Cage's Superman and Helen Slater's Supergirl (while also featuring CGI likeness of the late, great Christopher Reeve as Superman and Adam West as Batman).
Those were considered controversial, while the lack of regard for the most famous portrayal of The Flash just didn't sit well with fans. Their omission was particularly disrespectful to the show that carried The Flash's legacy over the past decade because one of its own Arrowverse crossovers, Crisis On Infinite Earths, actually featured Ezra Miller's Flash in a cameo appearance (which resulted in the two Scarlet Speedsters coming face-to-face for the first time), so it was a pretty low blow that the cast of the series, primarily Gustin, weren't afforded the same opportunity in the movie.
Katee Sackhoff agrees, it seems, remarking to Panabaker that "you guys would have made [the movie] better". She's right.