We talk a lot about comic book movies here at CinemaBlend, but we’ll be damned if it isn’t also an amazing time for superhero television. One DC series that has continuously blown us away week after week comes in the form of The CW’s The Flash, starring Grant Gustin as the titular red-clad hero. After two seasons, the second of which ended gloriously last night, The Flash has become the DC series by which all others should be compared.
Although Grant Gustin will see himself replaced by Ezra Miller as Barry Allen in 2018s The Flash solo movie, the upcoming silver screen adventure for the Scarlet Speedster can still learn quite a bit from his comic book counterpart. We’ve gone through the last two seasons of The CW’s hit series, and compiled a list of seven qualities Ezra Miller’s Flash movie needs to adopt from the beloved DC show. Now let's get started with those who know The Flash best...
The Flash's Friends And Family Need To Matter
One thing about The Flash that makes him incredibly distinct from his other Justice League contemporaries is his willingness to surround himself with friends and family in his mission to make Central City a safer place. The CW’s version of Barry Allen has already assembled himself a "Team Flash" consisting of characters like Cisco Ramon a.k.a Vibe, Caitlin Snow, two versions of Harrison Wells (although one of those didn’t work out very well), as well as Joe and Iris West. Ezra Miller’s take on the character needs to similarly have no qualms when it comes to allying himself with people who provide technical as well as emotional support to his crime-fighting activities.
The Flash's Powers Involve More Than Just Speed
Of course, we all know that Barry Allen has the ability to run at incredible speeds that potentially have no limitations, but that’s not the full extent of his powers. Over the last two seasons of The Flash, we’ve seen Barry learn so many new powers through the course of his career as the Scarlet Speedster. He can throw bolts of lightning, create vortexes of wind, phase through solid matter, and even travel across time and space. The Flash’s speed opens up a Swiss army knife of abilities, and we need to see all of these on display when The Flash solo movie hits theaters.
Barry Has A Unique Relationship With His Rogues
Every hero in the DC multiverse has his or her own unique stable of rogues to face off against. However, Barry Allen has one of the most unique relationships with his particular rogues gallery. Sure, he’s got arch nemeses like Reverse-Flash who want nothing more than to see him dead. But plenty of other villains – like Leonard Snart a.k.a Captain Cold – abide by strict codes of ethics, and have come to an understanding with The Flash not to use lethal means while in Central City. Barry Allen takes a softer approach to his enemies than a guy like Batman, and will almost always opt to reason with someone before delivering a knockout blow. Ezra Miller’s Flash needs to remember that this isn’t Gotham City, and things work a little differently in Barry Allen’s corner of the DC universe.
Time Travel Can Be Tricky
With the impending arrival of Ezra Miller’s The Flash solo movie, one power that should almost certainly receive thorough exploration is Barry Allen’s ability to travel through time. Barry has time travelled plenty of times on The CW’s The Flash, but almost every journey carries its own set of problems and consequences. As Flash is a Justice League hero based firmly in the realm of science fiction, time travel simply represents one of those tropes that are too good to pass up. The upcoming Flash solo movie should endeavor to explore the implications of time travel, as well as all of the paradoxes, and potential Flashpoint Paradoxes that come with it. He already time traveled in Dawn of Justice, so we expect to see more of it in the Flash solo movie.
Flash's Stories Are All About Pushing His Own Limits
The best moments from The Flash TV series come when Barry thinks he cannot go any faster, but somehow finds a way. He leans into the pain, grits his teeth, and pushes the boundaries of what even he considers possible for himself. The Flash solo movie needs to begin with a Barry Allen who has not quite figured out the full extent of his powers. Over time, we want to see him continuously challenge himself and shatter the ideas of what he thinks he can do. Even by the time the credits roll, we should be left wondering if he has even reached the full extent of his super speed.
Barry Is A Scientist, And Needs To Be One In The Movies
One thing that The CW’s The Flash has continually excelled at is its ability to portray Barry Allen as a bona-fide scientist– hell, his first appearance was on an episode of Arrow titled, "The Scientist." He’s an expert in forensics, as well as chemistry, and – while not quite a genius – he has an acute understanding of physics and biology that allows him to tinker with his abilities as a speedster. The movie needs to remember these qualities for two reasons. First, they help ground Barry as a science-based hero; second, they help explain Barry’s backstory, as he became a scientist in order to solve the mystery of his mother’s death – long before he ever became The Flash.
Barry Allen Is An Optimist, Above All Else
Each of the aforementioned talking points will become incredibly important for the Scarlet Speedster, but none will bear more importance than Barry Allen’s sense of optimism. The CW’s The Flash has done an amazing job of framing Barry as an eternal idealist whose belief in an inherent goodness of the world sets him apart from some of DC’s more popular, brooding heroes. Although the early films of the DCEU have taken on a somewhat overbearing sense of darkness, The Flash has the opportunity to provide a strong antidote to that problem by giving us a wide-eyed, hopeful protagonist who will never stop believing in a better tomorrow. Just like on TV. And just like it should be on the big screen.
