I think I speak for many DC movies fans when I gush over how amazing it is that Michael Keaton’s Batman has been confirmed to appear in the upcoming The Flash movie, and alongside Ben Affleck as Batman, too! With such a bizarre multiversal crossover in place, you would think that there is nothing else a comic book lover could ask for, right? Yet, there are actually a few other DC characters we hope to see in Ezra Miller’s long-awaited solo flick.
I mean, it is really not an unreasonable request if you think about it, given the fact that It director Andy Muschietti’s movie adaptation of the DC speedster is reportedly inspired by the famous Flashpoint storyline from the comics. By adapting an arc that involves Barry Allen traveling through time and, by extension, other universes, the possibilities of who else could show up are, almost literally, infinite. Well, we were able to narrow our own selection of what other superheroes we would like to see in the Flash movie down to just seven, starting with one who definitely deserves more screen time in the DCEU than he's had so far.
Martian Manhunter
Comic book fans were simultaneously excited and bummed when Zack Snyder confirmed theories that Man of Steel and Batman v Superman actor Harry Lennix’s character was really the Martian Manhunter in disguise the whole time. The shape-shifting, extraterrestrial lawman finally got to show his true form in Zack Snyder’s Justice League - one of the most exciting 2021 movie releases - but whether or not the events of the HBO Max exclusive will lead into future releases remains uncertain. Given that the Flash movie began shooting only recently, there is still time to make fans of J’onn J’onzz happy.
Hawkgirl
Another DC character who's been subjected to a lack of screen time is Hawkgirl, who was confirmed as not having a role in Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam movie by the star himself, despite the casting of Aldis Hodge as Hawkman - her lover and fellow Justice Society of America founder. While I trust that DC intends to introduce the winged warrior woman to the big screen at some point, I feel like it might be in their best interest to have her appear sooner rather than later. Even a brief cameo in the Flash movie to set up her character arc may suffice and, with this being a multiversal story, casting the Arrowverse’s Hawkgirl actress Ciara Reneé should not be out of the question, especially after Ezra Miller’s CW cameo during the Crisis on Infinite Earths event.
Green Lantern
Speaking of Hawkgirl, I remember she and Green Lantern had a romantic connection on the animated Justice League TV show and, speaking of Green Lantern, there’s another fan favorite hero whose DCEU introduction is sure taking a while. The Green Lantern Corps movie remains in development hell, as HBO Max plans a TV series based on the cosmic comic book, the DCEU ties of which are currently unclear. To me, that's all the more reason why, perhaps, John Stewart deserves at least a moment to shine in the Flash movie. On the other hand, seeing Ryan Reynolds show up as Hal Jordan would be a great chance for some fun multiversal humor.
Shazam
Speaking of humor, I think Shazam! is some of the most genuine fun I have had watching a DC movie in… well, maybe ever, really, without counting The LEGO Batman Movie from 2017. While I am excited for director David F. Sandberg’s upcoming sequel, I also feel bad that Zachary Levi’s super-powered man-child still has yet to actually interact with any members of the Justice League, since that was definitely not Henry Cavill as Superman in that cameo at the end. Not to mention, I think that Billy Batson, as another awkward young man with superpowers with a tendency for cracking jokes and a tragic parental history, would get along really well with Barry Allen.
Liberty Belle
Of course, there are plenty of characters who are already closely related to Barry Allen who could be squeezed into the story of the Flash movie and, once again, already have an actor available for hire associated with them in the Arrowverse. For instance, on The CW’s The Flash TV show, Violett Beane plays Jesse Chambers Wells, the alter ego of fellow DC speedster Jesse Quick, who has also been known go under the alias Liberty Belle - a moniker she inherited from her mother Libby Lawrence - in the comics. This superhero iteration has been mentioned by name in the Arrowverse and never given a proper debut in a live action adaptation, which the new Flash movie would be the perfect opportunity for.
Jay Garrick
Of course, if we are going to discuss the potential of bringing in a Silver Age-era speedster, we owe the Silver Age-era Flash the chance to be part of the discussion, too. Most modern day comic readers often associate The Flash with Barry Allen or even Wally West, forgetting that the first DC superhero to run with the moniker was Jay Garrick, who would actually get to cross paths with Barry in a special 1961 issue called “The Flash of Two Worlds,” which first introduced the concept of the multiverse to DC Comics. Since we already know that the Flash movie is going to be the film that introduces the multiverse into the DCEU, I know I would be disappointed if a cross-dimensional meeting between the two speedsters did not occur in some capacity.
Christian Bale’s Batman
With all this talk about the multiverse in the Flash movie and the potential it creates for a variety of different characters in a variety of different cinematic universes to appear, I am surprised there are not more people wondering if Christian Bale would be interested in showing up. I mean, if we are going to have Michael Keaton from 1989’s Batman in the same movie as Batfleck, why not let the star of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy reprise one of his most famous characters? The only thing stopping him that I could think of is that the Oscar-winner is already returning to the comic book movie genre as Gorr the God Butcher in Thor: Love and Thunder for the MCU, but director and The Suicide Squad cast member Taika Waititi would be open to letting him go for a one-day cameo at least, right?
You know, at this point, a cameo by Christian Bale as Batman is more likely than Cyborg, whose planned Flash movie appearance was cut, which is a shame. His story arc in Zack Snyder’s Justice League made me excited to see more of him in the DCEU, but that may not happen now, given Ray Fisher’s understandable beef with Warner Bros. at the moment. On the bright side, we still have all these exciting characters we can, hopefully, look forward to, but is there one you would be most delighted to see in the upcoming comic book solo movie?
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