I'd Be Stoked If Glen Powell Joined The DCU, But This Fan Art Envisioning Him As The Flash Is Not At All What I Had In Mind

Before Glen Powell gained worldwide recognition in movies like Top Gun: Maverick, Anyone But You and Hit Man, he was able to score some superhero media cred when he played Trader #1 in The Dark Knight Rises. But now that Powell is such a hot talent in Hollywood, he’s perfectly primed to be cast in a lead role for one of the upcoming DC movies or upcoming DC TV shows. That said, I need to talk about the fan art envisioning him as The Flash for the DC Universe, as that’s not the character I had in mind for him.

I’ll start off by saying that the artwork itself, created by John Regan and shared on Instagram, does not look bad whatsoever, and it certainly showcases that Powell has the right kind of look for playing a superhero. See for yourself:

Here’s the thing: I’m not keen on Glen Powell playing The Flash in the DC Universe, the successor shared continuity to the DCEU. I’m sure he’d do a capable job bringing the Scarlet Speedster to life, whether it’s Barry Allen or Wally West (the two most likeliest candidates ), but I almost feel like he’s too big for the role. That’s not to say whomever is cast as Flash in the DCU has to have the same kind of physique that Grant Gustin and Ezra Miller did when they were playing the character, I just don’t think Powell would be the right fit to don the red and yellow costume.

So who should Powell play in the DCU? Well, last May, the actor said he’d “have a wild take on Batman,” and a few months later, fans started buzzing about the prospect of Powell putting on the cape and cowl due to a combination of him following various DC talent on social media, including Andy Muschietti, who’s directing the Batman-centric flick The Brave and the Bold. However, I don’t think that Powell would be a good fit for Gotham City’s Caped Crusader either, as I’m not sure he could bring the right kind of darkness for the role.

Had the Green Lantern-focused Lanterns opted to go with someone younger than Kyle Chandler to play Hal Jordan, I would’ve picked Glen Powell to play him. A commenter on the Flash fan art post also noted that Powell could be great as Oliver Queen, a.k.a Green Arrow. I’d be game for seeing that, especially since Charlie Hunnam has said he has no interest in the role.

Frankly though, if I had to pick right now, I’d slot in Powell to play Booster Gold, who has his own TV show lined up. With DC Studios head James Gunn having already shut down the rumor that Kumail Nanjiani has been cast as Booster, I can easily envision Powell playing the superhero from centuries in the future who was a star quarterback, disgraced and then traveled back to the present day to achieve fame and wealth as a superhero. Glen Powell could easily nail Booster Gold’s humorous and glory-seeking personality, and since the series would presumably only deliver eight episodes a season, that would still leave some time for him to pursue other projects.

So my fingers are crossed that becomes a reality, but regardless, if the actor is announced someday to be joining the DCU, count on CinemaBlend to share that news.