Despite previous episodes featuring cameos from across the long history of DC live-action adaptations, nobody expected what happened last night. Installment four of the five-part “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover saw the show’s seven Paragons teaming up to connect the multiverse through the Speed Force. Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen proceeded to zip through many universes, eventually arriving in the one place fans assumed he couldn’t go: the DCEU.
Here, in S.T.A.R. Labs, he encountered Ezra Miller’s Flash, who was understandably confused as to what was going on. While watching this scene, it’s worth remembering that The CW Flash and the DCEU Flash are at very different stages in their superhero careers. Grant Gustin’s iteration has been through six seasons of super-speed action, traveling various multiverses and encountering all manner of weird comic book creations.
Meanwhile, Ezra Miller’s Flash is still basically at the start of his superhero career. He famously “had never done battle” before, with Justice League positioning him as the rookie in the team. He doesn’t even really know what the Speed Force is yet.
Right now, the DCEU Flash’s future is hazy. With Miller busy for the next year or so on the Fantastic Beasts movies, The Flash still doesn’t have a release date. However, judging from the Knightmare sequence in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, we know that he’ll eventually harness the Speed Force and be able to zip through time and space.
And as for Grant Gustin’s Flash? Well, the final episode of “Crisis on Infinite Earths” saw a new era beginning for the Arrowverse, with Superman, Supergirl, White Canary, Black Lightning, Batwoman, Martian Manhunter and Flash forming the Justice League. That name was never actually said out loud, but we saw the beginnings of the Hall of Justice and a roundtable with a familiar logo on it.
Whatever comes next for them, here’s hoping that both Flashes have a bright future.
