The Flash was filming on location in London this week and with the cameras rolling less than 5 minutes from my front door, I thought it’d be rude not to head over and see what was going on. It proved to be worth the trip, too, as I got to watch a scene being shot with Ezra Miller and Michael Keaton, a bunch of Central City vehicles on the streets, and Bruce Wayne’s awesome-looking black super car.
However, there was one detail that almost went unnoticed in the excitement. Nearby were the actors’ trailers and makeup studio, which featured signs saying who they were for – “Barry West/The Flash,” “Iris West” and so on. But one simply (and enigmatically) said “Subject Zero,” and you can check it out for yourself below.
So, who or what is Subject Zero? Well, readers of the comic book Flashpoint arc (which this movie takes heavy inspiration from) may recognize the name. In that story we visit a timeline where the government is secretly conducting Project Superman, an attempt to create extremely powerful supersoldiers. Lieutenant Neil Sinclair is selected to be the first candidate and is renamed Subject Zero, but as his vast powers develop, he gradually goes insane and becomes a homicidal maniac. The scientists then promptly shift their focus to Subject One, an alien who crashed into Metropolis known as Kal-El.
In Flashpoint, Subject Zero is eventually put down by Superman, but The Flash‘s take on the character will likely be somewhat different. Even so, after seeing Barry Allen struggle to cope with the reanimated Man of Steel in Justice League, he may have quite the fight on his hands if this villain makes the leap to the big screen
Then again, if we’re traveling through alternative universes, who knows what could be on the cards? Perhaps director Andy Muschietti might surprise us with an alternative version of Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel? Let’s hope we get more hints soon.
The Flash zips into theaters on November 22nd, 2022.
