‘The Flash’ was almost ‘Cameos: The Movie,’ but wisely decided against drowning itself in fan service

As a multiversal comic book adaptation, The Flash was always going to be subjected to swirling rumors that countless surprise cameos were being stored up its sleeve to surprise audiences when the film finally hits theaters this summer.

After all, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was swamped with similar speculation, leaving unsatisfied fans to complain that there were “only” half a dozen or so unadvertised guests. The Scarlet Speedster’s solo debut has made no secret that Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton’s Batman are part of the story, but who else could drop by?

We know that Henry Cavill was left on the cutting room floor after shooting scenes as Superman, while the more salacious scuttlebutt has offered that George Clooney’s Bruce Wayne and Nicolas Cage’s Kal-El could end up leaving jaws on the floor across the entire world, but director Andy Muschietti hinted that things were once even more stuffed than that.

Following the recent screening at CinemaCon, the filmmaker confirmed that Grant Gustin’s Flash, Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman, Burgess Meredith’s Penguin, Cesar Romero’s Joker, and Marlon Brando’s Jor-El were all under consideration at one time or another through either guest spots or archive footage, which would have definitely been overkill.

Too much fan service can often be a detriment to the overall quality of a superhero blockbuster, and while The Flash no doubt has a shock or two to come that we don’t know about, it doesn’t sound as though it’s going cameo crazy; which is definitely the right call.