With Arrow wrapping up last year, and Supergirl in its final season, The Flash is now the leading Arrowverse programming on The CW. The series recently returned after a COVID-19-enforced break with its seventh run, and has already been pulling off some interesting plot twists and casting additions from the DC Universe.
It remains to be seen just how much longer the show will go on for, but according to insider Daniel Richtman, the network wants to sign star Grant Gustin to a historic contract to retain his services as Barry Allen.
“The CW will pay Grant a huge pay check never heard of in CW’s history if he’ll up his contract,” says Richtman.
Gustin first appeared on The Flash in 2014, and has also guested in various crossovers. Indeed, it seems that the 31-year-old has found little time to squeeze in other parts, with only a few additional credits in his filmography since he began playing the speedster. And now, it seems that The CW want to tie Gustin down for at least a few more seasons.
If this does turn out to be the case, then it would fit with reports that the network are seeking larger budgets for the Arrowverse, presumably to keep up to speed with genre shows on HBO Max and Disney Plus. The latter streamer’s Star Wars and MCU properties have become pretty much on par with their theatrical features, and there’s a danger that the broadcaster could struggle to compete in terms of effects.
We’ve also heard that The CW may want to produce Arrowverse movies, and are probably looking to AMC’s branching of The Walking Dead franchise into films as their inspiration. To this end, investing in a major contract boost to ensure Gustin is happy on The Flash could help extend the shelf life of one of their long-running hits in an era when ratings for the DC series are showing signs of decline in the face of more competition for superhero fare.
