The Flash’s mystery villain isn’t the one fans are expecting
Going back in time can have some unintended consequences.
The Flash’s surprise villain isn’t the one DC fans saw coming.
It was already clear Warner Bros.’ first standalone superhero outing for Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen won’t see the Scarlet Speedster running alone, as the Andy Muschietti-directed film is set to feature two versions of Batman (played by Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton). Sasha Calle will additionally be making her debut as Supergirl.
Now, a new rumor suggests that one of the film’s stars could be pulling double-duty as its surprise villain.
Pulling From the Comics — The Direct reports that the primary villain of The Flash will be none other than a dark, alternate version of Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen. This rumor emerges several weeks after Miller was spotted on the Flash set filming scenes with an alleged body double.
The outlet goes on to claim that the film’s evil doppelganger storyline will be “heavily inspired” by how the iconic Flashpoint comic used the character Reverse-Flash. In other words, while the doppelganger will be “villainous in nature,” there’s a chance that he’ll merely be the person proving to Barry how he’s actually the one responsible for all the film’s alternate reality chaos.
Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/The Flash in Zack Snyder’s Justice League.
A Familiar Face — It’s well-known at this point that The Flash will be heavily influenced by Flashpoint comics. In fact, it’s even been said that the film will use the same inciting incident as the Flashpoint story, with Miller’s Barry going back in time to prevent his mother’s murder.
In the comics, Barry’s decision to save his mother resulted in the creation of a reality where Superman is held captive by the U.S. government, Wonder Woman and Aquaman are at war, and Bruce Wayne is killed instead of his parents, which leads his father Thomas to become Batman. While the film isn’t expected to be a straightforward adaptation of the Flashpoint storyline, it’s already confirmed that The Flash will pull various elements from the arc, which explains its use of not just one, but two Batmans.
With all that in mind, the idea that the main villain of The Flash will turn out to be an alternate version of Barry Allen doesn’t seem all that far-fetched. It’d be an interesting way of externalizing the destructive part of Barry, casting his decision to go back in time in an even more negatively self-focused light.
The Flash in motion.
The Inverse Analysis — DCEU fans have been waiting a long time for a standalone Flash movie, and expectations around it are sky-high. While making the film’s villain an evil version of its central hero isn’t the most original idea in the world, it would be in keeping with the way the original Flashpoint storyline ultimately placed the blame on Barry.
It’s also not like major comic-book movies can’t use villainous doppelgangers well. Just look at Logan.
The Flash is set to speed into theaters on November 4, 2022.
This article was originally published on
