James Gunn’s Perfect Actor For The Flash Just Emerged

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James Gunn, the head of DCU, has hinted at a potential new actor for the role of The Flash. While discussing the future of the character, Gunn mentioned The Flash will appear in the DCU “eventually.” The 2023 film The Flash wasn’t successful and has led to plans for a reboot. Now, a rising actor is being considered who could realistically play Barry Allen within the next ten years.

Mason Thames, at 18 years old, is quickly becoming a rising star. He started with a small part on Apple TV+’s For All Mankind and gained recognition in the 2021 film The Black Phone. Now, many fans believe he’d be a great choice to play the Flash in the new DC Universe, potentially as Barry Allen, or even as Wally West.

In August 2025, Callum Thames told Screen Rant he’d be most excited to play the Flash or Robin if he were to join the DC Universe. While he also mentioned being open to playing Spider-Man, that opportunity seems less likely now that Tom Holland is continuing as the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with his fourth film.

2025 was a breakout year for actor Jacob Elordi, sparking conversations about him potentially joining the DC Universe. He became the first performer since Jim Carrey in 1994 to have three movies – How to Train Your Dragon, Black Phone 2, and Regretting You – reach number one at the box office in a single year. His successful takeover of the lead role in How to Train Your Dragon demonstrated his ability to carry a major blockbuster film – a key quality for a strong portrayal of The Flash.

Thames has proven he can handle both intense, darker roles, like in The Black Phone, and large-scale action, as seen in How to Train Your Dragon. This experience makes him perfectly suited to play the Flash, bringing the right mix of emotional depth, likability, and exciting action to the character.

Thames has the acting skills and physical build to convincingly play Barry Allen. He can portray the character’s emotional complexity, attention to detail as a forensic scientist, and has the right physique to wear the Flash suit and perform the action scenes.

At just 18, Thames has a lot of potential for a long-running role; he could convincingly play a character like Barry Allen for ten years or more if the DC Universe needed someone for that length of time.

I really think if James Gunn is looking for a new Flash down the line, they should seriously consider Tom Holland. He’d be a fantastic fit and a great replacement for Ezra Miller, in my opinion.

When Will the Flash Join the MCU?

Now that Superman and Supergirl movies are planned for the start of the new DC Universe, many have noticed that The Flash isn’t currently included. This is probably on purpose. After the disappointing performance and issues surrounding the 2023 Flash movie, DC Studios is likely letting the character rest before bringing him back in the future.

In a 2024 post on Threads, James Gunn mentioned that DC was pausing development on a Flash project, meaning a big casting reveal wasn’t likely in the near future. He also hinted that he prefers the character Wally West, which suggests the DC Universe might introduce a later version of the Flash instead of retelling Barry Allen’s origin story again.

Wally might be a great pick because he’d represent a fresh start, moving away from issues with the last movie. Plus, his background in the comics already connects him to other DC heroes like Mr. Terrific, making it easy to weave him into the existing universe.

It’s likely we won’t see a fully integrated Flash (either Barry Allen or Wally West) in the main DC Universe until a team-up movie or show. This would allow for a new actor, possibly Callum Thames, to take on the role and establish the character naturally, instead of feeling forced or hurried.

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2026-03-28 14:35