The Flash Star Grant Gustin Reveals What He Really Thinks of THAT Arrowverse Meme

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After playing The Flash for nine seasons from 2014 to 2023, Grant Gustin‘s character, Barry Allen, became famous on the popular superhero series. During this time, it crossed paths with several other shows like Arrow, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, and Batwoman as part of The CW’s Arrowverse. However, it was the final episode of Arrow that generated a viral meme. This meme features Gustin giving the peace sign next to Stephen Amell’s grave, who played Oliver Queen in Arrow, and passed away during the five-part crossover event called Crisis on Infinite Earths.

The picture, initially shared by Echo Kellum, a cast member from the show Arrow, on his Instagram in January 2020, gained popularity on Reddit and transformed into a widely-used internet joke.

Gustin mentioned at Chicago FanExpo 2025 that some captions on his favorite meme weren’t ideal for him, but he found sports-related ones particularly amusing since he’s a sports enthusiast. He added that whenever a team he dislikes gets eliminated from the playoffs, the sports memes are especially entertaining.

For quite some time now, it has been regularly sent to me,” he went on. “Even people I haven’t heard from in years are sending it to me. That’s because it spans various fan groups. All of a sudden, someone comes across the meme since it relates to something they are passionate about. It seems to have made its way into every nook and cranny of the internet.

Gustin has adopted a widely recognized internet joke as his own. “I’ve quipped that it should be etched on my gravestone,” he noted. “I have the feeling that I’m better known for this than any of my actual accomplishments.

During the discussion, Gustin reenacted the Flash dash and mused about portraying the DC superhero for almost a decade. “He underwent many transformations, evolved greatly,” he remarked about Barry Allen. “I never felt like I was searching for him, rather I always felt like I was contributing a lot of myself to him, and abiding by the instructions of the writers who worked on our narrative. It just felt very organic, and I developed alongside the character.

Previously, on Michael Rosenbaum’s podcast, Gustin expressed his curiosity about possibly playing The Flash in the revamped DC Universe, saying “Of course, I am.” He further explained to the ex-Smallville and Justice League actor that there are several aspects he’d like to discuss, not demand, but understand better. His main interest lies in the creative aspects of the role.

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2025-08-17 21:10