Summary

James Gunn evades the question about whether Grant Gustin’s Flash will appear in his DCU, giving a cryptic answer to a fan on social media. Fans hoping for Gustin’s inclusion based on his social media interaction with Gunn are grasping at straws. Gunn is known for promoting his work and interacting with fans on social media, but he won’t announce Gustin’s involvement unless it’s confirmed.

James Gunn dodges the Grant Gustin question in a “Flash.” Out of the demise of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) will rise James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe (DCU). For the sake of all fans, the move will hopefully be more instrumental than simply dropping the “E” in DCEU. But Gunn refuses to give a definitive answer to whether the CW’s Flash/Barry Allen (Gustin) will appear in his DCU.

Gunn addressed a question posed by @matthewchadd1987 on Threads about the filmmaker’s activity with Gustin online. Gunn and Gustin’s interaction was interpreted as possible proof that the director of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise might include the CW’s version of the Flash in the DCU.

@matthewchadd1987 wrote in a thread:

“Hey, James. It seems you’re following Grant Gustin on Instagram. Is it true that he is joining your DCU reboot as Barry Allen/The Flash again, or is he playing a different comic book character, please? Thank you very much, James.”

Gunn responded cryptically in the same thread:

“Grant was following me, and I like him as an actor. So, we chatted a bit, and I followed him back. Very simple!”

Fans of the CW’s The Flash — the show ran for nine seasons on television — are loyal and passionate about Gustin’s interpretation of the Scarlet Speedster in the Arrowverse. But hoping that a social media “follow” equates to the character’s inclusion in the DCU is tantamount to grasping at straws.

Related: DCEU: The Best Superheroes from the Franchise, Ranked

Gunn Didn’t Reveal if Gustin’s Flash Will Appear in the DCU

James Gunn kept his answer cryptic when a fan asked him on social media if Grant Gustin’s version of Barry Allen, aka the Flash, was speeding into the DCU. What the filmmaker did do was dodge the question without providing a clear-cut, yes-or-no answer. Gunn has become well-versed in using social media platforms, particularly Twitter, to promote his work and interact with others online. So, he’s not going to let something like Grant Gustin’s possible involvement in the DCU slip, much less announce it at the behest of a Flash enthusiast.

If Gustin does become involved with the DCU somewhere in the future, Gunn will be the first to jump on the Cosmic Treadmill to announce the news on social media. Some fans chimed in on the conversation, too, as they felt at odds with @matthewchadd1987’s reasoning behind the speculation.

@fabianogama wrote in the same thread:

“I’ve heard you [James Gunn] put ice in your cup of water and use fire to cook your meals. Does that mean you will cast Fire & Ice characters in Superman: Legacy?”

@theladyflash also wrote:

“Lmao people are reading into everything like they’re Sherlock Holmes.”

Some fans of the Flash mythology are obviously still perplexed by Gustin’s exclusion in Ezra Miller’s big-screen adventure in The Flash. With that film’s theme firmly centered on DC’s multiverse, including Gustin seemed like a no-brainer — especially when Miller’s Scarlet Speedster did in fact show up in the CW’s Arrowverse and briefly met Gustin’s Flash.

However, for the time being, the only characters fans know for sure will show up in the DCU are the ones James Gunn officially announces. And Gustin’s Flash isn’t a part of the plan, at the time of this writing.