DC Studios' first design for the Flash has finally been revealed amid the Scarlet Speeder's continued absence from the DC Universe. Having wrapped up his nine-season run on The CW's Arrow in 2023, followed by The Flash series in the DC Cinematic Universe, the Justice League's beloved speedster faces a difficult time before his DC Universe debut. Unfortunately, the Flash was omitted from the original plan for the first chapter of the DC Universe and remains out of it years later, sparking controversy among some fans, especially with more outlandish projects like Clayface moving forward.
Warner Bros. Animation and DC Studios are making a splash at the Annecy Film Festival with a new banner dedicated to their upcoming projects (according to Discussing Film). Notably, this animated trailer includes a scene featuring Jesse Quick, a version of the Flash, in her superhero costume in a future TV series.
A female version of Flash will be a major character in DC Super Powers, a children's Elseworlds series in which she and other young heroes attend the Alliance School for Heroes under the guidance of Headmaster Martian Manhunter. Illustrations from the Annecy festival also feature the speedster's fellow students Black Lightning and Plastic Man for the first time, though she will be joined by Terra, Aquagirl, and Guy Gardner/Green Lantern.
Of course, the Flash of the DC Super Powers universe isn't Barry Allen or Wally West; it's Jesse Chambers, aka Jesse Quick, the daughter of the Golden Age speedster who, at a young age, learned her father's equation that allowed her to tap into the Speed Force.
In The CW's Arrowverse, Violett Beane played Jessie Quick, the daughter of Earth-2's Harrison Wells, and gained her powers in The Flash season 3 as a result of recreating the particle accelerator explosion that spawned metahumans throughout Central City.
The Flash concluded its ninth season in May 2023, and just a month later, in June 2023, the DCEU film of the same name starring Ezra Miller was released, which flopped at the box office before James Gunn's DCCU reboot and led to the character being absent from DC Studios' projects to this day.
DC Studios briefly revealed its first Flash costume in the episode "Creature Commando," showcasing a vision of a potential future conceived by Wonder Woman villain Circe. The late Scarlet Speeder from the DC Universe, standing on a spike, is Wally West, who many believe to be the Flash's future self in the main timeline, rather than Barry Allen.
Release date details for the DC Super Powers movie are still unclear, but news and updates may emerge from the Annecy Film Festival in the coming days, possibly including information about who will play the first Flash in DC Studios' films.
Why James Gunn is delaying The Flash's debut in the DCEU
DC Studios' decision to use Jesse Quick, rather than Barry Allen or Wally West, in the children's-oriented Superpowers series is a rather odd one. However, it could also be a clever way to differentiate the Elseworlds series from previous Flash missteps—both in the DCEU and in the final seasons of The CW—and from what's to come in the mainstream DC Universe.
Even with Superman already getting a sequel in Man of Tomorrow, and Batman and Wonder Woman reboots in development, there's still no word on the appearances of other key Justice League superheroes. DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn confirmed last summer that the Flash would not be appearing. «"in the next two years", Its debut is likely to take place in 2028 or even later.
While Gunn hasn't publicized plans to introduce the Flash outside of his Elseworlds projects, the perfect series for his DC Universe debut was recently announced on HBO Max. The studio is in full swing developing a series based on real-life events, in which Jimmy Olsen (played by Skyler Gisondo) investigates the Flash villain Gorilla Grodd, so the inclusion of the Justice League speedster is a natural fit.
This could prove challenging, as the series (rumored to be titled "American Villain") is set to begin filming soon, and the DC Universe still doesn't have an actor playing the Flash, though Wally West recently emerged as a clear contender. In any case, it would be wrong to build a series around Grodd without hinting at his nemesis, so perhaps showing the faceless red blur fighting DC's evil ape could be used to hint at the Flash's existence.
After the nine-minute run of The Flash on The CW, too little time has passed for a DC Universe television series, and at the same time, after the financial failure of the DCEU blockbuster, there's not enough time to consider a new feature film. This means the Scarlet Speedster will either debut in an animated series, be introduced as a supporting character in another hero's story, or remain on the DC studio's shelf for at least several years.