Bartholomew Henry "Barry" Allen, also known as The Flash, is a fictional character in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Based on the DC Comics superhero of the same name, he is portrayed by American actor Ezra Miller. Originally appearing in a minor role in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad, Barry had a prominent role in the film Justice League, its director's cut, and in his titular film. Miller also reprised the role in cameo capacity in other DC Comics media such as the Arrowverse event series Crisis on Infinite Earths and in the HBO Max series Peacemaker. The DCEU marks the first time The Flash has been portrayed in live-action film.
Development and portrayal Early film proposals and casting for the DCEU Development on a film based on The Flash started in the late 1980s when Warner Bros. hired comic book writer Jeph Loeb to write a screenplay, but nothing materialized from that. The project went dormant until it was brought up again following the release of Batman Begins, when writer David S. Goyer was offered a chance to write a script for either Flash or Green Lantern. In December 2004, Goyer was brought to write, produce and direct The Flash. He approached his Blade: Trinity co-star Ryan Reynolds for the Barry Allen role, with the intention of also using Wally West as a supporting character. Goyer soon dropped out due to creative differences, but a film based on the Justice League featuring Barry Allen soon entered development afterwards, with Shawn Levy set to direct and Adam Brody cast as Barry Allen. However, this film also fell through.
On June 9, 2010, Green Lantern writers Greg Berlanti (who would later create the 2014 TV series based on the Flash), Michael Green and Marc Guggenheim were hired to pen a treatment of the Flash film. The Flash script was to be based on the recent run by DC's Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns. Mazeau told Blastr.com that the studio was still actively developing the big screen take on the DC Comics' character and that the project was still active. On July 20, 2013, The Hollywood Reporter has reported that the film was rumored to be released in 2016 but it has not been announced. In October 2014, Warner Bros. announced The Flash would be released in 2018 as the sixth installment of the DC Extended Universe. Ezra Miller was cast to play the title role of Barry Allen. The Flash was later postponed to 2022, with Miller providing assistance to re-writing the script following creative differences with original directors/screenwriters John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. It was later revealed in July 2019, that Andy Muschietti would officially be directing the film, with Christina Hodson serving as the screenwriter. In June 2020, TheWrap reported that Michael Keaton was in early talks to reprise his role of Bruce Wayne / Batman from Tim Burton's Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992). In August 2020, it officially confirmed that Keaton had signed on and that Ben Affleck would be reprising his role of Bruce Wayne / Batman from the DC Extended Universe. Filming began on April 19, 2021, at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden in Hertfordshire, England.
Once Zack Snyder received approval from WarnerMedia to film additional footage for his director's cut of Justice League in 2020, Miller, who at the time was filming for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022) in London, was able to film their scenes as Barry Allen / Flash remotely, as Snyder directed the additional scene with Miller over Zoom. Snyder's video feed played through a stand on a table enabling him to direct Miller and the crew, who filmed the scene on his behalf.
Characterization As portrayed in the films, Barry Allen is a remarkably intelligent and determined individual, studying to be a forensic scientist to prove the innocence of his imprisoned father Henry Allen in the death of his mother, Nora Allen. As the Flash, Barry is determined to keep his secret identity a secret from others, demonstrated by the many excuses he came up with when confronted by Bruce Wayne, despite none of them being convincing enough to fool the latter. When finally exposed by Bruce, Barry is quick to agree to join the Justice League, due to his great desire to gain friends he could relate to. He deals with insecurity and a tragic past much like the other superheroes in the DCEU, but retains a humorous, talkative personality and positive attitude. Ezra Miller has described their portrayal of the character as "an exploration of a multi-dimensional human being" while exploring the character's consideration as a superhero and a person to "feel the humanity of someone who is heroic — or the heroism of someone who is a flawed, deeply human person." In addition, Barry is implied to be a fan of Rick and Morty and has an extremely fast metabolism due to his superhero activities.
Barry casually describes himself as an "attractive Jewish boy" when first meeting Bruce Wayne in Justice League, just as Ezra Miller is Jewish in real life. This makes the DCEU Flash the first version of the character to be Jewish, and the first confirmed Jewish superhero to appear in film. Prior to this, Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender's Magneto, as portrayed in the X-Men film series, is shown to be Jewish, but is more often than not depicted as a supervillain.
Running style
Critics and fans have noticed Barry Allen's unorthodox running motion in both versions of Justice League. In an interview before the release of the theatrical cut, Ezra Miller shared that they had practiced martial arts for two years in preparation for the role, even venturing to the Wudang Mountains in China to study Qinggong. The monks they encountered inspired some of Barry's more meditative movements as well as his running motion while entering the Speed Force to reverse time during the climax of the "Snyder Cut". Miller also looked to the mechanics of speed skaters, dancers and choreographers as well as certain animals, stating "I was also inspired by crows, cheetahs, mongooses and other fast-moving and intelligent creatures, as well as by rushing water and, of course, lightning."
Fictional character biography Origins
Barry Allen was born on March 19, 1995, to Henry and Nora Allen. On June 13, 2004, when Barry was nine years old, Nora Allen was murdered by the Reverse Flash and Henry Allen was sentenced to life in prison for her murder. Barry always claimed that his father was innocent, but no one ever took him seriously. Barry started studying forensic science in the hopes of one day proving his father's innocence. On September 29, 2013, he gains superhuman speed after an accident, becoming a metahuman. During Zod's invasion of Earth, Barry travels to Metropolis to try and help. He saves a young boy, but is unable to save the boy's father. During Barry's early days as a superhero, he apprehends Captain Boomerang. Around 2015, security footage of Barry apprehending a burglar with his superpowers is decrypted and examined by Wayne after being stolen from Lex Luthor's servers. Wayne sends the footage to Diana Prince.
In 2017, Barry meets Iris West, saving her from injury during a car crash while he also interviews for a job. He later visits his father Henry, who is imprisoned after being wrongly accused of murdering his wife and Barry's mother, Nora. Henry encourages Barry to "move on with his life" during this particular visit despite Barry's protests.
Stopping Steppenwolf Theatrical cut
Wayne recruits Barry to join a team of metahumans in the wake of Clark Kent / Superman's death, which Barry enthusiastically accepts upon learning that Wayne is Batman. Barry ventures with Wayne to meet with Prince in Gotham City, where they also encounter police commissioner James Gordon and fellow metahuman Victor Stone, also known as "Cyborg".
As the team prepares to fight Steppenwolf and his parademon minions under Delaware Bay to retrieve a Mother Box, Barry is intimidated upon seeing a parademon slaughter one of the scientists guarding the relic, stating that he has "no combat skills". Wayne tells him to focus on saving one person, in order to boost his confidence, after which he manages to save Stone's father Silas and many other civilians, in addition to aiding Prince by retrieving her sword and protecting her from a falling column. The team is aided by Arthur Curry / Aquaman, who arrives to save them from a deluge of water after Steppenwolf escapes.
After Curry joins the team, Wayne decides to use the Mother Box to resurrect Superman after examining its abilities, with Barry siding with him. Curry and Stone are sent to exhume Clark Kent's body, bonding over discussing the situation and their abilities. Upon returning to the lab, Barry charges up the Mother Box, which successfully revives Kent, though he has lost his memories and is triggered to attack the group. Barry tries to ambush Kent with his speed, but Kent counters with his own quickness and brute force, knocking Barry aside. Wayne has his butler Alfred Pennyworth bring Kent's girlfriend, Lois Lane, which calms him down.
Barry helps the team deduce that Steppenwolf will be in a nuclear fallout zone in Russia to try and unite all three Mother Boxes and reshape the Earth, so the team travels to confront him. While Wayne makes himself a distraction to the demon, Barry and the rest of the team flank Stone as he tries to pull the Mother Boxes apart. Upon seeing that civilians are in danger, Wayne orders Barry to evacuate them, but Kent arrives, singlehandedly saving the whole village while Barry saves a single family and helping the team to defeat Steppenwolf. Following the battle, Barry enthusiastically remains part of the team, now named the Justice League, and obtains an entry-level job with the Central City police department to his father's approval. Barry later challenges Kent to a race for fun.
Director's cut
During the battle under Gotham Harbor, Barry is more confident in his abilities. Prior to Kent's resurrection, Barry mistakes Stone's "no" for "go", charging up the Mother Box, and he is also shown crashing into Curry as the amnesiac Kent dodges an attack from him. Stone is also the one who discovers that Steppenwolf's base is in Russia, not Barry. During the final battle, Barry is assigned to provide an extra spark to help Stone pull apart the Mother Boxes. He fails the first time around as he is shot by a parademon while charging up his speed, allowing the "Unity" time to form, which kills the team and begins destroying the Earth. However, after regaining his confidence and healing himself, he manages to enter the Speed Force, running faster than the speed of light to reverse time and save his teammates from annihilation. He assists Stone in separating the boxes, allowing the team to defeat and kill Steppenwolf.
Following the battle, Barry enthusiastically remains part of the team and obtains an entry-level job with the Central City police department to his father's approval.
Life as a superhero
In the intermittent years, Barry became one of the world's best known superheroes with his image and powers becoming ingrained into popular culture.
The vigilante Peacemaker claims to have met Barry, describing him as an "unbearable d-bag". In 2021, Barry, alongside Prince, Kent, and Curry, arrive to assist Peacemaker in fighting a group of parasitic aliens named The Butterflies, albeit too late, and are insulted by a frustrated and disdainful Peacemaker as a result.
Shortly after, Barry's prototype suit was destroyed following a skirmish with the supervillain Girder. Following a series of training sessions in order for Barry to reach his full potential, Bruce Wayne created a new suit for him using microcompression technology in order for it to be carried around in a ring. Barry later battles further rogues in metahuman Tar Pit and cyborg weapons dealer, the Top.
Multiversal crisis