Credit: Inside the MagicDespite its box office failings, The Flash will continue to exist within the DC Universe. However, it’s going to be changing mediums and leading men.
Related: Can ‘The Flash’ Survive Ezra Miller?
Barry Allen has had a rough year. Not only did his popular CW show, The Flash (2014-2023), get canceled unceremoniously, but his big blockbuster movie, also called The Flash (2023), has grossly underperformed at the box office. While it took first place on its opening weekend, it quickly dropped to third and was overtaken by the popular Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023).
Fingers have been pointing out why the movie bombed the way it did. But whether you prefer Grant Gustin or Ezra Miller, one thing is certain: it’s time to move on. And the DC Universe is doing just that with a brand new version of the world’s fastest man.
Max Greenfield Takes Over as The Flash
Related: ‘The Flash’ Confuses Fans, Accidentally Reveals Upcoming ‘Batman’ Actor
On June 28, 2023, DC officially announced The Flash: Escape the Midnight Circus (2023), an Apple Podcasts’ exclusive audio series starring Max Greenfield as Barry Allen. The story follows Flash as he goes to save hostages from Captain Cold. However, he accidentally travels to Central City in an alternate timeline where he has to work with the villain to escape the deadly Midnight Circus.
Max Greenfield is most well known for playing Schmidt in the classic sitcom New Girl (2011-2018). He has also starred in The Neighborhood (2018-present), Ice Age: Collision Course (2016), Bojack Horseman (2014-2020), Bob’s Burgers (2011-present), and Promising Young Woman (2020).
While all of this may seem like a significant departure for the franchise, it can very much be a good thing. Sometimes, a character or a series needs a hard reboot, and taking a completely different actor into a completely different medium is a great way to do that.
That being said, it is understandable for fans to be disappointed because a podcast seems a lot smaller than a big blockbuster movie that’s supposed to save the entire DC Universe. It looks like fans of the Justice League will just have to look toward James Gunn to do that now.
What do you think of this new casting? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!