Reverse-Flash Actor Tom Cavanagh Saw The Flash Movie, Shares What He Thought Was A ‘Good Call’ For Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen

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2023 marked an exceptional year for DC Comics’ speedster The Flash. To begin with, the television series starring Grant Gustin concluded after nine seasons, and then approximately a month later, Ezra Miller had his time to shine as Barry Allen in the movie, following brief appearances in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, and both versions of Justice League (all these DC films can be streamed in order with a Max subscription). It has been more than a year and half since The Flash movie was released in theaters, and Tom Cavanagh, who played Eobard Thawne, aka Reverse-Flash, on the TV series, recently expressed his approval for the approach that made Miller’s Barry distinct from Gustin’s.

At a Q&A session during FAN Expo Portland (as mentioned by MrHistorican), Cavanagh, known for portraying various versions of Harrison Wells across nine seasons, revealed that he’s watched the Flash movie. Interestingly, his former co-star Danielle Panabaker, seated next to him at the event, has not seen it yet. He spoke highly of the film, focusing on Miller’s performance, expressing his thoughts as follows:

Initially, I observed and appreciated the movie, A.B. Here are my thoughts… While there were undoubtedly off-screen complications and drama, the performer excelled. In my estimation, the first half of the film was exceptionally compelling, particularly for a fan who values Grant Gustin’s portrayal as The Flash. They lowered the intellectual complexity, which I found beneficial. Yes, it was intentional, and I believe this choice will make The Flash appear more innocent and distinct. Bravo! It’s wise to avoid replicating a character’s decade-long television performance.

As a die-hard cinema enthusiast, I must say, at first glance, Ezra Miller’s Barry may seem less intellectually sharp compared to Grant Gustin’s portrayal. However, Tom Cavanagh found this a stimulating creative decision. To be honest, when Grant Gustin debuted as The Flash in the early Arrowverse days, his Barry wasn’t significantly different. In contrast, Miller’s Barry has been battling crime for quite some time in the movie version of The Flash, yet he’s not nearly as seasoned as his small-screen counterpart. (A side note: these two speedsters even shared some time together during the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event back in early 2020.)

In essence, Cavanagh considered this change in character portrayal as a suitable decision for The Flash in the DCEU. He further expressed his views on The Flash film as follows:

When Keaton appears in the movie – beware of spoilers! – it’s a moment that leaves you exclaiming, “Wow!” The Flash DVD cover hints at this surprise with Batman featured on it. Towards the end, it’s a digital production, which can sometimes be challenging to pull off effectively. However, if you watch the first half of the movie and the origin story, you’ll see that it deviates slightly from our version, but I found it exceptionally well executed. I recall discussing the success of DC and Marvel with Geoff Johns, and he expressed his view that what benefits comic books ultimately benefits everyone. And I share similar sentiments.

It seems like he didn’t explicitly say it, but it appeared that he wasn’t as impressed with the second part of The Flash compared to the first. This includes his subtle comments about the criticized CGI during the climactic multiverse sequence, which was filled with DC cameos. Tom Cavanagh is also correct in pointing out that marketing for the movie heavily emphasized Michael Keaton’s Batman, likely due to Batman’s enduring popularity, Keaton’s significant return to the role, and possibly to divert attention from the controversies involving Miller, who didn’t participate in the film’s press tour. Despite these points, Cavanagh generally enjoyed watching The Flash, although his affection for the Scarlet Speedster’s adaptations may have influenced his opinion.

In the upcoming DC movies, Ezra Miller is not scheduled to return as The Flash, but given the character’s popularity, it seems unlikely that another actor won’t take over the role in the new DC Universe franchise. Meanwhile, Tom Cavanagh made a lasting impression by playing Gordon Godfrey in the final season of Superman & Lois, which is now available for streaming on Max.

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2025-01-29 20:12