The new superhero movie is now out in cinemas – and includes a lot of big names.
The Flash has just opened in UK cinemas – and so far, reviews for the new DC film have been decidedly mixed.
Perhaps one of the most notable features of the film is that it sees Michael Keaton reprise his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman three decades after he last donned the Batsuit, and he’s not the only familiar face from years gone by that crops up in the film.
The film also marks Sasha Calle’s debut as Supergirl and includes small roles for the likes of Unforgotten’s Sanjeev Bhaskar and Derry Girls star Saoirse-Monica Jackson, both of whom appear as colleagues of Barry Allen/The Flash.
Read on for more information about the cast, including where you might have seen the main stars before, and details of all the cameo appearances (if you choose to scroll past the spoiler warning).
Ezra Miller plays Barry Allen/The Flash
!["Ezra]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/12/the-flash-ezra-miller-71a654e.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"Ezra")
Who is Barry Allen/The Flash? Barry is a police forensic investigator from Central City, and is also a member of the Justice League due to his ability to move at superhuman speeds with the use of the Speed Force. In the new film, Miller plays two different versions of the character – the one we know from the previous DCEU films and an alternate version from 2013.
What else has Ezra Miller been in? Miller first gained prominence for their acclaimed performances in films such as We Need to Talk About Kevin and The Perks of Being a Wallflower and went on to land big roles as Credence Barebone in the Fantastic Beasts films and Barry Allen in the DCEU. In recent years, they have been involved in multiple scandals including run-ins with the law, and in 2022 it was reported that they were receiving treatment for “complex mental health issues.”
Michael Keaton plays Bruce Wayne/Batman
!["Michael]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/12/the-flash-michael-keaton-batman-fa0c62f.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"Michael")
Who is Bruce Wayne/Batman? Generally speaking, this is a character who needs no introduction – the Caped Crusader has protected Gotham City from all sorts of villains in a huge variety of films. However, this version of the character hails from an alternate universe, with Keaton reprising his role from Batman and Batman Returns – only now 30 years older, disillusioned, and retired from crimefighting. Ben Affleck also reprises his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman in the early scenes before Barry arrives in the alternate universe.
What else has Michael Keaton been in? Keaton is perhaps still best known for his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman in Tim Burton’s films, but he also has a number of other impressive credits to his name including Beetlejuice, Jackie Brown, and The Other Guys. He received a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his leading role in Birdman and also garnered acclaim for roles in Spotlight and The Founder. He made a return to superhero films when he played the main antagonist the Vulture in Spider-Man: Homecoming, while he recently had a starring role on Hulu limited series Dopesick.
Sasha Calle plays Kara Zor-El/Supergirl
!["Sasha]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/06/Sasha-Calle-plays-Kara-Zor-ElSupergirl-128d381.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C412" "\"Sasha")
Who is Kara Zor-El/Supergirl? Superman’s cousin, Supergirl is also a powerful Kryptonian and boasts powers – and a costume – that are similar to her famous relation.
What else has Sasha Calle been in? This is Calle’s big-screen debut, having previously starred on TV in the US soap opera The Young and the Restless between 2018 and 2021.
Michael Shannon plays General Zod
Who is Zod? The main villain of the film, Zod is a Kryptonian general with the same powers as Superman who returns to wreak havoc in the alternate timeline, having previously been killed in the events of Man of Steel.
What else has Michael Shannon been in? Shannon made his film debut with a small role in Groundhog Day and has since become a prolific big-screen star, with notable roles including 8 Mile, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, Revolutionary Road, Mud, Midnight Special, Nocturnal Animals, The Shape of Water, Knives Out and Bullet Train. He previously played Zod in Man of Steel, while major TV credits include Waco, Boardwalk Empire, The Little Drummer Girl and Nine Perfect Strangers.
Ron Livingston plays Henry Allen
Who is Henry Allen? Henry is Barry’s father, who was wrongfully convicted of his wife’s murder and whom Barry is desperate to exonerate. Livingston takes over the role from Billy Crudup, who was not available to reprise the role after starring in Justice League.
What else has Ron Livingston been in? Livingston’s major film credits include key roles in Office Space, Swingers, Adaptation and The Conjuring, while he’s had TV roles in Band of Brothers, Sex and the City, Boardwalk Empire, Search Party and Loudermilk.
Maribel Verdú plays Nora Allen
Who is Nora Allen? Nora is Barry’s mother who was murdered in his youth, with Barry desperate to go back in time to stop her death.
What else has Maribel Verdú been in? Highlights from Spanish star Verdú’s filmography include Lovers, Belle Époque, Y tu mamá también, Pan’s Labyrinth, Tetro, Snow White, and Raymond & Ray.
Kiersey Clemons plays Iris West
Who is Iris West? A journalist for the Picture News, who Barry has a crush on.
What else has Kiersey Clemons been in? Clemens broke out with a main role in the 2015 film Dope and has since appeared in a number of other movies such as Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, Flatliners, Hearts Beat Loud, Sweetheart, Antebellum, and Somebody I Used to Know. She previously appeared as Iris in the Zack Snyder cut of Justice League, while she’s also had roles in a number of TV shows such as Austin & Ally, Transparent, Easy, Angie Tribeca, and the upcoming Godzilla and the Titans.
The cast also includes: Antje Traue (Dark) as Zod’s second in command Faora-U, Jeremy Irons (Dead Ringers) as Bruce Wayne’s butler Alfred Pennyworth, Temuera Morrison (The Mandalorian) as Thomas Curry, Saoirse-Monica Jackson (Derry Girls) and Rudy Mancuso (Rim of the World) as Barry’s co-workers Patty Spivot and Albert Desmond, Sanjeev Bhaskar (Unforgotten) as Barry’s boss David Singh, and Brandon Field (Interview with the Vampire) as villain Al Falcone.
Meanwhile, there are also a number of high-profile cameos – but a number of these can be constituted as spoilers so tread carefully from here on.
The Flash cameos
Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Flash.
Most of the cameos are saved for the final act of the film, when Barry encounters various incarnations of popular DC superheroes in the Speed Force, many of them brought to the screen using AI and deep fake technology.
These cameos include Nicolas Cage as Superman – a role he almost played in the abandoned film project Superman Lives – Helen Slater as Supergirl, Teddy Sears as The Flash, Adam West as Batman and the late actors George Reeves and Christopher Reeve as Superman.
Another major cameo occurs after Barry returns to his timeline and reunites with Bruce. Of course, he is expecting to encounter the Ben Affleck version he had previously teamed up with, but instead finds yet another iteration of the character – the George Clooney version from Batman & Robin.
And one final cameo is saved for the post-credits scene, which sees Jason Momoa reprise his role as Aquaman as he and Barry enjoy a night on the town – with the former appearing in a very inebriated state.
The Flash is in cinemas from today. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide or visit our Movies hub for all the latest news.
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