I know what you’re thinking, we’ve got way too many superhero movies as it is, do we really need another one?? But let’s face it, whether we like it or not, Hollywood isn’t done with ’em anytime soon, and to be fair, some of them are definitely worth seeing. To keep from having superhero flix fatigue though, I’m being more selective in choosing which ones to see. Captain America? Maybe. Green Hornett/Lantern? No/Maybe. Batman 3? Heck, yes!
Well, the past few weeks there were reports (here and here) that the same three writers (Greg Berlanti, Michael Green and Marc Guggenheim) who are writing Green Lantern, have done a ‘treatment’ (I’m guessing it means the initial concept?) for the speedy red guy The Flash, with the possibility of one of those writers penning the script in the future. DC has been quite lacking compared to Marvel in the past few years, with the latter generating a lot of buzz for their upcoming projects: Thor, Capt. America, Spiderman and X-Men: First Class, to name a few. Besides the big two, Batman and Superman, the only other DC comic-book character I’d pay to see the movie version is The Flash.
My hubby and I happen to be a fan of the early 90s TV series of the Barry Allen version (Wikipedia listed three other interpretations of The Flash) with John Wesley Shipp and Amanda Pays. Not so much because it was such a great show, but more of a fondness for the character itself, who got the extraordinary ability to run at lightning speed as a result of, what else, freak scientific accident. We think it’d make a great origins story because of the simplicity of the character. Unlike Superman, he doesn’t have a gazillion superpowers he has at his disposal; and unlike Batman, he’s not a rich, privileged guy, nor does he have the tragic, complex background to contend with. Now, I have no clue what Guggenheim and co. have in mind for the concept, but I just think that the story of The Flash doesn’t need to tread into philosophical territory or a dark, fierce tale of revenge. Instead, it’d be great if they make this light and funny, taking advantage of Barry’s befuddlement upon his initial discovery of his powers and his lack of control of his powers. Such as in this clip when he ran so fast he ended up running 30+ miles into the ocean with his clothes all torn up, or this clip below that shows his enormous appetite as his powers drained all his blood sugar, and how his speed might not work for house cleaning 😀 So in essence, more Iron Man than Batman Begins.
Over lunch a couple of weeks back, we actually had an extensive discussion about who’d be perfect for the role. Well, even just by watching these old TV clips, we kept thinking Ryan Reynolds (and we’re surely not the only ones). I mean, he kind of resembles the TV actor and he can tackle the goofyl, bumbling stuff as well as the action aspect believably. Too bad he’s already signed on for Green Lantern. Another one we thought of is already taken also, Chris Evans, who’s already playing Captain America. But come to think of it, physically The Flash shouldn’t be too buff, in fact, he should be on the tall and slim side. My hubby also thinks one possibility is going with a youthful cast (under 30), with the character being kind of a juvenile brat of sort, and he has a bit of ‘growing up’ to do as he’s taking on more responsibility as a superhero.
So with that in mind, we think these five actors can look the part, as well as able to pull off the playful, humorous nature of the character.
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Updated 2/4/2013:
Out of these five, I’m rooting for Lee Pace the most. I mean he’s American-born, 6’3″ tall, lanky and gorgeous! Not to mention he’s talented and can pull off both the heroic and comedic side of the role. How he still hasn’t got a superhero vehicle to this day is beyond me. So yeah, Lee Pace for The Flash please, Hollywood!!
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Well, how do you feel about The Flash movie adaptation? Any casting ideas while you’re at it?
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Think Reynolds was the ideal choice way back before he got the Lantern role. Adam Brody wouldn’t be bad and if he was a bit younger I think Nathan Fallon would’ve been awesome…
It’s one that has to happen I think, would work wonderfully as a live action feature.
Hi Andrew. Yeah, I definitely considered Nathan Fillion but he’s almost 40. If they made this 10 yrs ago he’d be perfect!
Maybe? I am sort of over the whole comic-book/superhero movie. Also annoyed that they are largely ignoring all of the female options thus far. However, I will vote for Adam Brody, because I find him charming and a good actor, and I would like to see him do more. Slightly-off-topic, YES, Nathan Fillion needs to be given a proper starring role in a movie that will make a proper star of him. Next time you do the “fantasy movie draft” thing I will share my Fillion vehicle with you. 😉
Yeah, there is certainly a lack of female superhero movies, what’s up with that?? They are developing Wonder Woman though, but still, that’s still such a minority.
Hey Sam, why don’t you just do the ‘fantasy movie draft’ thing on your blog? I’d LOVE to hear what role you’ve got for Fillion. I agree with you, that guy should be ‘bigger’ than he is.
Might do that. I came up w/the idea 4-5 years ago, and recently revived it and fleshed it out … and realized that Fillion was perfect as my star. Need to think about casting some more.
I’m not sure how a Flash movie would work in terms of his superpower. Even with all the advance in CGI, it could still look really cheesy ahaha 😉
Well when I saw the first trailer of Iron Man I thought it looked pretty cheesy too, but I ended up loving it. I think CGI is not the problem here, they just need a great script and the right actor for the role.
I’m not much of a superhero person…I used to love watching superhero but as I get older it becomes less appealing.
I remember watching Flash as TV series somewhere in highschool, I have this vague image that he looks like Reynolds. From your list, I prefer Adam Brody.
PS. Tho I have reply this in my blog, I just need to ensure you in case you miss the reply…hehe don’t worry bout the 2nd wife thing, it was just an empty talk I use for all my favorite celebrity males 😉
I see your point Nov, there are just far too many and only a handful that are good. Yes, the tv Flash guy does look a bit like Reynolds, but I think he’s too buff for a regular guy. Well, lots of votes of Brody I see. He’s a pretty goofy guy who’d fit the role nicely I think.
He..he.. yes I know, I was just teasing you Nov. Cillian is so dreamy that it’s easy for anyone to get carried away 😉
Isn’t the buff thing was the suit? I mean he wasn’t that buffy, the suit is the one that makes him look like that.
There was rumour about Sandra Bullock playing as Wonder Woman few years back…wonder what happened to that rumour
Hehehe Cilli makes me understand the meaning of the words ‘Drop Death Gorgeous’ 😉
No, this guy was buff even in regular clothes. I think the character should be slim but not skinny.
I think that was just a rumor, Nov, I really can’t picture her as Wonder Woman, either.
What about Ryan Gosling or Orlando Bloom? I think they might give other contenders a run at the casting call. They could pull it off! But out of your list, I’d have to vote for Zachary Levi! I think ‘ol Chuck could do it and have fun doing so!
Oh no, not Orlando Bloom. Sorry, but I would never buy him as superhero anything. Ryan Gosling might be too serious, but who knows, he’s a good actor. Yeah, I think Zach would make a fun spin on the character. Physically I think he’s perfect for The Flash!
Not sure if you know about this Ruth but David Goyer who wrote the two Batman flicks for Nolan was hired to write and direct The Flash movie way back in 2004 or 2005. He spent years working on the script but Warner Bros. was never satisfied with it. I think Goyer just got sick of dealing with executives and he left the project around 2008. Also, Ryan Reynolds was on top of the list when the project was announced back in 2005.
Just a little trivia about The Flash. 🙂
Oh yeah I remember watching the TV show way back in the early 90s too, I was in 6th grade at the time but I really enjoyed the show. Hopefully the film will be good, whenever it comes out.
Oh I have no idea about that, Ted, thanks for the info! Wow, under Goyer we might have something good in our hand, but I wonder if maybe it’s too ‘dark?’ As I said, I think The Flash should be more light and fun, but still well-written you know? Reynolds would’ve been awesome as The Flash, oh well.
Yeah, the show looks soooo dated now, isn’t it? But I remember really liking it. I’m going to update the post with casting ideas for the Amanda Pays character, Barry’s love interest.
If I remember correctly, the rumour was that the first thing that writer Geoff Johns (famous for writing a well-love run on the character) on taking the role of DC’s entertainment executive was to veto Goyer’s script, preferring to storyboard it himself.
I’m with you on the flood of superhero flicks. Do we need another? I guess the script would have to weave a tale that takes me somewhere new. The Flash has that potential – an exploration time/space much like “Jumpers” attempted. Could be very interesting.
Love your Adam pick!
I haven’t seen Jumpers but heard not so good things about it, specifically Hayden’s performance. Yes, with a solid script The Flash could be a hit. Wow, I didn’t think Brody would get a ton of votes, but I’d be happy if any one of these guys get the part.
I like Jumper…maybe it’s because the power is very interesting and I kinda wish I have that power.
I’d like it even better if Hayden is not the main cast. Jamie (forgot his last name) is better than him and his character also much much interesting to look at.
Oh you mean Jamie Bell. Yeah, my husband said that too, Jamie is a much, much better actor but he’s the lesser-known of the two. I have the same sentiment about The Tourist which I just posted the trailer for, if only Rufus Sewell had been the lead instead of Depp!
Ehhh, i don’t find Flash that interesting. I think his character worked great in the Justice league unlimited Carton Network did because his un-angsty attitude served as perfect comedy relief, but i’m not sure he can carry a whole movie by himself. But then again, i wasn’t that interested in Iron Man till i heard the good buzz, so maybe i’ll be surprised.
A DC character that i actually want to make a movie about someday is Nightwing AKA Dick Grayson. He was one of the robin’s(While this seems to be forgotten by mainstream media, but robin is a role, not a character. There have been about 4 robins in comics if i remember correctly). The reason he interests me specifically, is because he actually ends up breaking away from batman and basically becoming his own superhero.
The way i imagine it the movie would focus on just after his retirement as batmans sidekick, and his early years as Nightwing. It would be a coming of age story, only with superheroes and supervillians. And a part of me wants to do it because common thought says a good robin movie can’t be made, and i want to prove that wrong.
I’m not that interested in cartoons anymore, but I enjoy some superhero stuff as a feature film.
Never heard of that DC character before. I don’t know what you mean by ‘robin is a role, not a character.’ Could you elaborate??
As for Robin, well as long as Nolan’s Batman is still around and well-loved by people (including me), there is no place for him IHMO. But given the right script, maybe this Nightwing character might work well, I like the name actually.
When i say role, what i mean is that there isn’t a single robin. “Robin” is just the title of Batmans sidekick, and there have been 5 characters who at one time were batmans sidekick(if this is still confusing, you can just look up “Robin DC” and you should find a wiki on it). A lot of people seem to talk about Robin like he is a specific character, when really that is just the title a few characters went by for a time.
Nightwing is the superhero name of Dick Grayson, who started out as a “robin.” Eventually he retired as Batmans sidekick, and started his own career as a superhero going by the name Nightwing. Its this journey that interests me, and i think its something a lot of people could relate too. Yes, most people aren’t becoming there own superheroes, but i think the struggle to discover one’s own identity and independence is something most viewers could relate.
And i don’t think it would fit in Nolans batman either, but i would like to make a separate movie focusing on Dick Grayson and his early struggles to become a independent superhero
Ah I see.
Yeah I can see how Nightwing could make for a compelling movie but I’d imagine it’d be dark just like Batman (not light & fun like Iron Man I mean).
No I don’t mean Nightwing being a part of Nolan’s films. I’m just saying as long as his Batman versions are still being made, having a separate movie about any character having anything to do with Batman might not be a good idea. I think his Batman exists in its own universe, that’s why he refused to have it be a part of Justice League. But maybe a few years down the line it’s an idea worth toying with though.
Well i hope to make the movie myself, so it wouldn’t be affiliated with Nolan’s batman, but it will probably have some cinematic similarities to Nolan’s batman, though hopefully it will be able to stand as its own movie and not just a Nolan ripoff
I was also a huge fan of FLASH TV show when I was a teen. I just loved the chemistry between John Wesley Shipp and Amanda Pays and also the whole atmosphere of the show and the music as well.
I love and totally agree with your choices for the new Flash, those are all my favourites! I’d also add Stuart Townsend, Joshua Dallas, Henry Cavill, Jude Law on the list and maybe my favourite Ryan McPartlin.
Oh really Dez? That’s cool. Yeah I like them both. I’m going to update this post with my ideas of who should play Flash’s love interest.
Glad you like the choices! You know I almost put down Ryan McPartlin, I mean he is Capt. Awesome after all! But I’ve already got Zach Levi and I always think The Flash is more of a brunette than a blond. Jude might be too old for this, and Henry’s already playing a superhero of sort with Immortal, though I certainly don’t mind seeing more of him in whatever movie 🙂
Man, The Flash freakin’ rocks, I have no idea why this movie hasn’t been made yet. I’d probably vote for the guy who plays Chuck (still don’t know his name), but he’s also apparently the front-runner to play Yorick when Y: The Last Man gets the Hollywood treatment. On second thought, that doesn’t matter whatsoever, just more awesomeness to go around.
Hey there Aiden… glad to see you again man, hope your Summer was great.
Wahoooo… glad to hear someone as enthusiastic about The Flash! Well I’m glad they’re going to produce this one soon, I hope they do a decent job. Boy I’ve never even heard of such a comic, Yorick?? Not a very superhero-y name is it? 😀 But yeah, Zachary Levi, a.k.a Chuck, would be awesome as The Flash.
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Thank you!
Besides Wonder Woman, The Flash is one of DC’s overlooked superheros! I love both the 90’s TV show and comic book, therefore I was overly pleased about your pick!
Glad you think so, Brooke. I do hope this gets made soon, I think if done right it’ll be very entertaining. Who’s your pick to play The Flash?
You know, I have no idea…Would it be Barry or Wally? Hmmm…That is a good question. I need to thank about that one!
I really enjoyed the Flash TV show when it came out, though I’m not entirely sure the concept would be a great fit for a movie. I think it’s a better concept for either a TV show, or as a side character in a Justice League movie. I also remember from the TV show later on in the season where his powers were starting to slow down over time.
As far as casting, I’m going to go with a more out there pick and say Jonah Hill. He’s already lost all that weight, I’d be curious to see if he could pull off the muscles on top of that.
Oh I don’t know, I think with a good script it still might work, I mean it’d be more whimsical like Iron Man, so definitely not a ‘dark’ superhero. Ahah, Jonah Hill?? No matter how much weight he lost, I don’t know if he could pull off a tall, lanky character that I think should work for this role.
I think the movie is inevetible. They are developing a Justice League movie after all. I’m quite the contrary to other people, I love superhero/comic books characters, so the more the merrier. In terms of Flash, nowadays I’m always reminded of that character by Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory. He’s a huge fan.
Hi Asrap, yeah I don’t mind it either. Like you said, the more the merrier, ha..ha.., so long as it’s GOOD of course!! I’ve never seen Big Bang Theory though, so I’ll take your word for it.
I remember bits of that original Flash TV show. Flash was one of my favourite from the Justice League. He was just so sarcastic, funny and witty. Maybe a bit goofy too, but he was the lightness that that team needed.
I could see Zachary Levi as The Flash. Even Lee Pace (he desperately needs to be in something – looking forward to his role in The Hobbit!). I too thought Ryan Reynolds would have been great as The Flash. Sad that he got tied into the sucktastic Green Lantern.
You never know, if Arrow does well, we might be more likely to see another Flash TV show.
YES, Lee Pace needs his own superhero franchise, that guy is gorgeous AND talented! I think he’d make an excellent Flash, for movie or TV, Levi’s already got Chuck so I don’t think it’ll work for him to have another show as another ‘superhero.’ 😀