The Flash is set to be a game-changing film for the DC cinematic universe. With James Gunn and Peter Safran taking the reins of the new DCU leading to the release of Superman: Legacy, it looks likely that The Flash movie will have some long-reaching effects across the current state of the universe as fans know it.
The latest trailer for The Flash has been showcasing the many characters set to star in the new movie. From the expected to the surprises and even some slightly sneakier appearances, the new trailer has plenty to dig into in terms of DC characters that have appeared in a movie that many people have been getting excited about.
7 Barry Allen & Barry Allen
Actor Ezra Miller certainly has their work cut out for them in The Flash. Not only will they be playing the titular hero, Barry Allen, as he traverses the multiverse in a bold attempt to bring his mother back from the dead. But they will also be playing a second Barry Allen, likely the multiverse version of his own character in the world where his mother still lives.
The two characters have been seen together in both previous trailers and the most recent one. While it is uncertain what role the second Barry Allen will play in the movie, it seems set to be a bit of a buddy cop movie with both buddies being the same man. It will be interesting for fans to see a new take on The Flash character after the long-running CW series finally came to an end recently.
6 General Zod
It seems that one of the top, if not the primary antagonist of The Flash, will be Michael Shannon’s General Zod, who previously perished in Man of Steel at the hands of Henry Cavill’s Superman. However, it seems that Barry’s tinkering with time travel has resulted in a world without Superman, leading to Zod appearing unopposed.
A villain with the powers of Superman is a much scarier prospect to a world without its own Superman character, and it will be an interesting task to see how Barry and his accompanying friends manage to take down such a hugely powerful villain without the help of Kal-El. While Zod isn't one of The Flash's usual comic book villains, he will surely be a worthy adversary.
5 Supergirl
Fortunately, despite The Flash taking place mostly in a world without Superman, there is another Kryptonian with similar powers who will be able to stand against Zod. That is Supergirl, or Kara Zor-El, the cousin of Kal-El.
Supergirl is a well-known commodity in DC Comics and has had her own popular CW show for years. It is a fascinating time to introduce Kara in the form of Sasha Calle, and it is unknown if Barry’s meddling in the timeline will turn her against him during their battle with Zod.
4 Faora-Ul
Another villainous character who will be returning to DC in The Flash is General Zod’s second-in-command, Faora-Ul. This character, played by Antje Traue, appeared in Man of Steel to back-up Zod in his attempt to take Earth and transform it into a new version of Krypton. While their plan failed, it appears they are going to get a second attempt at it in The Flash.
Faora-Ul hasn’t been seen much in promotional material for The Flash, but she has been confirmed to be appearing in the movie. It also finally appears like she has been caught in a shot of the film in the latest trailer, as a masked person dressed similarly to Zod is seen attacking a plane in a fast-paced part of the trailer.
3 Batman (Affleck)
While another Batman has been taking center stage in The Flash, there is a different one who manages to appear for what seems to be more of a cameo appearance than anything else. Ben Affleck has been spotted in the most recent trailer for The Flash reprising the role of the DCEU’s primary Bruce Wayne.
The Ben Affleck version of Batman seems to be giving Barry some guidance about not messing with time travel, which Barry will then immediately ignore so that the movie can happen. Regardless, Ben Affleck has said that he feels he “finally figured out how to play that character,” which hopefully means good things for his short appearance.
2 Batman (Keaton)
The other, much more prominent version of the Caped Crusader who appears in the trailer for The Flash is Michael Keaton’s version, the one who last appeared in 1992’s Batman Returns. This version of the character is aged and tired but still appears easily able to get active in order to help Barry find Kara, so they can form a team to take down Zod.
Keaton’s Batman reappearing on the big screen has been a major selling point for The Flash movie since the first trailer was released. Even though Keaton’s Batman seems to be exceptionally flamboyant in the latest trailer, fans are still hugely excited to see him back in the role.
1 Nora Allen
While Nora Allen is an unpowered (usually) member of The Flash’s recurring characters, she is a massively important one to the core of what The Flash movie is about. Barry’s entire reason for going back in time and changing the world is to save his mother, who he lost when he was just a child, leaving him with only an imprisoned father.
This loss deeply affected Barry, something which both versions of Batman appearing in the film can relate to, having both lost their own mother when they were children. Nora and her potential reaction to seeing what Barry has done to bring her back will be emotional pivots for the movie, particularly since director Andy Muschetti has declared that part of Barry’s story is hugely important to him personally.
The Flash will be released in cinemas on June 16, 2023.