George Clooney's The Flash Cameo Explained: What Does It Mean for the DCU's Future?
It seems that The Flash's ending could have significant repercussions for the entire DC universe.
After over five years of anticipation and five reshoots, The Flash has finally arrived, and people are already heralding the Ezra Miller vehicle as one of the best entrants in the DCU lineup. They praise the writers for skillfully exploring multiverse travel and treating fans to a staggering array of cameos, including Nicolas Cage, Michael Keaton, and Ben Affleck.
However, the most surprising twist occurred at the end of the movie, and given how the entire scene unfolded, it may very well have major implications for the entire DC Universe.
When Barry Allen ultimately restores the fabric of the universe after spending the entire film traversing the multiverse, he returns to his own reality and receives a phone call from Bruce Wayne congratulating him on saving the world. However, Bruce's voice sounds nothing like Ben Affleck's, leading fans to suspect something is amiss.
Indeed, when Barry and Bruce finally meet, it becomes clear that Barry has inadvertently altered something while restoring the fabric of his universe, as it is George Clooney who steps out of Wayne's car, not Ben Affleck.
Fans were understandably excited to see Clooney reprise the role of Batman after a two-decade hiatus, but questions immediately arose – was this entire scene merely a cameo for the sake of a cameo, or is Clooney going to take over from Affleck as the next Batman in the DCU?
According to James Gunn, the current mastermind behind the DCU, this is not the case. It appears that the producers were simply trying to include as many former Batman actors as possible in the movie, and Clooney's late arrival meant they decided to save the best for last, as it were, and surprise fans in the finale.
Gunn later confirmed on Twitter that an entirely new actor is to be cast as Batman in the DCU, and neither Clooney nor Affleck will be appearing in any future films.
While this news may disappoint Clooney fans, casting a 62-year-old actor as the new Bruce Wayne would hardly have been the right move if DCU wants to appeal to younger audiences.
Source: Twitter.