How Ryan Reynolds’ ‘The Flash’ Had the Potential to Revolutionize the DCU and MCU

The Flash has finally hit theaters, bringing an end to the long journey of bringing this movie to the silver screen. The film explores how a single decision can create an entirely new timeline, so it’s worth celebrating by looking back at the alternate version of The Flash that almost made it, starring Ryan Reynolds.

Warner Bros. initially attempted to bring The Flash to life in the mid-2000s. The movie would have focused on Wally West instead of Barry Allen, and Reynolds was set to play the Scarlet Speedster. However, the project fell apart due to creative differences with the studio. Ironically, this occurred during the 2007 writers’ strike, much like the current strike happening during the release of the 2023 version of The Flash.

In a TikTok video shared by moviemaniacs, Reynolds expressed his desire to play the character during the Deadpool panel at San Diego Comic-Con in 2016. He mentioned how much he loved the Flash character and how he wanted to portray him. However, he acknowledged that the opportunity had passed and it was unlikely to happen.

Had Reynolds become the Flash, it could have had a transformative effect on both the DC and Marvel universes. It may have kickstarted the DCEU earlier, beating Marvel Studios to the punch. Additionally, Reynolds would not have been able to portray Deadpool, which would have affected both the Fox’s X-Men universe and the MCU. The possibilities of these changes are monumental and difficult to comprehend.

About the author

Christian Bone

Christian Bone is a Staff Writer/Editor at We Got This Covered with a decade of experience writing about movies and TV. He graduated with a Creative Writing degree from the University of Winchester and specializes in Marvel and DC content. However, his favorite superhero film is ‘The Incredibles’.