At the time of Justice League’s announcement, among the mightiest challenges for the makers was the portrayal of The Flash. One adaptation of the character was already playing on TV and had done well. To better that, Justice League needed something very refreshing and unique, and they nearly nailed it. Have a look why the DC Extended Universe’s The Flash prevailed over it’s the CW version.
Not As Dramatic
TV’s The Flash was funny and joyful, but, with the passage of time, he became obsessed with finding his mother’s killer and went into depression. The film version portrayed the character superbly. He was fun, and even when he also wanted to free his father from prison, he wasn’t that much dramatic and stayed true to the situation of the Universe.
Costume
The film version’s costume was loved by fans right from the time it was first shown. The film had a massive budget, and we anticipated the costume to be well designed and comprising of various parts which gave it a combat-ready feel. Whereas, the TV costume is made up of only leather and textures. They didn’t have the budget to go extravagant, but, still, the movie’s version wins this one.
Figuring Out His Place In The World
Grant Gustin’s Flash remained obsessed with the goal of finding out the Yellow guy who killed his mom. All his actions were towards that goal, even before he became The Flash. On the other hand, Ezra Miller’s Flash is in the process of evolving and finding out his true identity and powers. He hasn’t been involved in real fights, has no idea about being a hero or even working hard enough to get employed at CSI. TV’s Flash got a lot more time to dwell on himself, and given adequate time, the DCEU Flash will be seen as the comic book precise portrayal of The Flash that we must have.
More Compelling
No doubt, The CW’s Flash had his moments, but, more often than not there was an attempt to show the dramatic parts of Barry Allen’s life, and all such efforts failed. As far as emotions are concerned, the show either hit or missed. Things are different when it comes to DCEU’s Flash. He is the most inexperienced guy when it comes to combat, but, he is still key to Justice League’s existence. His chat with Batman about saving only one was deep and compelling. It no doubt did a lot to build his superhero character.
Use of Lightning
The TV’s Flash is clumsy when it comes to using his lightning power. Yes, he learned how to throw lightning bolts after some time, but, he uses that sparingly. The film version was quite skillful with that. He was aware of his power and used it to charge the mother box which led to Superman’s revival. He even did it for a petty thing such as lighting a cracker during the climax race. Therefore, he appears to be the one who thinks better in tough situations and consider all possible scenarios.
Learning What It Means To Be A Hero
Each superhero lives through his/her arc and missions to find out how it is to be a superhero for them. The Flash by Grant Gustin might not have learned that because we always see him doing things which he knows should not be done. He understood how terrible it could be to try and change the past, yet, he traveled back in time and saved his mom. Miller’s version might not be a full-fledged superhero, but, he figured out the real essence of being a superhero. He has played the background role in the Justice League battles and focused on saving innocents.
Sense of Speed
Frankly, the TV’s Flash can’t be blamed for this because they have done very well to highlight The Flash’s speed. However, there were some scenes where it was really bad (taking CGI into account). On the other hand, with a huge budget, a film can make a lot of difference. Whenever Flash is ready to run, lightning is emitted out of his body, before, he blitzes into the distance. You can see buildings and landscape whiz past him as he speeds through the setting. You can sense the real power and pace with him. When he is at full speed, time starts slowing down and stops, and that was superb when he managed to do that thing with the Superman.
Classical Portrayal
As far as the events that made The Flash, are concerned, The CW version is way more classic. However, Grant Gustin’s Flash fails to be at his best in terms of his personality. The Flash is supposed to be the funny guy in the Justice League, who uses his speed and wit to crack an occasional joke. Grant Gustin’s Flash was fun initially, but, went on to become a serious, gloomy and angry person. That’s where Ezra Miller’s Flash outperforms him and brings to us the funny and excited Flash who jumps at the opportunity to get super friends and be a part of the effort to protect the world from destruction.
