James Gunn's DCU Has Bad News For Barry Allen Fans

Published Aug 26, 2026, 7:15 PM EDT Ben is a Senior Writer on the New TV team at Screen Rant. He graduated from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class B.A. Degree in English Literature and History. Born and raised in Ireland, Ben has always had a love for storytelling in all forms of media and operates multiple projects under the name Benjamin Blogs. Ben is a comic book writer and podcast host, in addition to his work as an entertainment journalist. He has worked as both a writer and editor for Screen Rant, Collider, and other media outlets across various departments, including features, news, reviews, and interviews. Barry Allen is one of the most popular DC heroes to ever appear on-screen, but his fate in the DC Universe seems more uncertain than ever, especially after the Lanterns premiere. Barry Allen made his debut in comics way back in 1956, and since then, he has become a pivotal part of the DC landscape of heroes. From becoming a founding member of the Justice League to serving as the flagship hero of the Arrowverse as played by the incredible Grant Gustin (despite the franchise being named after another, less popular hero), The Flash is an iconic character. For almost everyone living today, the man wearing the tight red suit has been Barry Allen as The Flash. However, as much as Allen has been a staple of this world for decades, he inherited the role from an earlier character who carried the mantle of The Flash from 1940 until Allen assumed the role. Of course, this is Jay Garrick, a character who also appeared in The Flash series on The CW, but the show only gave this character a role as a mentor, a pattern which appears to be repeating itself now in the DCU's Lanterns. Hal Jordan's Fate In Lanterns Suggests Barry Allen Won't Be The Flash Since early in the production of HBO's Lanterns series, it was made clear that this show would follow a handful of different heroes who all serve as Green Lanterns. With that, Kyle Chandler was announced to portray Hal Jordan, Aaron Pierre assumed the role of John Stewart, and Nathan Fillion reprised his role as Guy Gardner to join the cast in a slightly less central role. Following the premiere of Lanterns, it was made very clear that Hal Jordan is training John Stewart to be able to act as a Green Lantern, after he was handpicked by the Guardians. We saw their strained relationship established in 2016 with the backdrop of a murder mystery in a small town, and then at the end of the episode, the shocking revelation that Jordan is dead in 2026 is revealed. While Jordan's death has obvious implications for John's succession plan and adds a complicated layer to the Guy Gardner character's position in the story, Jordan's demise could also speak to a much larger shake-up in who will be in the DCU's Justice League. As mentioned above, Barry Allen was a founding member of the Justice League, as was Hal Jordan, and a handful of other notable heroes. But with Clark Kent's Superman being so much younger than Jordan, and several other characters still absent from the DCU, there is no guarantee we will see the most popular or common generations of these characters return. James Gunn's DCU Is More Mature Than The DC Foundations Since James Gunn's DCU was announced, it seemed clear that the creatives driving this universe were determined to create something that broke the mold in a world where superhero stories began to grow stale. This was then proven with entries like Creature Commandos and Peacemaker season 2, which both have much more mature approaches to storytelling. Superman was a little more family-friendly, but subsequent releases, Supergirl, Lanterns, and the upcoming Clayface are all clearly aimed at older audiences. Beyond the shift in audience focus, the majority of these stories are focused on following more established superhero stories. In this universe, people have had decades to come to grips with the presence of superheroes like Hal Jordan, and years knowing that metahumans exist. With all of that in mind, it seems highly plausible that the heroes who come together to form the Justice League are actually more experienced individuals, like John Stewart, and potentially a new successor to Barry Allen. Characters who have had training, and are now looking for how they can improve their operations and protect those who need their help in a better way. The DCU Has Already Closed The Door On One Barry Allen Story While Barry Allen technically falls into that kind of categorization when his story follows Jay Garrick's, there is a possibility that Barry Allen may be the original Flash of the DCU, and he will be succeeded by a new Flash like Wally West, or even Bart Allen. This second suggestion falls in line with what we know about an upcoming Batman story, The Brave and the Bold, where Bruce Wayne will be assisted by his biological son, Damian Wayne. That film could also serve to establish that the Batman of the DCU moving forward will be Damian, not Bruce, joining with a whole crew of second-generation heroes and Superman. And of course, it's worth remembering that the DCU has already touched on the character of Barry Allen when the 2023 movie that closed the door on the DCEU was endorsed and promoted by James Gunn himself, who suggested the movie serves as a bridge into the new universe, leaving some details behind and carrying other elements forward. Another instance that may have revealed Barry Allen's fate in the DCU appears in the animated series, Creature Commandos, when Circe reveals a vision of a possible future where the members of the Justice League are dead, and we see Wally West as the Flash, not Barry. Considering the connected nature of the universe, and this being a vision of the future in this continuity, it reaffirms that Barry Allen will not be the DCU's Flash. There Are Still Signs That The Flash Will Be Joining The DCU On that same track, there are plenty of details that appear to confirm the Flash will be a part of this world of stories, even if it isn't Barry Allen playing the part. From the vision in Creature Commandos to the recently announced series The People V. Gorilla Grodd. James Gunn has expressed his desire to establish the Justice League in the DCU, and the superhero team, the Justice Society of America, already serves as a precursor to this new team being formed in the near future. It just takes time to introduce a broad range of characters, and clearly some of these have been made a higher priority than others. That being said, with the connected nature of these stories, even if one hero is not set to star in a show or film in the near future, there is a chance that they could debut in another project sooner. And with a younger generation of heroes already taking the reins, as seen in Lanterns, it seems like the DCU is looking to younger, fresher heroes to lead the future of the DCU, while paying tribute to their mentors and the original heroes who created the legacy around their superhero personas. So, maybe Barry Allen won't have a major role in the DCU, but that doesn't mean his legacy won't remain. Release Date August 16, 2026 Network HBO Showrunner Chris Mundy Cast Aaron Pierre John Stewart Directors James Hawes Writers Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof Franchise(s) DC Universe Creator(s) Tom King, Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof