A promising new candidate for the DCU's Flash may have quietly surfaced, and it could be exactly who James Gunn is looking for. For fans wondering when the Flash will be recast in the new DCU, Gunn offered an update on the present-day Flash, teasing that while the character will "exist eventually." 2023's The Flash not only failed at the box office but also set the character back many years, paving the way for an eventual reboot. Regardless, there's an up-and-coming actor who could conceivably be cast as Barry Allen at any time over the next decade.
18-year-old Mason Thames is turning a child-acting career, starting with a small role in Apple TV's For All Mankind and accelerated by 2021's The Black Phone, into a potentially huge superstardom trajectory. This breakout led fans to say that Thames could be the perfect fit for the Flash in the DCU, most likely Barry Allen, though a Wally West version is also possible.
Thames expressed interest in the Flash previously, telling Screen Rant in August 2025 that the Flash or an iteration of Robin would be his top choices if he joined DC. He also said he'd be game to take on Spider-Man if the role ever became available, but that is far less likely now that Tom Holland is entering his fourth film in the MCU.
2025 was a massive year for Thames, which has largely fueled this discussion about him joining the DCU. The actor became the first performer since Jim Carrey in 1994 to star in three #1 box office hits in a single year: the live-action How to Train Your Dragon, Black Phone 2, and Regretting You. Taking over the reins as Hiccup in How to Train Your Dragon was proof of concept that he can carry big, leading blockbuster roles, exactly what would be required to make a strong Flash.
Combined with his genre work in The Black Phone and the action scale of How to Train Your Dragon, Thames demonstrated the exact blend of vulnerability, charm, and spectacle that a character like the Flash demands.
From an acting standpoint, Thames could easily fit the role of Barry Allen: someone with emotional depth, a detail-oriented forensic scientist, and the slender presence to pull off the Flash suit and the required action sequences.
Thames also has significant long-term potential at only 18 years old; he could realistically play a character like Barry Allen for a decade or more if the DCU required that level of commitment.
If Gunn needs to introduce a new Flash in the near future, Thames should be under serious consideration as a potential successor to Ezra Miller.
When Will the Flash Join the MCU?
With Superman and Supergirl spearheading the DCU's early theatrical slate, the Flash's absence is noticeable but likely intentional. Between the box office failure and controversy surrounding 2023's The Flash, DC Studios is deliberately giving the character time to cool off before reintroducing him.
Gunn wrote on Threads in 2024 that DC was "holding a beat on development" for a Flash project, indicating that fans shouldn't expect a major casting announcement anytime soon. At the same time, Gunn's fondness for Wally West opens the door for the DCU to skip ahead to a legacy version of the hero rather than reboot Barry Allen yet again.
Wally could be the ideal choice because he offers a clean break from the baggage of the previous film. His existing comic book connections to established DCU characters, such as Mr. Terrific, could also provide a natural narrative bridge for his introduction.
Realistically, the Flash (Barry or Wally) may not properly enter the DCU until a future ensemble project, where a fresh take on the speedster, maybe played by Thames, can feel earned rather than rushed.
