The Justice League is steadily coming together in the DCU, and despite no appearances from The Flash thus far in the new cinematic universe, the team may already have a perfect replacement. The traditional Justice League lineup in DC Comics has always featured the Scarlet Speedster, and that tradition was upheld in the previous DCEU, where Ezra Miller played Barry Allen, aka the Flash. The DCU is still just in its infancy, but it's already assembled an array of Justice League heroes across different projects that will come together in 2027's Man of Tomorrow.
One recent addition to the Man of Tomorrow cast is Xolo Maridueña's Jaime Reyes, aka Blue Beetle. Maridueña was introduced right as the DCEU was transitioning into the new DCU, which led James Gunn to call Blue Beetle one of the DCU's "first" characters. Gunn is now making good on that promise by including Blue Beetle in his wider universe plans, with Maridueña now one of several actors playing a potential Justice League character in Man of Tomorrow.
One character this fledgling Justice League lineup is missing is The Flash, but the DCU has yet to introduce a new actor to play the role. The DCU does have a spin-off TV series coming up that will feature notable The Flash villains, but the hero has yet to find a place in the DCU.
While the Justice League will be missing a speedster on its roster without the Flash, Blue Beetle may serve as the ideal replacement for Barry Allen in several key ways. One of the keys to the Justice League's makeup is not just the diversity of powers on display, but also the diversity of personalities, and that's where Blue Beetle and the Flash align most.
Barry Allen, particularly in the prior DCEU, is known as a young upstart hero with huge ambition, boundless energy, and endless jokes. On the other hand, Jamie Reyes is a teenage superhero who is a bit more grounded and humble, yet still young, ambitious, and full of energy. In this respect, Blue Beetle may serve as the perfect substitute for the Flash, acting as the youthful, peppy hero on the Justice League roster, at least until the DCU finds a way to bring the Flash into the fold.
The DCU's Justice League vs. The DCEU's Justice League
Despite the DCU being only in its second year in earnest, DC Studios has moved quickly to assemble its Justice League heroes across various projects. The DCEU assembled its heroes into a solo Justice League film after four films and almost four years. Meanwhile, the DCU will have released only two mainline superhero films and one TV show before many of its Justice League heroes unite in Man of Tomorrow.
That's not the only distinct difference between the two cinematic universes' takes on the Justice League roster, either. While the DCU has yet to announce an official Justice League project, the gathering of heroes in Man of Tomorrow is shaping up to be a soft launch of sorts, and the team is already looking much larger and more diverse than the DCEU's.
Zack Snyder's lineup of heroes includes Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Superman (Henry Cavill), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Flash (Ezra Miller), Batman (Ben Affleck), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher). In comparison, the Justice League team members who have been cast in the DCU so far include Superman (David Corenswet), Supergirl (Milly Alcock), John Stewart (Aaron Pierre), Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), and now Maridueña as Blue Beetle.
The DC Studios lineup is shaping up to be a much larger team, with at least seven or eight heroes showing up in Man of Tomorrow, while the DCEU's Justice League kept it to a core of six. There is also a larger proportion of women (particularly if the rumors about Adria Arjona's role prove true) and a wider range of ethnicities on the DCU's roster.
The experiences of the heroes in the DCU version of the Justice League may also eclipse those of the DCEU's. Where the DCEU utilized a lot of Earth-based heroes, the DCU's iteration is a lot more intergalactic, with not just Superman and Supergirl representing alien origins, but the likes of Hawkgirl (who was reincarnated from an alien), and John Stewart and Guy Gardner (who belong to the interplanetary Green Lantern Corps), coming to the table with plenty of offworld knowledge. This sets up the DCU's team to better handle intergalactic threats, as many of its heroes have cosmic experience, whereas the DCEU had to rely solely on Superman.
These are unlikely to be the last heroes to make the Justice League lineup in the DCU either, as Lanterns is already setting up the possibility of Martian Manhunter's arrival, and DC Studios has a new Batman film, The Brave and the Bold, on the schedule, which will hopefully introduce the Dark Knight to the team. At some point, it seems likely a spot for a Scarlet Speedster will open up as well, particularly with DC Crime opening the door to the Flash's world.
