Had you tuned in for the incredible crossover that was “Elseworlds” last week, then you know how there was plenty to love about the three-night event. For now, though, we’re going to focus on one major element, that being the return of John Wesley Shipp’s version of the Flash from 1990 (and, subsequently, Earth-90).
In the time since Shipp headlined a series of his own as the Scarlet Speedster, he actually hasn’t strayed that far. To briefly recap, he voiced the Reverse-Flash on Batman: The Brave and the Bold, then headed over to The CW’s relaunch of The Flash in order to play both Henry Allen and Earth-3’s Jay Garrick. And more recently, he dusted off his old tights to once again slip into the role of his iteration of Barry Allen for the aforementioned crossover. You know, this guy could put together a Crisis by himself!
Given his brief, but important, role in “Elseworlds,” it’s assumed that Shipp return next fall for “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” Speaking of which, one fan on Twitter wasn’t shy about how he wants to see more of Earth-90 Barry, to which the veteran actor replied, “perhaps more will be revealed. You never know. Thank you!”
Factoring in all the buildup and John’s repeated visits to the Arrowverse, one would imagine him to be a lock for the 2019 event. For all we know, the producers could throw a curveball and he might turn out to be the Barry Allen who winds up vanishing. Hey, you can never be too sure when it comes to plot twists.
I don’t know about you, but I’m hoping for Shipp’s continued involvement to open the door for other past iterations of DC heroes to appear on the small screen, namely key cast members of Smallville and Dean Cain’s Superman. Heck, they could even throw in someone from the Birds of Prey show to sweeten the deal because the whole “Infinite Earths” idea should live up to the hype.
But before then, be sure to catch The Flash when it returns with new episodes on Tuesday, January 15th on The CW.