Whenever anyone chooses either Jay Garrick, Barry Allen, Wally West or Bart Allen as their favorite iteration of the Flash, odds are the era in which they grew up plays a big part in that decision. Though Golden Age purists may side with Jay, Silver Age junkies will likely favor Barry. Actually, a lot of people these days will also dig Barry because of the TV show airing on The CW, but let’s not forget about how Wally stepped up during that period occupying the time between Crisis on Infinite Earths and Final Crisis. Yes, he was the Scarlet Speedster at DC for about two decades, barring that little hiccup with Bart.
If not for Grant Morrison’s revival of Barry Allen in the aforementioned Final Crisis, we could’ve been singing Wally’s praises to this day. Remember, the guy voiced by Michael Rosenbaum on the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited animated series was actually the ginger-haired Mr. West, thereby making him the Flash for a generation of new fans who may have never otherwise picked up a comic book.
Regardless, the classic iteration of the character made a comeback in the DC Universe: Rebirth one-shot released three years ago. And if he were to make his way to the live action realm – and in that very costume – he may look something like the fan art found below. In this image, it’s Riverdale‘s KJ Apa who’s suiting up as Wally. Honestly, the current Archie Andrews would be one of my top picks for Nightwing, but that’s a discussion for another day.
Like I said, this piece posted to Instagram by Subi Ozil centers on the pre-Flashpoint, Caucasian Wally that’d been missing until recently. The African-American iteration introduced during the days of the New 52 was the one adapted for The CW’s series. For those unfamiliar, it’s worth pointing out how they’re actually two different characters, so hopefully that’s not too confusing.
Since Keiynan Londsale’s already played the black Wally on TV, it’d make little sense to introduce white Wally there because Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen has no previous attachment to him. But if indeed WB’s motion picture division intends on replacing Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen with a Wally West of their own, then either version is fair game for them.
So, if Wally lights up the silver screen as the Flash, let’s just hope he remains the beacon of hope we all love – and not the murderer he was made to be in Heroes in Crisis. Suffice it to say, that left a bad taste in the mouths of many.