12 Biggest Differences Between Grant Gustin & Ezra Miller’s Barry Allens

There are several differences between Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen from The Flash show and Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen from the DCEU. Between the world around them and the events they went through, DC’s most recent live-action Barry Allens are very different from each other. Gustin and Miller were cast as Barry Allen around the same time, although all nine seasons of The Flash show were released before The Flash movie premiered. Arrow and its spinoffs were separated from the DC movies since the beginning, which is why the DCEU had a different Flash from the TV show.

Ezra Miller was cast as the Flash for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice shortly after The Flash series starring Grant Gustin premiered. Gustin would go on to play Barry Allen in nine seasons of The Flash, not to mention the several Arrowverse crossover episodes. Miller’s Barry Allen first appeared in Batman v Superman’s Knightmare sequence and would then return in Suicide Squad before the character’s proper debut in Justice League. Following The Flash movie and The Flash season 9’s ending, here are the biggest differences between Grant Gustin’s Barry and Ezra Miller’s Barry.

12 Grant Gustin’s Barry Had A Team Flash (Ezra Miller’s Didn’t)

One of the biggest differences between Gustin’s Barry and Miller’s Barry is the existence of a Team Flash for the former. The Flash series, inspired by what had worked for Arrow, introduced the concept of a Team Flash. The Arrowverse’s Barry Allen was taken care of by the scientists of STAR Labs and eventually became friends with Cisco, Caitlin, and the mysterious Dr. Wells. The members of Team Flash, most of which were original characters or reimagined versions of established DC names, worked as the supporting cast for the show. In the DCEU, except for the Justice League missions, Barry Allen operated alone.

11 Green Arrow Mentored Gustin’s Flash (Batman Mentored Miller’s)

Both Gustin’s Barry Allen and Miller’s Barry Allen were mentored by older vigilantes who had been superheroes longer than the scarlet speedster. However, The CW’s Flash was mentored by Green Arrow, whereas the DCEU’s Flash was mentored by Batman. Grant Gustin’s first appearance as Barry Allen happened in Arrow season 2, with his episodes serving as backdoor pilot for The Flash show. Oliver Queen continued to be a friend and mentor to Barry throughout the Arrowverse. In the DCEU, Bruce Wayne was the one to recruit Barry for the Justice League. Bruce and Barry continued to be friends, as seen in Ben Affleck’s scenes in The Flash.

10 Gustin’s Flash Didn’t Know Batman & Superman Initially (Miller’s Did)

Originally, Grant Gustin’s Flash was part of a world where characters like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. Those characters were off-limit for The Flash series and any other Arrow spinoffs, which is why the Arrowverse could sometimes feel small compared to the DC Universe. Gustin’s Barry Allen was actually one of the first public metahumans of the pre-Crisis Arrowverse. This was not the case for the DCEU, which could use any DC characters. Miller’s Barry was part of a full-fledged DC Universe from the start, with heroes like Batman and Superman already existing by the time Barry became the Flash.

Related: The Flash Ending Explained: The Complex DCU Timeline & That Multiverse Cameo Broken Down

9 Ezra Miller’s Flash Joined The Justice League (Grant Gustin’s Didn’t)

As a result of their different franchises, only one of these two Barry Allens became part of the Justice League. Ezra Miller’s Flash was designed to be part of a shared universe centered on the Justice League from the start, whereas the Arrowverse could only use so many DC characters. The Justice League, from the most famous members to the title itself, was off-limits for the Arrowverse. Therefore, Grant Gustin’s Flash was never part of DC’s most famous superhero team. “Crisis on Infinite Earths” did introduce a Justice League-like team, but that was never revisited. Miller’s Barry joined the Justice League shortly after he became a hero.

8 Gustin’s Flash Knew What Killed Nora (Miller’s Didn’t)

Flash’s origin story in The Flash show was centered on how Barry Allen saw his mother being killed by “something impossible,” a yellow blur that could not explained. This is what inspired Barry to search for strange events around the world, including Starling City’s Arrow vigilante. When the Reverse-Flash first appeared on the show, Barry knew that this was his mother’s murderer. In the DCEU, Barry Allen does not see what happens to his mother. When Barry came back from the kitchen, Nora Allen had already died. Who killed the Flash’s mother in the DCEU wasn’t revealed, although it would likely have been addressed in The Flash 2‘s story.

7 Gustin’s Barry Was Raised By The Wests (Miller’s Wasn’t)

The Arrowverse’s Barry Allen and the DCEU’s Barry Allen had different childhoods. Gustin’s Barry was raised by Joe West following the death of Nora Allen and the arrest of Henry Allen. Barry and Iris lived in the same home for years, and Joe West became a father figure for Barry. This dynamic between Barry and Iris West’s family was something created for The Flash series and was not in the DCEU. Miller’s Barry Allen presumably did not know any Wests other than Iris. Overall, the Flash’s origins were not addressed in the movies, , and it is unclear who raised Barry Allen in the DCEU.

6 Gustin’s Barry Was In Love With Iris For Years (Miller’s Barely Knew Her)

Iris West was part of the Flash’s story in both the Arrowverse and the DCEU, albeit not in the same way. Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen grew up with Iris West and was in love with her for years. Iris was even the last person Barry saw before the accident that made him into the Flash. In the DCEU, the first interaction between Barry Allen and Iris West happened in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and it didn’t seem like they knew each other. The Flash movie slightly retconned Barry and Iris’ story in the DCEU by revealing that they knew each other from school. Regardless, their relationship was only now starting.

5 Gustin’s Barry & Miller’s Barry Got Their Superhero Names Differently

Oliver Queen was the first person to mention “flash” in the context of Barry’s powers. Iris West would later refer to the “red blur” of Central City as The Flash during a story for the newspaper. From then on, the Arrowverse’s Barry was officially the Flash. In the DCEU, Barry is not referred to as the Flash in Batman v Superman, Suicide Squad, or Justice League. Surprisingly, the DCEU’s Flash got his name from The CW’s Flash. “Crisis on Infinite Earths” brought Miller’s Barry and Gustin’s Barry together for a brief scene, during which the former learned about the latter’s “Flash” alias. This interaction was not addressed in The Flash movie.

4 Gustin’s Barry Fought Every Flash Rogue (Miller’s Didn’t)

Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen fought all of the classic Flash Rogues at least once. This includes names like Captain Boomerang, Mirror Master, Captain Cold, Heat Wave, Golden Glider, Weather Wizard, and the Trickster. Ezra Miller’s Barry only interacted with one of the Flash’s Rogues – Captain Boomerang during a brief scene in Suicide Squad. Whether the DCEU’s Flash fought other Rogues offscreen is difficult to say. The Flash movie did not feature any classic Flash villains, and it instead went for a multiverse story that revisited Man of Steel’s General Zod.

3 Flashpoint Happened Earlier To Miller’s Barry Than To Gustin’s

Both Grant Gustin’s Barry and Ezra Miller’s Barry experienced a version of Flashpoint, although only The Flash series used the term. The idea of Barry going back in time to prevent his mother’s death and accidentally changing the entire timeline in the process originates from the Flashpoint comic book and has been adapted to the screen multiple times. In the Arrowverse, Barry only created the Flashpoint timeline in season 2, after facing multiple villains and even encountering the Reverse Flash. The DCEU’s Barry, on the other hand, experiences a version of Flashpoint in his first solo movie.

2 Arrowverse’s Henry Allen Knew Barry Was The Flash (The DCEU’s Didn’t)

The Arrowverse’s Henry Allen, played by former Barry Allen actor John Wesley Shipp, eventually discovered that his son was the Flash. Henry Allen was still in jail when he realized that Barry was the Flash, leading to an emotional moment between the characters. In the DCEU, Henry Allen is not aware that Barry is the Flash, at least for now. Henry asked for Barry to move on with his life and make his own future in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and now Barry’s father has finally been released from jail after decades.

1 Time Travel Works Differently For Gustin’s Flash & Miller’s Flash

The mechanics of time travel in the Arrowverse are different from the ones in the DCEU. Both franchises actually introduced more than one way to time travel. For example, in The Flash show, the Flash could go back in time and interact with his younger self. However, Barry could also reset the timeline without creating any time doppelgangers. The Flash movie’s multiverse rules include the Chrono Bowl, which allows Barry to perceive time differently through the speed force. Barry can also rewind time in the DCEU, which doesn’t happen in the Arrowverse.