‘The Flash’ spoilers: How did Grant Gustin research Barry Allen role?
On Tuesday, The CW is going to do their best to take on what has to be a pretty impossible challenge: Try and live up to all of the hype that is currently surrounding their adaptation of “The Flash.” This is a series that has been around as a comic for decades, and the previous TV adaptation featuring John Wesley Shipp (also in this series) was reasonably short-lived.
While at first we know that there were some mixed opinions to the Grant Gustin casting for the role, we rather like it. He’s a likable, interesting guy who can play humor well, but also serious moments. His personality also suits where we are going to find Barry when the story begins.
So what did Gustin do in order to prepare for this role? Based on his new comments to ComicBook.com, he dove into some of the recent material on the character, but also admitted that his version of the hero is slightly different in anything that you’ve read before:
“I started at the beginning at first. I thought I’d go all the way back and then kind of read. Then I was like: ‘Wait a second, this is impossible. I can’t do all that.’ So I read some of the old stuff but then once I worked my way toward the New 52 series, I’m pretty much just reading that now because it’s the closest to what we’re kind of doing. But at the same time, what we’re doing has not been done in the comics. It’s a very different Barry Allen. A lot of the characters are very different than they are in the comics, but they have the same heart.
“I mean, I’ve done plenty of the research but Andrew Kreisberg, Geoff Johns and Greg Berlanti are my research. If I need information, I can just talk to them. I don’t have to try to flip through the comics that relates to the episode we’re doing. I just call and have a conversation with them about it.”
Gustin is a lifelong fan of Superman, so he can tap further into that to understand what Flash hopefuls are looking forward to here, along with their overall level of fanaticism.
What do you want to see on “The Flash” moving forward? Share some of your thoughts right now with a comment, and head over here for some further news and updates right now. Also, sign up to get further TV updates in a flash via our CarterMatt Newsletter.
Photo: The CW