It's no secret that The Flash has undergone some major changes since James Gunn and Peter Safran were tasked with taking charge of DC Studios. The plan had been to tease a new DCEU and an eventual Crisis on Infinite Earths movie, but that's all gone out the window now the DCU is on the horizon.
While Gunn hasn't entirely closed the door on Ezra Miller sticking around as the Fastest Man Alive, common sense says the controversial actor's time as the hero will end this summer.
Now, YouTuber John Campea has shared a wild rumour (via The Direct) about plans for The Flash movie to introduce the DCU's new Barry Allen.
"Could we, by the end of The Flash movie, literally see a new performer in the role...I've had a little bird [tell] me and I’m sure this little bird is also telling a few other people, so you’re probably going to see this pop up over the next day or two around some other places as well that, just a short version, Grant Gustin, who plays The Flash in the television series The Flash is going to be the new Flash of the DC Universe."
It's previously been reported that The Flash will feature a cameo from Gustin, but to cast the actor - who has played Barry on The CW since 2014 - as the DCU's version of the hero would be a bold move on DC Studios' part.
The Flash's ratings have steadily declined in recent years, so this certainly isn't a decision being made to appease the remaining Arrowverse fans. Gustin himself has said he's ready to move on from the show, but becoming a movie star could be enough to convince him to play a big budget version of this character for years to come.
We're not convinced by this one, especially given the source, but it's a fun one to speculate about! Gunn has kept actors from The Suicide Squad as part of the DCU, so Gustin's return certainly doesn't seem impossible.
The Flash is set to be released in theaters on June 16.