Riverdale's KJ Apa Replaces Ezra Miller As The Flash In DC Concept Design

With James Gunn and Peter Safran at the front of DC Studios, the entire DC film and television universe is up for a shakeup. The days of the DC Extended Universe are nearly over, with the new DC Universe set to take its place in the coming years. Through universe-establishing projects like "Superman: Legacy" and "The Brave and the Bold," for instance, the majority of DC's heroes and villains are set to be recast. As the wait continues to find out which actors will fill out the new DC roster, fans are doing what they do best: fan casting.

One such fan casting has been brought to life by Instagram user @clements.ink, who put together an incredible rendering of "Riverdale" staple KJ Apa as the DCU's Flash. As they note in the caption of their post, this specific piece of art depicts Apa as the Wally West version of the character, who could take the baton from Ezra Miller's Barry Allen. The post showcases three different looks for Apa's West, including one with his cowl pulled down, another with it up, and a third with the cowl up and blue lightning coming from his eyes.

Based on this art, Apa would make an excellent Wally West in the DCU. If the minds at DC Studios were to go with this specific version of Flash, it would be a welcomed change of pace in the live-action realm.

Compared to the likes of Batman and Superman, who've each had numerous live-action incarnations, the Flash only has a handful. The most prominent until the 2010s was portrayed by John Wesley Shipp in the CBS "Flash" television series, which ran from 1990 to 1991. Carrying on his small screen legacy, Grant Gustin famously played the Scarlet Speedster on the long-running CW series, "The Flash," from 2014 to 2023. Then, a few years after Gustin's TV run began, Ezra Miller became the Flash of the DCEU.

All of these takes on the Flash look and act very differently from each other, stemming from projects that very much stand out from the rest. However, they're all the exact same version of the character, Barry Allen. Whenever there's a live-action Flash spotlight to be had, it has almost always been Barry instead of the numerous other incarnations of the DC hero. Thus, if the DCU really wants to start fresh, making Wally West the main Flash for once instead of Barry would be a wise move. Evidently, KJ Apa could fit that role perfectly.

We'll just have to wait and see what the future holds for the Flash at the movies — and if Apa has a shot at the character — as the DCU prepares to launch.