A set photo from the production of The Batman suggests that the Flash exists in Robert Pattinson’s universe that will begin in 2022 - but the Wally West version instead of Barry Allen. Filming for the new Batman reboot is fully underway and as production goes on, more details are beginning to emerge from the latest take on the Caped Crusader. Among the more exciting set photos were extras wearing Superman and Wonder Woman costumes, suggesting that versions of those superheroes do still exist in this alternate take on the DC universe.
The ongoing theory has been that the costumes are for a Halloween party sequence that takes place at some point in the film’s plot. Whether or not the Man of Steel and the Amazon Princess are real in this world or are simply fictional characters remains to be seen. However, that’s not the only DC Easter egg that has been revealed from set photos. One of the latest Justice League members to be teased in this universe is the fastest man alive himself, the Flash. A torn poster promoting taking down GothCorp is primarily a tease for Mr. Freeze’s origin story. However, on that same wall, The Flash’s infamous logo can be seen near the poster, teasing the Scarlet Speedster’s existence in The Batman universe.
While The Batman will take place outside of the DCEU, the lightning bolt has a very specific design, which doesn’t tease Barry Allen’s Flash. Instead, the logo is actually based on Wally West’s lightning bolt that is seen in his various costumes. Whether he was Kid Flash or The Flash, Wally has mostly worn a single lightning bolt on his emblem while Barry is usually seen with triple-shaped lightning. This has always been a way to help differentiate the speedster costumes from one another.
The DCEU's Flash, played by Ezra Miller, is still at a very early stage in his career as a superhero and not yet ready to hand over the mantle. But should there be other superheroes in The Batman universe, it would be a refreshing idea if that world had Wally as The Flash. That would give another speedster an opportunity to be on-screen without there having to be multiple Barry Allens from two cinematic universes. Then again, it’s still possible that in this world, Batman is the only real “superhero” while characters like Superman, Wonder Woman, and The Flash are all fictional characters people read about in comics.
It remains to be seen where Reeves is taking his version of the DC mythology in the upcoming Batman franchise. As Warner Bros. continues to lean into the Multiverse concept, which was partially helped by the Arrowverse’s Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover, more details will emerge over time. If The Batman universe were to establish new versions of Justice League characters, it could always set up the idea of a crossover between this franchise and the DCEU down the line. Through this Easter Egg from The Batman set, there is now an organic way to introduce Wally West as The Flash while still having Miller’s Barry Allen in the DCEU.
