Here’s a breakdown of every theory behind whom the mystery villain of The Flash might be. After going through multiple delays and changes in directors, DCU’s The Flash is finally set to be released on June 23, 2023. The movie is set to follow the basic premise of Flashpoint in which Barry Allen sets the world on a path toward destruction after going back in time to save his mother. Anything beyond that, however, is still unknown at this point, including whom the main antagonist of the movie is supposed to be.
At the moment, the identity of The Flash’s villain is still a mystery, but here’s a breakdown of the most likely candidates for the villain. Most of the villains being listed here haven’t appeared in the DCU yet, and as of now, there’s been no confirmation that they’ll be appearing in 2023's The Flash or any other DCU projects. However, by taking into account what’s known about both the movie and the Flash comics, including the original Flashpoint story, it’s easy enough to determine who the villain might be.
Reverse-Flash
Of all the possible villains for The Flash, the most likely candidate is undoubtedly the Reverse-Flash. Not only is the Reverse-Flash Barry’s arch nemesis in both the comics and most adaptations of the Flash franchise, but he was the one who killed Barry’s mother and got his father framed for the crime as part of his twisted desire to ruin Barry’s life. That, of course, led to the events of Flashpoint, and with The Flash taking inspiration from that story, it would make the most sense for the movie to take that further by making DC Comics Reverse-Flash the villain.
Alternate Barry Allen
Another possibility for the villain of The Flash is an alternate version of Barry Allen. Ezra Miller will reportedly be playing both the original Barry Allen and the Barry Allen of the new timeline, and Barry trying to bring back the timeline where his mother’s alive would likely lead to the alternate Barry trying to stop him. A story like that would play into the theme of Flashpoint with Barry needing to move on from his mother’s death. There’s also an established precedent for that sort of antagonist thanks to the comics and The CW’s The Flash both using alternate versions of Barry Allen as a villain.
Red Death
One of the more esoteric, but still viable, options for The Flash’s villain is the Batman villain Red Death. In the comics, Red Death is an alternate version of Batman who forcibly bonded himself with the Flash after he refused to go back in time and save his family, giving him the same speedster abilities as the Flash. The Flash is set to involve both Ben Affleck’s Batman and Michael Keaton’s Batman from the Tim Burton movies, so one of them could become Red Death by fusing with one of the Barry Allens in an attempt to change history how they see fit.
General Zod
Another candidate for the main villain of The Flash is General Zod. While Zod is far removed from the Flash in both the comics and the DCU, Michael Shannon’s Zod is set to appear in The Flash for unknown reasons, and as one of the few confirmed villains in the movie, it would make sense for him to be the main antagonist. Zod being the villain could also play into Flashpoint’s recent sequel Flashpoint Beyond, where it’s revealed that in the Flashpoint timeline, Superman was sent to Earth to pacify humanity so that the surviving Kryptonians would be able to take over without resistance.
Alternate Wonder Woman
With The Flash taking inspiration from Flashpoint, another possible villain could be an alternate Wonder Woman. In the Flashpoint timeline, Wonder Woman is the cruel monarch of the Amazons who, thanks to the manipulations of Ocean Master and Penthesilea, starts a war with Atlantis that threatens to destroy the entire world. The Wonder Woman of DC Comics' Flashpoint is noted as being one of the most evil versions of Wonder Woman in all of DC, especially in the animated movie Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, so making her the villain of The Flash would be more than appropriate.
Black Flash
Another candidate for the villain who plays more into the history of the Flash is Black Flash. The Black Flash is the personification of death for speedsters like Barry Allen, and while it wasn’t involved in the original Flashpoint story, its appearance in The Flash could be explained by it trying to kill the original Barry to correct the paradox of two existing in the same timeline. Black Flash is more of a neutral force than an actual villain, but antagonizing Barry in such a way would still make it the antagonist of the movie, regardless.
Black Racer
Regarding the topic of death, another possible villain for DC's The Flash is the Black Racer, the god of death for the New Gods. While the Black Racer is usually only involved with the Fourth World, he could want to kill the Flash because of the part Barry had in stopping Steppenwolf. If that does end up being the case, then his inclusion could even tie Zack Snyder’s Justice League back to the DCU, in a way. 2008’s Final Crisis also has an established precedent for the Black Racer hunting down Barry, with there being an implication that the Black Flash was an alternate form of his.
Pandora
The last possible villain for The Flash is Pandora. While Pandora was a minor character in the comics, she’s notable for using Barry to create the New 52 timeline instead of just bringing things back to normal at the end of Geoff Johns' Flashpoint to combat an unknown threat. Pandora was more of a neutral character, but her manipulations of Barry could still make her an antagonist. The Flash using her as its villain could also work to give her character more attention after she was largely unused in the New 52 and unceremoniously killed off at the beginning of DC Rebirth by Doctor Manhattan.
