Kiersey Clemons, who is playing Iris West in DC’s upcoming movie The Flash, has explained why it was so “weird” to film the new superhero movie. The 28 year-old actress first starred in Rick Famuyiwa’s indie-comedy Dope in 2015, before a supporting role in 2017’s Flatliners remake. Clemons player the matriarchal Darling in Disney’s live-action Lady and the Tramp in 2019, before voicing Dee Dee in 2020’s animated Scoob!. For several years, the actress has been attached to the long-troubled production schedule of DC’s The Flash solo movie; as comic-book love-interest Iris West. Filming scenes for 2017’s Justice League, Clemons was nowhere to be seen in the Joss-Whedon-edited theatrical release, but finally had her character and scenes realised in this year’s director’s cut by Zack Snyder.
The Flash was first officially announced back in 2014, as DC revealed its original slate of movies built around Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. Originally set for a March 2018 release, Ezra Miller was soon attached to star. When original director Seth Graheme-Smith left the project in 2016, Clemons joined the cast alongside her Dope director Famuyiwa. By 2017, troubled pre-production led to yet another director change as Horrible Bosses screenwriting pair Daley & Goldstein joined the film a year after. It: Chapter Two’s Andy Muschietti finally took over as director from them in 2020 and the movie finally went into production, with a new release scheduled for July 2022.
Now, in an interview with Discussing Film, Clemons has discussed what it feels like to have finally worked on the long-awaited superhero movie. The actress says “It didn’t feel real”, saying that the long wait between the film’s announcement and its eventual production “felt weird.” Clemons states that “Iris has grown up” since she first took on the role over five years ago, and that the version we will see in The Flash is a “different version than what I may have had an idea of” originally. Despite the odd nature of the film’s eight year-long process, the film is officially coming in 2022, and the Iris West actress says “I’m excited for the people who are excited." Read Clemons’ full interview quote below:
“It didn’t feel real. None of it. From the day I started to the day that I wrapped. Because we waited so long that I was like, “I’m not really here right now.” It felt very– it felt weird. I’m not gonna lie. It felt weird because it’s been a long time. Yeah. Iris has grown up and is a different version than what I may have had an idea of who she would be. It was just a discovery and it was really exciting. […] I initially came on to the movie excited to work with who was the director at the time, but also excited to be in a superhero movie. Now, it’s less about the movie. I’m excited for Andy, who’s our director now, but now it’s more so, I’m excited for the people who are excited, and who have been commenting on my photos “Iris West” for five years. Like, are you joking? This is for them.”
The Flash has taken an interesting path to the big screen with all the behind-the-scenes changes, so it isn't surprising Clemons finds the experience strange. At one point, she envisioned the project as a reunion with her Dope director Famuyiwa, but her perspective on The Flash has changed over time. She's now more excited for audiences who have waited a long time to see The Flash come into fruition, suggesting the creative team kept viewers in mind while they were making the movie. It's been a long time coming for The Flash, so it has to come as a relief to all parties it's finally come to fruition. Even though the movie's gone through multiple versions, there's still plenty to be enthused about. The Flash trailer showed Barry Allen visiting Michael Keaton's Batcave, for instance.
Clemons’ restored role in Zack Snyder’s Justice League has helped establish the relationship between Iris and Barry which is set to be expanded on more in the new solo film. Despite the massive crossovers and guest stars, The Flash still has to find time for its emotional center; the West-Allen romance. How big of a role the actress has to play in the film remains to be seen, but audiences can see The Flash in theaters in Fall 2022.
Source: Discussing Film
