Arrow star Stephen Amell has opened up about the moment he knew Grant Gustin was the perfect choice to play Barry Allen on The Flash. The now thriving collection of interconnected shows known as the Arrowverse first began with Arrow in 2012. Based on the adventures of the DC Comics hero Green Arrow, the show was a hit for The CW right out of the gate. Starring Amell as the titular vigilante, it was consistently renewed. The Canadian actor hung up the hood and bow, however, after an eighth and final season - which saw the character sacrifice his life to restore the multiverse in the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event.
Along the way, the show helped to spawn several spin-offs, including The Flash and DC's Legends of Tomorrow. In regards to the former, the character of Barry Allen appeared on two episodes of Arrow before jumping to his own successful solo show. With Gustin reprising the role, a freak incident served to bless Barry with super-speed - which he utilized under the guise of The Flash to protect Central City. The spin-off is currently in its sixth season and has seen the hero battling such threats as a new, gender-bent version of Mirror Master and a shadowy organization known as Black Hole. The Flash and the rest of the Arrowverse has already been renewed for new seasons.
Related: Arrow: Watch Stephen Amell's Final Moments As Oliver Queen In BTS Video
During an episode of the Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum podcast, Gustin delved into his time as the Scarlet Speedster and other elements of his life and career. Prior to that, however, Amell briefly popped in via Zoom to discuss the early days of working with Gustin. To that end, Amell was asked what he would always remember about that time. Here's what he said:
"I will always remember the first table read when we meet Barry Allen. It's gotta be intimidating because we're doing this table read, he's coming in, he's playing The Flash. And this guy comes into the table read and it's his episode and he comes in and he f*cking nails it in the table read. I didn't even need to see what he was going to do on set. At the table read I knew, 'oh my god, they made the right decision.'"
Amell also went on to reiterate the genuine friendship the pair had formed over the years and how Gustin was one of his favorites from the Arrowverse to work with. Rosenbaum himself has also been in headlines in recent days. Best known as playing Lex Luthor on Smallville, he was apparently in line for a mystery role in James Gunn's upcoming DCEU offering, The Suicide Squad. Unfortunately, due to recovering from recent neck surgery, Rosenbaum had to turn down the opportunity.
In terms of Gustin, he is currently on lockdown with the rest of the world due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Along with the rest of the entertainment industry, production on The Flash subsequently shut down. As a result, The Flash season 6 will end early with episode 19 serving as the finale. Regardless, showrunner Eric Wallace teases that the new finale happened to feature the show's biggest battle ever anyway. Whether any elements from the scrapped episodes role over into The Flash season 7, however, remains to be seen. Whatever the case, many fans will no doubt join Rosenbaum and Amell on the bandwagon of singing the praises of Gustin for his work on The Flash and more.
More: Every Time Green Arrow & Flash Fought In The Arrowverse (& Who Won)