Grant Gustin’sname was Barry Allen — the fastest man alive — for nine seasons on the CW’s television series,The Flash.But life after portraying the Scarlet Speedster isn’t slowing down the talented thespian. Gustin is currently on Broadway starring in the musical adaptation ofWater for Elephants. Regardless of where the actor goes from there, though, he feels incredibly “lucky” to have been a part ofDCComics-based TV show. Gustin said in an interview withThe Wrap:
“The Flash, it’s been around since the ‘50s. AndI always knew with the Flash that it was always going to be bigger than me,you know?I was lucky to get to be a part of it.And that legacy had been around since well before I was born. It’ll be around, you know, long after I’m gone.And I get to be a part of that legacy, which is really special.”
Actually, the character Flash is over 84 years old. The Golden Age iteration of the Flash and his alter ego, Jay Garrick, first appeared in the panels ofFlash ComicsNo. 1 (1940). However, the persona that Gustin portrayed on television, Barry Allen, is known as the Silver Age Flash. And the SA superhero didn’t make his debut until October of 1956 inShowcaseNo. 4.
Grant Gustin Broadway Bound Following The Flash
Rumors of Grant Gustin appearing inThe Flash(2023)turned out to be erroneous, and the actor made his final appearance as the Scarlet Speedster inThe Flash’sseries finale on August 25, 2025. And now, Gustin has returned to his theatre roots inWater for Elephants, which is where he spent close to 11 years of his early career. Gustin said in the same interview:
“From the time I was 10 to 21, [theater’s] all I did.And then, you know, I’ve been off on this kind of side quest of doingTV and film, and it’s all I’ve done for the last 13 years [laughs].And I always knew I wanted to get back on stage.So, it has felt like coming home, and it feels really familiar and comfortable.”
Grant Gustin Hangs Up The Flash Suit for the Very Last Time
With The Flash wrapped, Grant Gustin has slipped out of his red superhero tights for the last time ever.
WhileGustin is open to appearing in James Gunn’s DCU,the actor is currently playing the character Jacob Jankowski on Broadway at the Imperial Theatre in New York City. The musical adaptation ofWater for Elephantsis currently scheduled to run through September of 2024, and admission starts at $50 per person. For more information, and to purchase tickets, please visitthe show’s official website.
The Flashis available to stream or binge-watch onNetflix,at the time of this writing.
