5 Reasons Why Grant Gustin Is The Perfect Flash
The hero we need and deserve.
Grant Gustin has portrayed the titular superhero on The CW's The Flash for over four years, and in that time, he has helped catapult the series to the top, with many continuing to cite it as the best superhero show on TV.
With the show set to return to our screens in October, he is now back in Vancouver as production for the fifth season is well underway.
However, after recent set photos surfaced revealing a brand new Flash suit, the actor found himself on the receiving end of hurtful comments, many of which claimed he was "too thin" and needed to "bulk up".
This isn't the first time Gustin has faced this kind of weight-shaming. When he was first cast as Barry Allen on Arrow, there were certain die-hard comic fans that didn't approve, claiming that he wasn't muscly enough to be The Flash.
This prejudice was reminiscent of the treatment that the likes of Michael Keaton and Heath Ledger received after they were cast as Batman and The Joker in 1988 and 2007 respectively — and just like those iconic actors, Gustin silenced the critics with his incredible performance on the show — and continues to do so, four years later. With that in mind, let's take a look at why the talented young star is the perfect Scarlet Speedster.
5. He's A Comic Book Fan
It's rather ironic that Gustin's most famous role to date is on a comic book show because the actor is rather familiar with comic books. He happens to be a lifelong fan of Superman and when he was a child, he would colour in pictures of the Man of Steel that his mother drew for him. As a result, he has a tattoo on his left arm that reads "Superman... I love him" and it's even written in his mother's handwriting.
While The CW does have a Superman in Tyler Hoechlin, Gustin has yet to share a scene with him. However, he does show up semi-regularly on sister show Supergirl, as the Scarlet Speedster is very good friends the Girl of Steel. Moreover, the musical crossover between the two shows even alluded to the fact that The Flash and Superman had met before, as Barry, through song, proclaimed that he wasn't impressed by Kara's "more famous cousin". Let's hope a meeting between the two takes place and Gustin gets to share the screen with his favourite superhero someday.