CW’s The Flash star Grant Gustin reveals that he’s ready to return as the character if James Gunn asks him to be a part of the DCU.
After portraying Barry Allen/The Flash for a decade, Gustin was recently asked by fans if he would be willing to reprise the role. Gustin stated that he’d gladly return to it if DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn requested him to. The actor is seen giving his answer in an Instagram video shared by @arrowverse.canaries.
Gustin stated, “Yeah, if James Gunn asked me to play The Flash, I would do it. I trust James Gunn.”
The chances for the actor’s possible appearance in the rebooted DCU currently seem low as many major stars of the now defunct DCEU are confirmed to not be reprising their roles. The list includes Justice League actors Ben Affleck (Batman), Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Ezra Miller (The Flash), Henry Cavill (Superman) and Ray Fisher (Cyborg). However, Momoa is heavily being hinted to appear in the DCU portraying a different character (Lobo), and it’s possible Gustin could play a new character in that world.
Grant Gustin, known for his role in “The Flash” on CW, joins TODAY to talk about making his Broadway debut in “Water for Elephants,” what it’s like going from superhero to the stage, and looks back on his start in musical theater. “I was really nervous to come back to this world but it’s actually felt a lot like coming home,” he says.
EW can exclusively announce that Grant Gustin, best known to audiences as Barry Allen on the CW’s The Flash and villainous Warbler Sebastian on Glee, will make his Broadway debut this spring in a new musical adaptation of Sara Gruen’s bestselling novel Water for Elephants.
Gustin will star as Jacob opposite Isabelle McCalla (The Prom, Shucked) as Marlena. The cast will also feature Gregg Edelman as Mr. Jankowski, Paul Alexander Nolan as August, Stan Brown as Camel, Joe De Paul as Walter, Sara Gettelfinger as Barbara, and Wade McCollum as Wade.
“This was my original dream as a kid,” Gustin tells EW of making his Broadway debut. “I started tap dancing first as an 8-year-old and then theater at 10, and this is where I always wanted to be. It’s very surreal and exciting and terrifying and all the appropriate emotions. I’m beyond thrilled to join the company. I can’t wait to start rehearsals and meet everybody and get on stage again.”
With a book from Rick Elice (Jersey Boys) and a score from PigPen Theater Company, Water for Elephants follows the story of Jacob Jankoswki (Gustin), as he remembers his life from a nursing home in old age. As a young man, Jacob, an aspiring veterinarian hops a train, which turns out to be a circus train. There, he befriends Camel (Brown), who gets him a job with the circus, and finds a life beyond his wildest dreams with the cruel animal trainer August and his beautiful wife and circus performer, Marlena (McCalla), whom Jacob falls for.
“Ever since my first table read, I knew this adaptation of Water for Elephants was beyond special,” McCalla says. “The circus artistry is astounding and the score by Pig Pen Theatre Co. is electric. More than that, I was deeply moved by the rich characters who struggle to define their place in a world that has abandoned them. And ever since that first day, I had this gut instinct that I needed to do everything I possibly could to bring Marlena to life on Broadway. She’s intuitive, loving, resilient, and manages to break free from her abusive husband and take her life back. It’s the role of a lifetime!”
Previews for Water for Elephants begin Feb. 24 before opening night on March 21 at Broadway’s Imperial Theatre.
Watch the music video of “Wild” from the show above and read more from Gustin below.
