Though Chandler Riggs remains best known for his time playing Carl Grimes in The Walking Dead’s first eight seasons, now he has another claim to fame in the realm of comic book media. He can be heard voicing Superman in the animated DC movie Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen, Part One, but he doesn’t necessarily want his superhero run to end there. Riggs already has another DC character he’d “love” to play following his outing as the Man of Steel, and this one also moves quite fast.
While chatting with Chandler Riggs about his work on Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen, Part One (be sure to check out our exclusive clip from that), I was curious about if he had any interest in playing a different superhero role somewhere down the line, be it at DC or Marvel, in live-action or another voiceover gig. The actor enthusiastically shared he’d like a shot at bringing The Flash to life, saying:
You know, I’ve loved watching The Flash. I watch that show religiously. It would be so much fun to get to play Barry Allen or to play a different Flash, but it would be so hard to top Grant Gustin’s Flash because he did so good over so many years. I would love to do it, but I don’t know if I could top it.
Grant Gustin has been playing Barry Allen for almost 10 full years, having debuted as the character in the middle of Arrow Season 2, and then leading The Flash spinoff series starting in October 2014. That CW TV show is currently in the middle of its ninth and final season, and Gustin reflected on his time in the Arrowverse after he wrapped shooting in early March. While not the first actor to play Barry in live-action, Gustin’s portrayal certainly propelled the character to new heights of popularity, and Chandler Riggs has been along for that ride since the beginning, and even once expressed interest in appearing on The Flash.
With a Superman performance under his belt, the Walking Dead alum is interesting in giving The Flash a try, though he acknowledged he would face an uphill battle in delivering a performance that comes close to what Grant Gustin has done with the role. Let’s also not forget that Ezra Miller has been playing the DC Extended Universe’s Barry Allen since Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and he’ll finally lead his own standalone Flash movie this summer. In fact, both these versions of Barry met each other a few years back during the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” event on The CW.
All this being said, at the time of this writing, it’s unclear if Ezra Miller will continue playing The Flash in the new DC Universe that DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran are constructing, with the Chapter One slate of movies and TV shows being referred to as “Gods and Monsters.” If a recast is on the table, then there’s a chance Chandler Riggs might have a chance to swoop in, whether it’s as Barry Allen, Wally West or some other take on the Scarlet Speedster. Should that happen, we’ll let you know, but for now, he can be heard as a version of Superman who, like his Justice League teammates, has somehow aged back to being a teenager and been mysteriously stranded in the world of Remnant from the web series RWBY.
Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen, Part One can now be purchased from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment digitally and on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Blu-ray. Use your HBO Max subscription to go through the DC movies in order, or look through our guide detailing upcoming DC movies.
