Every Cameo In The Flash Ranked Worst To Best
Contains spoilers for "The Flash"
While the character of The Flash has shown up in a few DC projects already — on the big and small screen — the Scarlet Speeder has, up to this point, never headlined his own feature film. Despite being "The Fastest Man Alive," the road to the big screen was a slow and difficult one, with many years stuck in development hell.
However, "The Flash" movie finally crossed the finish line in 2023, with director Andy Muschietti at the helm, and Ezra Miller starring as The Flash/Barry Allen. The time-hopping antics are very loosely based on the 2011 crossover comic event "Flashpoint," which culminated in consolidating the entire DC continuity into "The New 52" universe, and featured many cameos from alternate versions of classic DC Comics characters.
"The Flash" film is no different, both in creating an entirely new DC Cinematic Universe and with its bevy of surprising cameos from other versions of DC heroes. Read on as we rank every cameo in 2023's "The Flash" from worst to best.
16. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as guy eating pizza
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau — best known for playing the suave, morally-ambiguous Jaime Lannister in "Game of Thrones" — has a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo in "The Flash." Towards the beginning of the movie, Barry Allen discovers he can travel back in time, and he attempts to use this ability to prevent his mother (Maribel Verdú) from being murdered. This leads to the creation of an alternate past, where he teams up with an obnoxious 18-year-old version of himself (also played by Ezra Miller). Unfortunately, after giving Young Barry his powers in an attempt to stop a time paradox, Barry Prime ends up losing his abilities. Afterward, Young Barry — now imbued with the Speed Force — goes on a joyride with his newfound powers.
At one point, Young Barry uses his immense super speed to steal a pizza from a grizzled man in a winter coat — played by the aforementioned Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. While his appearance may seem odd at first, it makes more sense when you know that he co-starred in the 2013 horror film "Mama" — also directed by Andy Muschietti. Compared to some of the other cameos, Coster-Waldau's appearance isn't particularly notable and happens so quickly that it is difficult to register. Also, Coster-Waldau isn't playing an established character in the universe and while it is a fun Easter Egg for fans of Muschietti's work, it doesn't add much to the film as a whole.
15. Director Andy Muschietti as a bystander
It is fairly common for directors to have cameos in their own films — with Alfred Hitchcock appearing in almost all of his films, Martin Scorsese making a memorable turn in "Taxi Driver," and even George Lucas cropping up in "Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith." Continuing this tradition, Andy Muschietti shows up briefly as a bystander outside a courtroom towards the end of the film.
Barry Allen has been working at a forensic science internship — mostly in an effort to exonerate his father Henry (Ron Livingston) for being framed for the murder of his mother. While there is security cam footage from the day Barry's mom was killed that would corroborate Henry's alibi, it was too damaged to use — even after Batman steps in to clean it up. Henry is eventually acquitted after Barry messes with the timeline again to ensure his father's face can be seen. A crowd gathers outside the courtroom after the verdict, and it is here that Muschietti appears.
This isn't the first time Muschietti has made a cameo in one of his films, as he was seen briefly in the background as a customer at a pharmacy in "It Chapter Two." However, like the appearance of Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Muschietti's cameo is low on this list as it is too blink-and-you'll-miss-it to stand out, and it is lacking in the wow factor for general audiences as Muschietti isn't as recognizable as some of the others.
14. Antje Traue as Faora-Ul and Arie Dekker as Nam-Ek
It is no secret that Michael Shannon returns to the DC Extended Universe in "The Flash," playing an alternate-universe version of General Zod. While he's not given a ton of screen time, he does get multiple scenes and is the catalyst for what drives the film's plot. Alongside Zod, we also have his powerful Kryptonian minions from 2013's "Man of Steel," Faora-Ul and Nam-Ek, returning to menace Earth in this new timeline as well.
Faora-Ul is once again played by Antje Traue, while Nam-Ek — whose actor goes uncredited in "Man of Steel" — is credited as stunt performer Arie Dekker in "The Flash." It is worth mentioning that most of the performance would've been motion-capture work since the character is almost completely CGI throughout the film. Regardless, it is still cool that it wasn't just Shannon's Zod returning to the DCEU and reprising a previous role.
While it was undoubtedly fun to see them again, Faora-Ul and Nam-Ek were never big characters in the DCEU and they don't have much to do in "The Flash" for the most part — besides looking intimidating and featuring in some of the action scenes. With that being said, Nam-Ek does kill one of the notable versions of Batman at one point, so they do make an impact in that respect.
13. Temuera Morrison as Thomas Curry
Temuera Morrison is always a welcome presence in any film he's in, and he was one of the highlights in 2018's "Aquaman," playing the kindly lighthouse keeper Thomas Curry, the father of Arthur Curry aka Aquaman (Jason Momoa). Morrison appears in "The Flash" when Barry Prime — now stuck in an alternate past — tries to find the rest of the Justice League to stop the threat of General Zod. Remembering Aquaman's secret identity, Barry calls Thomas in an attempt to find him, however, in this timeline, Thomas never had a child with Atlanna (Nicole Kidman) and Aquaman was never born. It is at this moment that Barry starts to realize that he's changed the timeline in both directions — past and future — like a drop creating a ripple on all sides.
It is great to see Morrison in a DC movie again, and he has a particularly fun scene where his alternate-universe wife is revealed, but it is quite a safe cameo appearance. As "The Flash" opens up all the alternate timelines and universes, there could've been an even deeper cut and a reference to Morrison playing Abin Sur in 2011's "Green Lantern." As that film was a disastrous critical and commercial failure — and became a punchline in "Deadpool 2" — it perhaps isn't that surprising that the refreshed DC Universe still wants to distance itself from it.
12. A picture of Victor Stone
Actor Ray Fisher, who played the superhero Cyborg (aka Victor Stone) in 2017's "Justice League," stirred up some controversy after he spoke publicly about the unprofessional and abusive behavior of head creatives, Joss Whedon and Geoff Johns (via The Hollywood Reporter). To add insult to injury, his role as Cyborg — who was central to the narrative and emotional thrust of "Zack Snyder's Justice League" – was cut down to a side character with barely any screen time in the released theatrical cut.
In "The Flash," Barry mentions Cyborg while trying to find the other members of the Justice League. He then looks up Victor Stone in a school newspaper and learns that he is still just a human college football player, and not yet the half-robot hero that he knew back in his timeline. It is unclear if it is Ray Fisher himself in the picture as Stone's back is turned to the camera, so it could've easily been a stand-in. However, it could have also been an unused photo prop from the "Justice League" shoot. Either way, Victor Stone is still seen and mentioned by name in "The Flash" so it still counts. It is also good that, despite the controversy, Cyborg wasn't completely erased from the story.
11. Ben Affleck as Batman
Despite being heavily featured in the promotional materials, Ben Affleck — reprising his role as Batman/Bruce Wayne — has maybe five to ten minutes of screentime altogether. He gets an exciting and explosive chase sequence at the beginning of the film, where Batman — donning a blue and gray costume in a nice nod to the '60s — rides his Batcycle to pursue some of the bad guys while The Flash saves babies from a collapsing hospital building.
More importantly, Ben Affleck's Bruce Wayne gives the dubious moral thesis of the film to Barry after the young hero confides in him that he has the ability to go back in time further than he had before and that he plans on using this to change the past. Bruce tells Barry that he has to accept the scars of his past as they made him who he was — including becoming a hero.
While it is fun to see the dynamic that Ezra Miller and Affleck share as Barry and Bruce, it is somewhat reminiscent of what we've seen before. Also, part of the blame goes to the marketing for this movie as Affleck's appearance doesn't have the surprise element that the other cameos do.
10. Jeremy Irons as Alfred
Given that Ben Affleck's Batman shows up, it shouldn't be a surprise that Jeremy Irons' Alfred also makes an appearance in "The Flash," nonetheless it is still a treat to see him on screen again. Irons made his debut as Bruce Wayne's stalwart butler — and surrogate father figure — in 2016's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," appearing again in "Justice League," and cementing his position as one of the highlights of the DCEU movies.
Irons also shines in "The Flash" as the DCEU version of "the guy in the chair," giving both Batman and The Flash directions on what to do during the opening action sequence with his trademark dry wit and sardonic world-weariness. He even explains in detail why Barry was the last Justice League member he called in since the other heroes were busy on different missions.
Despite Irons' undeniable charisma, the cameo is quite brief so it is difficult to rank it any higher. Outside of the opening scene he really doesn't do much in the film and mainly spends his time at a computer console berating The Flash and Batman for their performance. Still, it's fun to see this incarnation of Alfred again, even if only briefly.
9. Henry Cavill as Superman
At one stage, Henry Cavill's Superman may have had an even greater role to play in "The Flash," as he reportedly shot a scene that ended up on the cutting room floor (per The Hollywood Reporter). Nonetheless, the presence of Cavill's Superman is felt throughout the movie, and his likeness even shows up briefly in one scene — albeit digitally rendered.
We first see Cavill in the opening action sequence, where The Flash is called in to help clean up Batman's mess in Gotham City after a robbery goes wrong. Barry asks Alfred why he was asked to help Batman and not the other Justice League heroes. Alfred responds to Barry by explaining they're all busy, including news footage of Superman flying and saving a city from an erupting volcano.
Later on, we see Cavill again when The Flash travels back in time for the first time, briefly passing through his old memories — including fighting Superman in "Justice League." Despite reports of Cavill making no appearance in the film, it is still nice to see him on screen one last time — even if it is brief and the CGI leaves a lot to be desired — before he is replaced in the upcoming "Superman Legacy" film.
8. Jason Momoa as Aquaman
2018's "Aquaman," directed by James Wan and starring Jason Momoa, is by far one of the most successful DCEU movies to date. The highly-anticipated sequel, "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," will be released later in 2023 — and, according to Variety – Momoa will remain in the role as the DCEU evolves into the DC Universe, with James Gunn taking over as the head of it.
The post-credits scene of "The Flash" seems to outright confirm Momoa's continued involvement in fact. In that scene, Barry — stuck in yet another alternate universe at the end of the film — is guiding a drunk alt-universe Arthur Curry down the street towards Barry's apartment. Barry wants to recruit him to this universe's version of the Justice League — even though the drunken Arthur barely seems to understand what Barry is saying, and certainly isn't taking it seriously.
It's a fun scene, and unlike some of the other cameos in this film, Momoa at least gets to do something other than just show up. It's always fun when Momoa is on screen — particularly when he is overacting as he is here — but it is hard to place him higher as he doesn't appear until the very end. This scene also makes the multiverse mechanics seem a bit dubious, and some may be frustrated that this seemingly confirms we won't be getting an entirely fresh start after all.
7. Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman
Though the character of Wonder Woman/Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) debuted a year earlier in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," 2017's "Wonder Woman" — directed by Patty Jenkins — is still a highlight of the DCEU and a great superhero movie. While not perfect by all means, the film brilliantly captures Wonder Woman's strength, integrity, and kindness.
In addition to her solo sequel "Wonder Woman 1984," Diana Prince has appeared in both cuts of "Justice League" and even "Shazam! Fury of the Gods." Her cameo in "The Flash," however, might be her best. She shows up at the beginning of the film, saving Batman from falling off a bridge with her Lasso of Truth — which then turns into an impromptu therapy session. Perfectly capturing the awkwardness of the character, Barry touches the Lasso at one point and clumsily confesses his attraction to Wonder Woman.
This scene felt fun in a way comic books often do, and it is rare that the films manage to capture this. It is nice to see colorful superheroes in bright costumes doing exciting things, and hopefully, the new DCU will have more of this going forward.
6. George Reeves as Superman
While the popular Superman comics had been adapted as early as the 1940s in serials, it was George Reeves' portrayal in "Adventures of Superman" that was the first to play on television — airing from 1952 to 1958. Reeves previously played the character in the B-movie "Superman and the Mole Men" in 1951, which ended up serving as a backdoor pilot for the series. Reeves himself epitomized that era's version of "truth, justice, and the American way," and plots included Superman fighting mobsters and crooks — which was easier on the shoestring budget than monsters from other worlds.
Through a mixture of archival footage and visual effects trickery, Reeves shows up again briefly in "The Flash," in a scene where Barry Allen and his younger self go back and forth through time to save the alternate world from being destroyed by Zod. As they continue to go back in time, though, the fabric of reality breaks, and we start seeing different versions of DC characters throughout the years — including George Reeves.
This was not just a great, clever cameo, but it helped sell just how vast the DC universe really is and that it has been a cultural force in America and around the world for decades. Younger generations discovering the characters through modern blockbusters also get a window into the past, and the two things tie together surprisingly well.
5. Teddy Sears as Jay Garrick
While the 2023 movie is indeed the first solo feature film about the Scarlet Speedster, it isn't the first time the hero has appeared on our screens. In 1990, there was a short-lived TV show that ran for just one season with John Wesley Shipp in the lead role, and later there was the popular CW "The Flash" series that ran for eight seasons from 2014 to 2023, starring Grant Gustin as Barry Allen.
This series actually started playing around with the multiverse long before the films did, and Ezra Miller met Gustin's version of The Flash in the 2020 "Crisis on Infinite Earths" TV event. Furthermore, John Wesley Shipp also returned to "The Flash" TV universe in multiple roles, playing Barry's father, the '90s version of The Flash again, and even Jay Garrick — a Flash from the Golden Age era of the comics.
Also playing Jay Garrick in "The Flash" TV series was actor Teddy Sears, first appearing in Season 2. In "The Flash" movie, we see Sears' Garrick existing in the black-and-white universe of the George Reeves Superman show, running on an old-timey-looking Cosmic Treadmill. Placing Garrick in the '50s is a fun nod to the fans as this was the time when the Golden Age still existed, and Barry Allen's debut as the new Flash — which kicked off the Silver Age in earnest — didn't happen until 1956.
4. Adam West as Batman
Adam West was not the first actor to don Batman's cape and cowl in live-action, but he was the first to make Batman even remotely cool in that medium. The "Batman" TV series — which ran for three seasons from 1966-1968 — was a direct parody of the 1940s Batman serials and was intentionally produced as a comedy first and foremost. Not only was West's purposely over-the-top performance perfect for the tone of the show, but it was also accurate to the goofier Silver Age comics of the time — the era of wackiness that included Zebra Batman and The Rainbow Creature.
In "The Flash," Adam West — like a lot of the other actors on this list — shows up during the final confrontation between the various versions of Barry Allen as they attempt to save the alternate world Barry Prime created and the lives of Michael Keaton's Batman and Sasha Calle's Supergirl. During this sequence, various different Earths begin appearing and colliding with each other. One of those Earths is, of course, the one where Adam West's Batman exists. The Adam West Batman universe also showed up in CW's "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover — an adaptation of the famous 1985 comic book event — and was designated "Earth-66," in a nod to the year the show first aired.
3. Christopher Reeve as Superman and Helen Slater as Supergirl
No matter how successful an adaptation of Superman may be, they'll always be in the shadow of the legendary performance from the late, great Christopher Reeve in 1978's "Superman." Even in the lesser sequels that came afterward, Reeve's innate goodness shines through — to the point where his on-screen portrayal is arguably more iconic than the comic book version that inspired it.
In between 1983's "Superman III" and 1987's "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace," the producers of the live-action Superman films decided to make a "Supergirl" feature film adaptation in 1984, with newcomer Helen Slater as Kara Zor-El. Unfortunately, the "Supergirl" movie was a massive flop at the box office — one that even Reeve had the good sense to stay away from, despite appearing in some turkeys himself.
However, in "The Flash" — during the time bubble fight between Prime Barry and alternate-universe variants — CG facsimiles of Christopher Reeve as Superman and Helen Slater as Supergirl look on as their world begins colliding with all the other worlds in the DC multiverse. The two admittedly don't do much apart from look at their seemingly impending destruction, but it's still a thrill to see them together in a way they never were before.
2. George Clooney as Batman
1997's "Batman & Robin" — directed by Joel Schumacher — is considered by most fans to be the worst live-action Batman film ever, due to its overly campy tone, groan-worthy one-liners, and noticeably toyetic costumes and production design. However, George Clooney — who starred as Batman/Bruce Wayne — was never the worst thing about it and his take on the Caped Crusader fit the tone of the film — for better or worse.
His cameo in the closing moments of "The Flash" almost serves as a redemption moment for Clooney's Batman. After Barry successfully goes back in time to allow his mom to be murdered — the correct course of history — he does make one change that at least frees his father from being framed for it. Barry then gets a call from Bruce Wayne, who shows up at the courthouse in a limousine, played by Clooney — much to Barry's comedic confusion and dismay.
Even more consequentially, Clooney's cameo opens up the debate once again about whether the Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher universes are distinctly different universes — given that both of them appear in "The Flash" — and offers the tantalizing possibility that we might just see Clooney suit up in the cape and cowl again in the future.
1. Nicolas Cage as Superman
After completely reviving the Batman franchise, Tim Burton was approached by Warner Bros. to potentially do the same for the Man of Steel. The studio was trying desperately to capitalize on the extremely popular "Death of Superman" comic event series published in the early '90s — something that eventually appeared in live action in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" — and thought Burton was the man to bring it to life. Burton's Superman film — dubbed "Superman Lives" — had a script written by Kevin Smith and was to star Nicolas Cage as Superman. The film never came to fruition, and Superman wouldn't get a proper big-budget live-action film until "Superman Returns" in 2006.
Luckily, the wild behind-the-scenes story of the making of "Superman Lives" was immortalized by screenwriter Kevin Smith in 2002's "An Evening with Kevin Smith." In that film — which is a series of Q&As — Smith talks about how the producer of "Superman Lives," Jon Peters, was obsessed with Superman fighting a giant spider, which Smith wrote in as a Thanagarian Snare Beast.
Undoubtedly the biggest surprise of "The Flash," we see a long-haired Nicolas Cage in the climax of the film fighting a giant alien spider. This easily earns its place at the top of the list — not only for its novelty value and fanboy wish fulfillment — but also because it takes advantage of the multiverse concept better than any other cameo in the film.