AnArrowversedebate about Grant Gustin’s version ofThe Flashand Tyler Hoechlin’s titular hero inSuperman & Loisis held by long-timeDCTV cast members. Since 2012, The CW has been the home forthe Arrowverse TV shows, as several DC spinoffs have come to life and focused on various iconic characters. However, with the new owners of The CW changing the programming strategy, the days are numbered for the DC TV era on the network.
The cast ofThe FlashandSuperman & Loiswere recently at the Fan Expo Dallas event (via@TashisRacketFR), which included a panel with various actors from the shows. At one point during the panel,Candice Patton and Elizabeth Tulloch, who play Iris West-Allen and Lois Lane inThe Flashand Superman & Lois, respectively, debated who is actually faster between Gustin’s Scarlet Speedster and Hoechlin’s Man of Steel. Check out the full clip below.
Patton finished her run in the Arrowverse withThe Flashseason 9 in May 2023, with her show becoming the longest-running series in the franchise.Superman & Loisseason 4, which kicked off earlier this month, will be the final DC TV drama from Greg Berlanti’s franchise on The CW, with the series finale presumed to be airing later in the year.
What The Arrowverse Has Revealed About Superman & The Flash’s Speeds
Even though Kryptonians in the Arrowverse have always been depicted as some of the most powerful players in the franchise,The FlashTV showand their exploration of speedsters have also delved into just how powerful those heroes are throughout the series' whole run. The concept of the Speed Force has been defined as one of the most powerful entities in the Arrowverse since it was first introduced. The power source alone would automatically declare The Flash as the fastest hero between him and the Man of Steel.
WhileHoechlin’s Superman and Gustin’s Flash have never had a race during their time together on-screen, Barry Allen and Kara Zor-El had one during the firstSupergirl/The Flashcrossover in 2016, but that was specifically to help the Scarlet Speedster get back home to his Earth. In theInvasion!crossover, while Supergirl was brainwashed by the Dominators, the 4-part crossover got as close as the Arrowverse could to define if The Flash is faster than Kryptonians, as he managed to outrun her numerous times.
Within the continuity itself - both in and outsidethe Arrowverse crossovers-The Flash has more or less been categorized as being the fastest out of him and Supergirl - and, by default, seemingly Superman. That said, given the pair have never directly competed, it makes sense that this topic is an ongoing source of discussion.
Our Take On Elizabeth Tulloch & Candice Patton’s Arrowverse Debate
Patton and Tulloch’s entertaining debatealsohighlights how the Arrowverse wasted a big opportunity by never doing more with Hoechlin’s Superman and Gustin’s Flash together, especially after the events of theArrowverse’sCrisis on Infinite Earths. DespiteSuperman & Loistaking place on another Earth, there was still Clark Kent’s Earth-Prime doppelgänger that they could have featured with Gustin’s DC hero. But as theArrowverseis ending withSuperman & Lois, a proper answer to who is the fastest out of this Clark and Barry will never be given.
The Flash
Cast
The Flash follows CSI investigator Barry Allen, who wakes from a coma with super speed after a lightning strike. Collaborating with S.T.A.R. Labs, he adopts the identity of The Flash to safeguard his city, marking his journey as the Fastest Man Alive in this superhero tale.
Superman & Lois
Superman & Lois follows the Man of Steel, Clark Kent, and journalist Lois Lane as they navigate the strains of contemporary parenthood while confronting threats from supervillains and alien invaders, blending personal challenges with heroic responsibilities in this 2021 television series.
