During the various adventures across the timeline and multiverses that Barry Allen experiences in The Flash, he meets multiple alternate universe versions of interesting alternate characters. This premise has allowed the film to include a wide variety of cameos from the impactful, immediately recognizable to the niche, and designed for hardcore fans’ eyes only.
Especially with the dawn of a brand-new DC universe on the horizon and The Flash acting as a reset point for the universe up until this point, it’s the perfect film to include some iconic DC cameos. With such a wide variety of cameos within the film, there are sure to be some that rise above the others in terms of impact and overall staying power.
9 Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman
One of the classic mainstay heroes of the DC Extended Universe, Gal Gadot‘s Wonder Woman finds herself joining the battle and helping the Flash and Batman at the end of the first major action scene. She shares a quick, comedic back-and-forth dialogue with both Bruce and Barry before leaving the two to continue heroic duties across the world.
While it’s always great to see Gadot’s Wonder Woman making a screen appearance, the impact of the cameo is less impactful when compared to all the other more surprising cameos. This is especially because of Gadot’s cameo appearance at the end of the last DC movie, Shazam: Fury of the Gods, lessening the strength of another cameo simply one movie later.
8 Temuera Morrison as Thomas Curry
Temuera Morrison returns as Thomas Curry, the father of Aquaman, as the film shows off an alternate timeline version of him. In this new timeline, while he still works at a lighthouse, never met Aquaman’s mermaid mother, and as such, Aquaman was never born in this timeline. He’s part of a great comedic moment on a phone call with Barry where he gets increasingly annoyed with Barry.
We haven’t seen Thomas Curry on screen since his appearance in Aquaman, so it’s nice to see such a small yet pivotal character make a return in an interesting and comedic way. It helps that Morrison plays this alternate version of the character perfectly in tone with the more comedic and strange setup that feels completely opposite of his character in Aquaman.
7 Jason Momoa as Aquaman
After the credits roll, Jason Momoa‘s iconic Aquaman character finds himself making an appearance in the film’s end-credits scene. In the scene, Aquaman shares a heart-to-heart with a distressed and talkative Barry, following the timeline shenanigans he just caused. Aquaman however, seemingly unchanged in this new timeline, is extremely hammered and is only able to give brief solace to the concerned Barry in this comedic end-credits scene.
Especially with how the film ends with an open-ended, universe-shifting predicament, it’s nice for the end-credits scene to establish that even despite timeline changes, Aquaman is still the same. Momoa is always a screen-stealing presence as Aquaman in previous DC films, and he does a great job comedically in the end credits scene, setting up more antics in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
6 George Reeves as Superman
George Reeves was the very first live-action portrayal of the legendary man of steel in the often-forgotten 1951 Superman and the Mole-Men. Near the end of the film, during a sequence of various timelines and universes colliding with one another, we see a black-and-white universe featuring the original Superman as he looks on over the voice of an old-time radio host.
While only appearing for just a few seconds, it’s nice for the film to pay tribute to the first live-action Superman, as it’s a portrayal that doesn’t get nearly as much love and attention as it deserves. This cameo is the very first in a collection of iconic cameos during this alternate timeline section of the film, and it makes for the perfect opening cameo during this sequence.
5 Adam West as Batman
Also taking place during the climactic multiverse timeline sequence, the film provides a quick look at the classic Adam West Batman universe, complete with voice lines and sound effects from the classic series and movie. The universe is only given a brief pass as opposed to a more in-depth look inside with the other universes.
Especially after West’s recent passing, it’s heartwarming and impactful for the film to be able to pay tribute to West’s legacy in this way, showing his iconic show’s universe alongside many others. Even with only a brief appearance, his inclusion in the collection of multiverses explored is one that is heavily appreciated and beloved by audiences and fans.
4 Christopher Reeve as Superman
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Another cameo taking place during the multiverse sequence, the audience is provided a quick look on the rooftops of Metropolis, where both Christopher Reeve‘s Superman and Helen Slater‘s Supergirl look off towards the multiverse collapse. While the two had never shared the screen in their own movies, they share the screen together side by side in this notable cameo.
Reeve is considered by many to be one of the greatest live-action superhero stars of all time, let alone live-action Superman, so it’s bittersweet to see his character return to the big screen in this way. It’s also nice to see Slater’s Supergirl alongside Reeve, as it’s nice to officially and on-screen connect the two characters in a way that the original 80s movies never did.
3 Teddy Sears as Jay Garrick
Alongside George Reeves in the black and white universe, the film provides a look at their universe’s own speedster in the form of Jay Garrick, portrayed by Teddy Sears. Garrick was the first character to become the Flash in DC’s continuity and universe, with Sears even having portrayed the character in the past in The Flash television series.
While many of the other cameos have come in the form of alternate versions of Batman and Superman, Garrick is the sole and singular speedster to appear via cameo. It’s a simple yet effective form of worldbuilding that starts to form the foundation of other speedsters across the multiverse and the combined nature of the speed force. It helps that Sears has played this iconic alternate speedster in the past before, even further adding to the cameo’s impact.
2 Nicolas Cage as Superman
One of the most surprising and unexpected appearances during the multiverse sequence, the film provides a more extended look inside a dark universe where Superman battles a giant spider. After the battle, it’s revealed that Superman is in fact portrayed by Nicolas Cage, who famously was set to play the man of steel in Tim Burton’s canceled Superman Lives film.
Cage’s Superman and Superman Lives is one of the most legendary “what if” scenarios for comic book movie fans of the 90s, making it all the more surprising that the character actually found his way on the big screen. More than any other cameo in the movie, Cage’s appearance that ties directly to concept art for the cancelled film is made directly for the most hardcore of comic book movie fans to enjoy.
1 George Clooney as Batman/Bruce Wayne
At the end of the movie, when it seems that the timeline and multiverse shenanigans have all come to an end, the film provides one final stinger in the form of the return of George Clooney as Batman. When Barry is talking to Bruce Wayne, he believes that he’s talking to his own universe’s Ben Affleck Batman, only realizing that he has still directly impacted his timeline when Clooney steps out instead of Affleck.
What makes Clooney’s sudden appearance and cameo the best of the film is its absolutely unexpected nature combined with its possible ramifications. As the literal ending of the film, and well after the other cameos in the multiverse, this hilarious cameo comes at the perfect time to catch the audience completely by surprise. It’s also important to note that, as this film is supposed to act as a reset for the DC Extended Universe, one has to wonder if we’ll see more of Clooney’s Batman in this brand-new timeline Barry has entered, or if it’s simply a one-time comedic appearance.
