Flash (CW)

[BatmAngelus]

Actor Grant Gustin has been cast as Barry Allen.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/glees-grant-gustin-set-as-625751

Some new info:

Barry Allen is described a Central City assistant police forensic investigator who arrives in Starling to look into a series of unexplained robberies that may have a connection to a tragedy in his past. A comic book fan boy, Barry is obsessed with the Arrow unaware that working with Oliver and Felicity to solve the crime has brought him right into the dangerous world of the vigilante.

Also, Stephen Amell recently stated that the showrunners needed to get approval from Christopher Nolan to bring in The Flash. 
I'm curious if there are any other aspects of Arrow that they needed Nolan's approval for, especially if there are things the showrunners wanted to do (i.e. bring in more comic book elements), but were restricted from doing in the first season.
http://comicbook.com/blog/2013/08/26/christopher-nolan-had-to-approve-flash-appearing-on-arrow/

[Paul (ral)]

Really? Can't say I'm all that excited about his casting.

[BatmAngelus]

Eh, it's the CW.  With the exception of Katie Cassidy, I was unfamiliar with all the younger cast members of Arrow before it premiered.  With the same showrunners behind this, all I expected for the new Barry Allen was another young, prettyboy unknown, so my expectations were met.     We'll see how he does, performance-wise.  I'm in more anticipation to see him in costume, since they promised that he'd be in the iconic suit.

[johnnygobbs]

Eh, it's the CW.

Which is all that needs to be said...

[riddler]

seeing Nolan's name on it instantly reduced my interest. Has DC basically handed the screen rights over to him? Though I'll admit I do like what Jonathon has done with person of interest.

[BatmAngelus]

I wouldn't go nearly as far as to say that his name is on this.  His creative control seems to be limited to just saying "Yes" or "No" and leaving the writing up to the showrunners.

[riddler]

I wouldn't go nearly as far as to say that his name is on this.  His creative control seems to be limited to just saying "Yes" or "No" and leaving the writing up to the showrunners.

Why does he have creative control? Did he get it over the whole JLA?

[BatmAngelus]

I think he's got it over all DC stuff.  Amell says in that link that he's the "czar of all things Warner Bros. and DC." 

I know it's not an ideal situation, but it seems to me that it's purely an executive-type role.  WB may have given him that position due to the Dark Knight Trilogy.  Given his current work schedule on Interstellar (and possibly still producing the Man of Steel sequel), I doubt he's affecting these CW shows any further than just saying "Yes, the Arrow guys can do a Flash spin-off."

[The Laughing Fish]

JOHN WESLEY SHIPP RETURNS TO "THE FLASH" WITH "MYSTERIOUS" ROLE IN PILOT

The CW's new take on "The Flash" will include a significant nod to the original TV incarnation of DC Comics' Scarlet Speedster: John Wesley Shipp, who played the dual role of The Flash/Barry Allen in the 1990-1991 "Flash" TV series, has been cast in the new "Flash" pilot, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Shipp will guest in the pilot as a "mysterious character," with no further details offered. If "The Flash" is picked up as a series, he's expected to have a recurring role.

As noted in December by "Arrow" and "The Flash" executive producer Greg Berlanti, there are several connections between Shipp and new TV Flash Grant Gustin, who debuted as Barry Allen on two episodes of "Arrow" earlier this season: they're both from Norfolk, Virginia, and their birthdays are only two days apart.

"The Flash" casting news has been arriving at an appropriately speedy rate in recent days, with Tom Cavanagh reported Monday night to be playing S.T.A.R. Labs scientist Harrison Wells. The cast also includes Jesse L. Martin as Detective West, Candice Patton as Iris West, Carlos Valdes as Cisco Ramon, Danielle Panabaker as Caitlin Snow and Rick Cosnett as Detective Eddie Thawne.

Berlanti, fellow "Arrow" executive producer Andrew Kreisberg and DC chief creative officer (and former long-time "Flash" comic book writer) Geoff Johns wrote the "Flash" pilot script, one of multiple DC Comics-based television shows currently in development.

Source: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=50839

[Silver Nemesis]

This is great news! Shipp is the Michael Keaton of the Flash actors. I hope he's playing Jay Garrick.

On a related note, I've noticed Shipp posts on his IMDb page from time to time. It might be worth getting in touch with him for an interview once we know a little more about who he's playing in the new series. He seems to enjoy interacting with his fans, so he might be up for it. I know there are quite a few fans of The Flash TV show on this site, and we could justify it on the basis that Shipp played Professor Zoom in Batman: The Brave and the Bold.