The Great Arrowverse Race: Flash vs. Superman – Settled (Sort Of!) By the Stars!
The Flash vs. Superman: A Hilarious Arrowverse Debate!
Get ready for some serious superhero smack-talk! The Arrowverse, The CW's now-ending DC universe, recently saw some hilarious debate erupt between its stars! We’re talking about a debate so important that the entire history of the shows might potentially have been shifted based on the response. This incredibly significant argument? Which hero is faster: Grant Gustin's Flash or Tyler Hoechlin's Superman?
This whole thing happened during Fan Expo Dallas; a panel including stars from both The Flash and Superman & Lois. That debate unfolded on stage when Candice Patton (Iris West-Allen) and Elizabeth Tulloch (Lois Lane) engaged in a totally fun argument about the actual speeds for each respective hero in question; that is, those two incredibly popular and amazing characters in this particular context, bringing out their conflicting beliefs, for a fun time at this special event!
The event's context really adds flavor! It happened as The Flash concluded its run; it ended its amazingly long nine seasons, the longest of the Arrowverse! And Superman & Lois began its final season earlier this month—another series which contributed much of what is considered legendary from this series—this final season's conclusion is anticipated by most viewers involved, demonstrating a large amount of anticipation already around these new developments.
What the Arrowverse (Sort Of) Says About Speed
While Kryptonians are some of the Arrowverse's most powerful characters—this has already been demonstrated in numerous prior show releases, those scenes highlighting just how incredibly capable Superman actually is, in his context, and even shows instances in which he was only somewhat seriously wounded; those key elements would make anyone think he has some advantages during that very special event, yet we know the Flash (and the speedsters as a whole) also boasts some amazing abilities; this very context, this amazing ability that's built from that extremely special and uniquely magical concept—Speed Force—already should easily declare the Flash to be the fastest!
Superman and Flash never actually raced. Barry Allen (Gustin’s Flash) and Kara Zor-El (Supergirl) had a quick one (in 2016’s Supergirl/The Flash crossover) yet this was far from being a true test of speed and there is even rationale provided that explains the rationale, but Invasion!—a four-part crossover where Supergirl is brainwashed—did hint about these issues around speed when the Flash totally outraced a brainwashed Supergirl several times. This very context becomes incredibly important to interpret those points around who actually wins.
Our Take: A Missed Opportunity for an Epic Showdown
The whole debate emphasizes the immense failure surrounding something that could've been truly great, Tulloch and Patton's debate makes this whole missed opportunity incredibly clear! Hoechlin's Superman and Gustin's Flash never truly went head-to-head; and that is an incredible waste of time given their time together, especially after the insane Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover, There's many alternate-Earth characters these could've interacted with! But it remains a key issue, and the failure to resolve it by these very actors only means many debates will persist in many fanbases.
Conclusion: The Ultimate Arrowverse Race Remains Unfinished
It remains a funny and yet critical question: who is really faster—the Flash or Superman? This fun debate only emphasizes how that truly amazing missed opportunity; the potential never fulfilled; shows why Superman & Lois and The Flash should've given viewers the answers they always want to see, a proper, memorable and climactic scene between those very, very notable, important members of the Arrowverse which contributed immensely and made this such a huge debate, among a specific and hugely influential demographic. Yet with the Arrowverse itself nearing its final, dramatic end; that ultimate showdown—as the very title in this particular debate would convey—will sadly remain only unfulfilled; those unrealized possibilities continue to haunt those watching today!
