The Epic Face-Off: Grant Gustin vs Ezra Miller - Who Truly Triumphs as The Flash?

Summary

The Flash's powers in the DC movies have been criticized, with fans claiming that the Marvel Cinematic Universe handles speedster powers better.

Grant Gustin and Ezra Miller's performances as The Flash were compared through a side-by-side video, revealing that the MCU has a superior depiction of a speedster's abilities in live-action. The utilization of special effects in The Flash film led to a distorted and eerie appearance during the character's running scenes, whereas Makkari's running in Eternals appeared more authentic and effortlessly integrated.

A comparison video shows that DC's portrayal of The Flash's powers falls short, while the Marvel Cinematic Universe handles speedster abilities more effectively. In the past decade, there have been two main iterations of The Flash in DC, with Grant Gustin playing the character in the Arrowverse and Ezra Miller portraying Barry Allen in the DCEU. Unfortunately, Miller's recent solo movie for The Flash suffered at the box office due to subpar visual effects and cameos.

Over time, fans have taken to social media to express their dissatisfaction with Miller's unique running style, often comparing it unfavorably to Gustin's portrayal. However, a side-by-side comparison of their performances clearly demonstrates that the MCU has achieved the best live-action representation of a speedster's powers. This has prompted fans to take to Twitter to highlight the difference in quality between Marvel's Eternals character, Makkari, and the two versions of The Flash. Here are a few reactions from fans:

@HeroesUnbound initiated the debate by sharing a side-by-side video of Miller's portrayal of running in The Flash and Gustin's final run in The Flash series within the Arrowverse.

@cosmoleeee countered with a video showcasing Makkari's use of her powers against Ikaris in Eternals, asserting that Marvel excels in depicting speedsters compared to DC.

@Targ_Nation claims both Miller and Gustin's versions of The Flash have nothing on Makkari.

@houseofikaris believes "makkari [is] still the best speedster we’ve seen on screen."

@Cinemaniac94 shared a GIF of Makkari running with her surrounding environment distorted.

@CapnBenjiTV boldly claims that "Eternals is the only movie that perfected super speed."

Why Super-Speed Is Hard To Show In Live-Action Superhero Movies & Shows

The Flash, being one of the most iconic heroes, has encountered challenges in live-action adaptations when showcasing his signature super-speed. Close-up shots of Gustin's Barry Allen running in the Arrowverse often appear flawed due to obvious green screen usage. This issue could have been minimized if the TV version of The Flash had a larger budget. Capturing super-speed accurately is difficult even in movies, and the restricted budget for TV series makes it even more challenging to portray characters like The Flash faithfully. In the case of Miller's DCEU Flash, the main setback lies in the actor's awkward running style, which was based on Miller's research of realistic running for the 2017 film, Justice League.

In The Flash, director Andy Muschietti utilized special effects to convey a unique perspective of the outside world when the superhero is in motion, although the execution of these effects was lacking. On the other hand, Eternals presented a more effective approach in depicting Makkari's speedy abilities, where her surroundings appeared to "stretch" as she swiftly passed by them. Unlike The Flash, the visual effect in Eternals felt more organic, focusing on Makkari's interaction with the objects rather than distorting their appearance like Barry Allen's solo film.