John Wesley Shipp has been a part of The Flash since the show premiered in 2014. He played Henry Allen, father of Barry which is fitting given his history. Shipp was the original Flash in the 1990 series of the same name. When The Flash introduced the multiverse, Shipp also was able to play Jay Garrick, the first Flash.
But it was his role in Elseworlds the big Arrowverse crossover from last year, that really got people excited. He reprised his role as his Barry Allen from the 1990 show, original suit and all.
Now TV Insider is reporting that he will appear in this year’s crossover, Crisis On Infinite Earths. This isn’t a surprise given everyone else that is appearing, like Kevin Conroy, and Burt Ward, but it is nice to get confirmation.
It is unclear which role of the 3 he’s played in the Arrowverse that Shipp will reprise, but any of the 3 are possible. It is likely that it is Barry Allen again. After all, the comic book version of Crisis ends with deaths of The Flash and Supergirl. Killing Shipp’s Barry Allen would be a way to honor that and have the current show continue with its current protagonist. It would also not take away Shipp’s ability to stay in the Arrowverse, as he could just go on playing Jay Garrick in the future.
Crisis seems to be shaping up to be a love letter to past DC properties. They are getting Brandon Routh to not only play his current role as Ray Palmer, but also as Superman again, a role he played in the 2006 film Superman Returns. The crossover is also honoring Batman: The Animated Series, and the first live action Batman series with the aforementioned Conroy and Ward being involved.
There are also rumors of some Smallville cast members showing up. Nothing has been confirmed, but it would be a shock if they didn’t. With everything The CW has opening told everyone about Crisis, what are they not telling us? There will definitely be some secrets, so maybe that is what the Smallville cast is for. Confirming John Wesley Shipp for the crossover was a no brainer, and it keeps them from having to confirm something they want to keep secret.
Shipp’s involvement is welcome news. It would be nice if his role was a bit more substantial than it was in Elseworlds, but Crisis seems to be much more crowded than Elseworlds was, so maybe not. Regardless, it feels like we are in for a treat when the 5 part Crisis On Infinite Earths starts this year with Supergirl, Batwoman and The Flash in December, and then concludes with Arrow and Legends Of Tomorrow in January.
Source: TV Insider