Kiersey Clemons, originally cut from Justice League, to return as Iris West for 'Flash' solo film

Iris West is finally getting her chance to shine on the big screen. Following her debut in next week's release of the long-awaited Snyder Cut of Justice League on HBO Max, the character (played by Lady and the Tramp's Kiersey Clemons) will make her official DCEU bow in next year's standalone Flash movie. Per THR, Snyder, acting on a mandate from Warner Bros. to shave down the runtime to two hours, removed the character's scenes before Joss Whedon was brought aboard to handle reshoots.

Created by Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino in the 1950s, Iris West is a reporter for Central City's Picture News and the usual love interest of Barry Allen (currently played by Ezra Miller). Fans actually got their first glimpse of Iris a few years ago in the extremely early teasers for the Justice League film, before Snyder left the project and was replaced by Joss Whedon. Throughout all that, the storyline featuring Clemons' Iris eventually ended up on the cutting room floor. The Iris footage has since been restored in the first teaser trailer for Zack Snyder's Justice League redux, specifically a scene where Barry uses his powers to save her from a deadly car crash.

Written by Birds of Prey scribe Christina Hodson, Flash's solo outing will take a good deal of inspiration from Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert's "Flashpoint" comic storyline, in which Barry finds himself in a desolate future where the Justice League was never formed. That sort of gloomy, apocalyptic vibe is perfect for the creative talents of director Andy Muschietti, who helmed WB's two-part adaptation of Stephen King's It.

“My Flash is not gonna be light or dark in tone, it’s gonna have everything," Muschietti said last September. "If you saw my previous movies like It and It [Chapter] 2, you’ll notice that I like to put everything in it. What you will see in Flash is a very deep, emotional story, but it’s also gonna very funny and a great, epic adventure at the same time. [But] also terrifying for some of the time … get ready."

A lot is riding on The Flash due to the fact that the studio plans to use it as a gateway to the larger multiverse. "The cinematic multiverse is gonna be born out of this movie. It's born out of Barry's story," Hodson teased last summer.

In addition to Clemons and Miller, the film is also set to feature two different iterations of Batman played by Ben Affleck (whose character creates Barry's new suit) and Michael Keaton (who portrayed the Caped Crusader across two features directed by Tim Burton). Gal Gadot and Jason Momoa are rumored to reprise their roles of Wonder Woman and Aquaman for cameo roles. Ray Fisher's Cyborg, on the other hand, will be absent after the actor publicliy declined to work with the head of DC Films, Walter Hamada.

Zack Snyder's Justice League premieres on HBO Max next Thursday, March 18. The Flash speeds into theaters Nov. 4, 2022.

Production on the latter is expected to kick off soon.

(via The Hollywood Reporter)