Barry has a new dad: Ron Livingston replaces Billy Crudup as Henry Allen in 'Flash' movie

Warner Bros.' standalone Flash movie found Billy Crudup's replacement lickety-split. Ron Livingston (known for such projects as Office Space, Boardwalk Empire, and Loudermilk) will be stepping into the role of Henry Allen after Crudup had to pass on the new DC flick over scheduling conflicts with the second season of The Morning Show.

Crudup portrayed the character in the 2017 theatrical cut of Justice League, as well as Zack Snyder's 4-hour cut now streaming on HBO Max. The actor previously worked with Snyder on 2009's film adaptation of Watchmen, where he played Jon Osterman/Doctor Manhattan. 

Within the context of the DCEU, Henry is imprisoned for the murder of Barry's (Ezra Miller) mother, although his son is certain that he did not commit the crime. As such, Barry is determined to acquire a criminal justice degree and prove his father's innocence. Livingston is joined by several newcomers: Ian Loh (playing a young Barry), Derry Girls' Saoirse-Monica Jackson (role is TBD), and internet figure Rudy Mancuso (role is TBD).

Credit: Jack Rowand/ABC via Getty Images

Production on The Flash is expected to kick off soon, with Andy Muschietti (It) sitting in the director's chair. In addition to the returning Miller, the cast also includes: Maribel Verdú (Nora Allen), Kiersey Clemons (reprising her Snyder Cut role as Iris West), Sasha Calle (Supergirl), Ben Affleck (Bruce Wayne), and potentially Michael Keaton (as an alternate universe Batman).

"Somewhere on my iPad is an iteration of the whole Flash thing that I haven’t had time [to read] yet," Keaton recently told Deadline. "I called them and said, 'I have to be honest with you, I can’t look at anything right now. I’m so deep into this thing I’m doing. Also, I’m prepping a thing I’m producing and getting ready to do down the road in the fall that I’ll be in, and I feel responsible to that.' ... I’m not being cute or coy. If I talked about it, I’ll be just bullsh**ing you. I don’t really know. I have to look at the last draft."

The film's narrative is set to draw on Flashpoint — a 2011 storyline by Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert in which Barry seriously messes up the matrix of reality after going back in time to prevent his mother's death. Since the original comic arc involves a dystopian reality where Bruce was killed as a child and the Justice League was never formed, it's possible Gal Gadot and Jason Momoa could make cameo roles as grittier versions of Wonder Woman and Aquaman, respectively. Ray Fisher was asked to return as Cyborg, but the actor ended up publicly severing ties with DC Films and its president, Walter Hamada.

"I want you to go see it, so I am not gonna tell you a lot," producer Barbara Muschietti said last fall. "What I will tell you is that it's a ride. It's gonna be fun and exciting and there are a lot of DC characters in it. Flash is the superhero of this film because he is the bridge between all of these characters and timelines. In a way, it restarts everything and doesn't forget anything."

Christina Hodson (Birds of Prey) penned the script, which is confirmed to open the door for an entire DC movie (and TV show) multiverse. The Flash speeds into theaters Nov. 4, 2022.