The Flash star has been across all parts of the multiverse and back, most recently in the “Elseworlds” crossover! Hitting the convention circuit in 2019, the actor is open to all new adventures!
For John Wesley Shipp the idea of stepping back into the suit that immortalized his place in genre-fandom may have been the most surreal moment of his 40 years in entertainment. Nonetheless as Kate Main and the rest of the expert costuming team responsible for suiting up the most popular DC heroes in primetime put the final touches on the suit, when John looked back at the image of himself as the Scarlet Speedster from his 1990 version of The Flash the déjà vu of it all wasn’t lost on him.
He had (almost) made a vow to himself after his 1990 CBS series was cancelled that he’d never get into another superhero suit, and would eventually find himself stepping into the famous boots and tipping the rim of the Golden Age speedster “Jay Garrick” after “Henry Allen” met his fate in the second season of the contemporary reimagining of The Flash starring Grant Gustin. Shipp has said that after shooting his scene in the final episode “The Trial of the Trickster," as soon as they yelled “Cut!” he ripped off his cowl and flung the wing tipped earpieces into the air.
The episode’s guest star Mark Hamill dove headfirst after the now iconic items, adding them to his own extensive collection, preserving a piece of cinematic history. Cut to nearly 30 years later and the earpieces were faithfully reconstructed in order to recapture the look of the original suit so that The Flash of Earth-90 could make a significant appearance in this year’s CW “Elseworlds” crossover event, hinting at an inevitable “crisis” that is threatening our primetime multiverse. Though it appears that Earth-90 is left a wasteland, will its Flash play a part in the sequel next fall?
Anything can happen it would seem now that The CW primetime multiverse has opened the door, and its certainly expanded the possibilities for Shipp to play a significant role in the impending “Crisis on Infinite Earths” expected next fall. For Shipp who climbed onboard the series and proven an integral fan favorite as both Henry and Jay Garrick, the “Golden Age” Flash of Earth-3, adding his Earth-90 Barry Allen into the mix certainly has set-up some intriguing ideas that fans hope the writers will exploit. In the meantime John Wesley Shipp will appearing live in a city near you!
Making the Rounds
The actor has proven among one of the most popular guests on the comic-con circuit and appreciates the opportunity to meet with his fans across the country as well as all over the world. Last year he enjoyed a rock star reception when he appeared in Lima, Peru and will soon be heading to Mexico City, invited by his fans in Mexico to bring them up to speed on what the Scarlet Speedster has been up to. Having fulfilled every fan boy on the planet’s greatest wish, including executive producer Marc Guggenheim’s, with the 1990 Flash now part of the Arrowverse.
Although fans imagined that when Shipp returned to participate in the annual crossover spectacle he would have worn the familiar attire of his Crimson Comet from Earth-3, rebuilding and revisiting the suit from the 1990s series certainly proved one of the long running series’ greatest moments of the latest season. Propelling even more nostalgia was the appearance of The Kent’s farm from Smallville which also served as the home of Earth-38’s Super Family including Supergirl Melissa Benoist and her famous cousin.
No doubt when Shipp hits the convention scene fans will have numerous questions, especially about the fate of his Earth-90 Flash after the Monitor “folds” him out of the climatic second chapter of the “Elseworlds” event and of course if he’ll return for the promised “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover this fall. One thing that is certain are the infinite possibilities open now for John Wesley Shipp to interact with the Arrowverse whether as Jay Garrick or Earth-90 Flash. Fans are hopeful that the “Barrys of Two-Earths” will cross multiverses before the next crisis event!
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