Of course, Barry’s motivations as a villain would be different from Eobard’s. The trailer shows the younger alternate Barry wearing yellow, Reverse-Flash’s primary color, when they meet. However, The Flash might be twisting things, so Barry Allen could actually be the villain. Named Eobard Thawne the Reverse-Flash hails from the 25th century and was responsible for killing Barry’s mother. If The Flash follows Flashpoint to a tee, it would turn out that Flash’s nemesis, Reverse-Flash, is the film’s true antagonist. Intriguingly, there are various ways this could go down. Importantly, while it seems they are united in their mission, the film could culminate with the two version of Barry turning on each other.

Whether or not, The Flash clearly isn’t hesitating to double down by having Miller play multiple version of Barry Allen - at least two based on the trailer, but more wouldn’t be that surprising given the subject matter. With The Flash resetting the DC Universe and Ezra Miller’s litany of problematic behavior, this could be their final hurrah in the role. It allowed the comics' continuity to begin anew, and it will do the same for the DCU, though perhaps not how some expect. Significantly, The Flash is largely based on 2011’s Flashpoint arc by Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert, in which Barry Allen travels back in time to avert his mother’s death, but in doing so he accidentally rewrites reality. Gunn has praised it as one of the best superhero films of all time. Regardless of the delays, controversies, and complications surrounding the film’s production, the final product looks incredibly exciting.

The Flash is finally releasing on June 16th, only 5 years late to the initial plan of a 2018 release. According to Gunn when he announced the exciting slate of projects for the new DCU, thanks to The Flash’s meddling with the multiverse, it will catalyze a soft reboot for them to launch Chapter 1 “Gods & Monsters” on fresh foundations. Importantly, The Flash is being positioned as both a beginning and an end. The film has been at the center of all sorts of conversations over the past year - whether for the actions of its star, Ezra Miller, or the drastic restructuring happening behind the camera in DC Studios. The trailer for The Flash has spawned some interesting theories.

The Flash by Geoff Johns