Grant Gustin as Barry Allen unmasked in The Flash
By
Dani Kessel Odom
Published 40 minutes ago
Dani Kessel Odom (they/them) is an autistic lead writer on the New TV team, focusing on writing and content planning for streaming shows. They often assist with Classic TV coverage, as well.
They have covered events, such as Denver Fan Expo. Their articles have also been shared by professionals in the field, such as Damien Leone and Lucy Hale.
In university, they majored in English Writing with a minor in psychology. They have always had a passion for analyzing TV and movies, even taking filmography and scriptwriting classes in university. They also studied and participated in onstage and onscreen acting extensively from the ages of 7 to 18.
Aside from working at Screen Rant, Dani has worked as a freelance editor and writer over the past decade, often in a ghostwriting capacity.
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Grant Gustin thinks that his most iconic Arrowverse moment will live on forever, and he’s not wrong. Over the course of nine years, actor Grant Gustin won over DC fans with his portrayal of the earnest and perpetually optimistic superhero Barry Allen, aka the Flash, in the Arrowverse.
He was the light of his own show, and he brought a hopeful energy to every single Arrowverse crossover event. Despite this, Grant Gustin’s most memorable Arrowverse moment didn’t happen onscreen. Instead, it took place on social media in 2020.
Five years later, The Flash may be finished, but Grant Gustin’s most iconic Arrowverse moment sure isn’t.
Grant Gustin Is Aware Of How Iconic The Oliver Queen Tombstone Meme Is
Grant Gustin as the flash is next to the meme of him at Oliver Queen's gravesite.
Grant Gustin’s most famous moment of the Arrowverse happened behind the scenes. During filming for Crisis on Infinite Earths, the actor crouched next to Oliver Queen's tombstone, making a silly expression and throwing up a peace sign. Co-star Echo Kellum shared the photo on Instagram, along with other pictures of the cast and crew on the set.
However, that was the one everyone remembers because it became the template for a wildly popular meme. Even people unfamiliar with the Arrowverse know this meme, and Grant Gustin shared at Chicago FanExpo 2025 that he recognized its iconic status.
Gustin told the interviewer, “It reaches different corners of, like, suddenly, someone sees the meme, because it's about something they care about. It's touched every corner of the Internet, I feel like.”
He proceeded to say that he’s more famous for that photo than any of his actual work. As much as he’s super famous for being the Flash, he’s not necessarily wrong. People who don’t know the show still know his face because of the Oliver Queen gravesite meme. Gustin even joked that “when I die, that will be on my tombstone.”
Luckily, he seems to find jest in the situation, stating that his favorite versions of the meme relate to sports.
Barry Allen Posing In Front Of Oliver Queen's Tombstone Is Hilariously Meta
Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen wearing his suit in Arrow
Ultimately, the meme isn’t just amusing because of its popularity or the absurdity of the image out of context. It’s also hilariously meta when thinking about the relationship between Barry Allen and Oliver Queen within the Arrowverse.
Arrow was the birth of The Flash. Grant’s Barry Allen debuted on Arrow season 2, episode 8 “The Scientist,” before getting his own spinoff. He was only the second superhero to get his own show in the Arrowverse. However, in a twist of fate, Barry was also there at the end.
Though two more episodes followed "Crisis on Infinite Earths," Arrow essentially died when Oliver did. This is especially true since the network didn’t pick up the spinoff starring Oliver’s daughter as Green Arrow. The Arrowverse continued on with Barry as the new leader. Ultimately, the image feels like a full-circle moment for the Flash and the Arrow.
Arrowverse
Created by
Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg, Phil Klemmer, Geoff Johns
First TV Show
Arrow
Latest TV Show
Batwoman
First Episode Air Date
October 10, 2012
Latest Episode
2023-05-24
Cast
Stephen Amell, Grant Gustin, Melissa Benoist, Caity Lotz, Cress Williams, Ruby Rose, Javicia Leslie
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The Flash
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Grant Gustin
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