Why is Eric Stoltz mentioned in the new DCEU film The Flash? Explained

The magic of movies is fully displayed in the new DCEU film, The Flash. The possibilities are endless when it comes to filmmaking today. The technology is so advanced no longer are directors and writers boxed in and can open up fans’ insatiable appetite for entertainment nostalgia.

In The Flash, the new DCEU entry is full of cameos, but the Andy Muschietti film missed one prominent cameo that was practically screaming for a guest spot that would have set cinephile across the world into a frenzy.

Spoilers ahead! If you have not yet seen The Flash in theaters, please note spoilers are ahead as we reveal in which way Eric Stoltz is mentioned and why it’s so important. 

Who is Eric Stoltz on The Flash?

Eric Stoltz is an American actor, director, and producer who has 129 acting credits to his name. He is known for his roles in The Mask, Pulp Fiction, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and Anaconda. Acting in film and television since making his debut as Jack in the episodic television series Jack at 16, Stoltz has been a fixture in Hollywood for over four decades.

Stoltz has successfully transitioned into a career as a producer and director of some major network primetime television series. He was the executive producer of the CBS episodic series Madam Secretary, starring Téa Leoni (where he also guest starred as Will Adams), and Bull, starring Michael Weatherly.

Stoltz was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Rocky Dennis in the 1986 film Mask (not to be confused with the Jim Carrey vehicle mentioned above).

Why is Eric Stoltz mentioned in The Flash?

Eric Stoltz is mentioned prominently in The Flash when Barry Allen falls into an alternate timeline with his 18-year-old self. In the film, Meta-Barry is in college, and his roommates begin to talk about how Eric Stoltz starred in Back to the Future.

The current DCEU Barry comments that Eric Stoltz didn’t star in the Robert Zemeckis film; it was Michael J. Fox. However, that’s when Meta-Barry’s roommate shows him a tattoo dedicated to Eric Stoltz’s Marty McFly.

When Barry Allen/The Flash tries to change the timeline, he lands in a multiverse where Eric Stoltz starred in Back to the Future, Michael J. Fox danced in Footloose, and Kevin Bacon saved the world in Top Gun (no word if Anthony Edwards still starred as Goose, but God willing, he damn well did).

Why was Eric Stoltz replaced with Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future?

In actuality, The Flash delved into the Hollywood lore surrounding the replacement of Eric Stoltz with Michael J. Fox. It is known that Stoltz filmed scenes for Back to the Future for five weeks before being replaced by the star of Family Ties.

According to Collider, “Despite his talent, Eric Stoltz’s overly dramatic take on the character and material simply wasn’t translating to what director Robert Zemeckis and company had envisioned. His method approach continued raising eyebrows when he insisted on being referred to by his character’s name, as he’d previously done while shooting Mask.”

Stoltz approached the character of Marty McFly with an intense method of acting approach, which ultimately did not align with the comedic tone required for the role. According to reports, director Robert Zemeckis approached Universal Pictures executive Sid Sheinberg to discuss replacing Stoltz with Fox. However, Fox initially couldn’t take the role due to scheduling conflicts with Family Ties.

According to Vulture, “Michael J. Fox was not the first actor cast as Marty McFly. That honor went to Eric Stoltz, at the time, an up-and-coming young method actor with significant buzz. Only a few weeks into filming, director Robert Zemeckis and writer Bob Gale realized something was wrong: Stoltz was a fine dramatic actor, but he wasn’t bringing the screwball energy the film needed.”

In a sense, The Flash writers Christina Hodson and Joby Harold gave Eric Stoltz’s Marty McFly a second chance. It would have been fascinating and fun if they had included Stoltz for a flashback scene, signed Back to the Future posters, or had Barry and Arthur watching the film in a theater before returning home.