Candice Patton Won DC FanDome

Let’s get this out of the way: DC FanDome, the four hour long virtual event thrown by DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. today, was not a contest. Yes, we have an inherent need as a society to turn every event into a contest, and declare the real winners and losers. But the winner here, given that DC FanDome dominated the trending topics on both Twitter and Google Trends for the length of the event and beyond, was everyone’s favorite: corporate product.

But if there was one human being who won DC FanDome? It was actress Candice Patton.

First cast as Iris West (later Iris West-Allen) on The CW’s The Flash in 2014, the character has grown from Barry Allen’s (Grant Gustin) friend, to his girlfriend, to wife and ultimately (though not quite yet) mother of his children. More importantly, though, Iris has forged her own identity over seven seasons of the show (the eighth will premiere in November) as first a blogger, and then seasoned news reporter with a staff of her own.

Also, not for nothing, in the real world Patton was one of the most major modern instances of color-blind casting in a superhero TV show, and almost definitely the first one in the burgeoning Arrow-verse series of shows. DC as a whole has been relatively progressive with casting, from Billy Dee Williams as Harvey Dent in 1989’s Batman, to Laurence Fishburne as Perry White in 2013’s Man of Steel. But again, Patton was a big deal not just for changing the “canonical” race of the character, but also for being a romantic lead on the series.

And, to be blunt, she paid the price for it. For years, she was the subject of harassment and outright hatred from people who called themselves “fans,” insisting that nearly any other character was “better” for Barry Allen, despite those same fans ignoring that Iris was “canonically” married to Barry in the comics.

Patton, however, trucked on, speaking out openly and honestly about her treatment from viewers, as well as often lack of support from both the show and the company at large. Not only that, she consistently advocated for better treatment of actors of color on screen and behind the scenes, and worked with others to implement real, active change over the years.

So with all that in mind, seeing her as the anchor point for DC FanDome, the biggest event DC Entertainment will roll out this year was (excuse my language) flippin’ incredible.

The conceit itself was several layers of brilliant. While a rotating cadre of hosts teed up the latest trailers and virtual panels, Patton would pop in, loosely in character as Iris West-Allen, offering up a “News Flash” that included a brief clip, a bit of comic book art, or a short interview with a star.

There’s the level of pun, of course — news “Flash,” get it? — as well as the fact that what these short segments did was provide a propulsive energy and sense of connectivity to the entire, otherwise rambling show. That in itself is a laudable bit of production, and whoever suggested the conceit should get a raise (or at least a shout out in the post-event company e-mail).

But beyond the utility, Patton’s presence is a subtle and emotional pay-off for fans who have stuck by her, and her character, for the past seven years, pushing aside the vitriol of the trolls to laud Patton’s anchoring performance on The CW’s hit series. And the fact that DC FanDome didn’t make a big deal about it (like, say, this article is currently doing) is a big deal in and of itself. In a livestream that presented a new Batgirl of Latin descent (that would be Leslie Grace), Winston Duke doing the voice of Batman on an upcoming audio series, and a whole host of other initiatives that start with the actor appropriate for the part, first, it’s hard not to look at Patton’s central role and realize how this all might not have happened if she hadn’t pioneered this aspect of the DC Universe.

Also, to note, there’s Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch) to think about, who is currently on The CW’s Superman & Lois. Lois, arguably, is the more famous DC Comics newswoman; but it’s Iris who came first on the shows. Could the production have ran with their Lois instead of their Iris? Sure, I guess. The fact that they didn’t have Tulloch host, or co-host with Patton; but instead had Patton solo without making a big deal about it, speaks volumes.

This is, mind you, not to put all the pressure back on Patton. The way she presented a complicated series of topics ranging from massive comic book events to an interview with new CW actress Kaci Walfall was worthy of a seasoned newswoman like Iris West-Allen. They were smooth, professional, and flowed seamlessly in and out of the show.

This all focuses down on one, major point: for years, Patton was the subject of abuse on behalf of viewers who clearly learned nothing from the comic book heroes they claimed to know and love. But ultimately, and today in particular? Patton won. And hopefully, she stays winning for many years to come.

Where to watch The Flash