Grant Gustin is not cool with people criticizing his new look on The Flash or his overall slim physique, for that matter. A photo of the CW series star appearing as Barry Allen and wearing what is described as a prototype of his new suit has been circulating online over the past day. The outfit appears to be made of thinner material than the traditional leather and features a smaller Flash emblem and a new mask that does not cover Gustin's chin. The photo is set to have been taken during a costume fitting. The CW has not commented on the image, which has spurred some people on social media and Reddit to criticize the suit and Gustin's body. "So here's the thing about this bulls--t photo leak," Gustin said on Instagram on Wednesday. "It's a cool suit. There's a terrible photo that I was unaware was being taken, much less being posted. Some things need work and they will be worked on. We'll get there." "As far as the body shaming. That's what pisses me off. Not even just for my sake," he said. "I've had 20+ years of kids and adults telling me or my parents that I was too thin. But there's a double standard where it's OK to talk s--t about a dude's body. I do my best to stay in shape and add as much size as I can throughout these seasons. I'm naturally thin, and my appetite is greatly affected by stress. Stress is something that ebbs and flows for me throughout a season. Thus, gaining weight is a challenge for me."<doc-sep>It's not just female celebrities who are endlessly criticized about their weight by the commentariat on social media. The guys get it too. Just ask The CW's Grant Gustin. The Flash star took to his Instagram account and responded to critics who slammed him for being "too thin" after a photo leaked online showing him testing out an early version of a new suit Barry Allen's alter ego will be wearing for the superhero's upcoming fifth season on The CW. The suit is presumably the one brought back from the future by Barry's adult daughter (confused yet? ), and looks to be less leather and more spandex than the versions we've seen up to this point. "So here's the thing about this bulls**t photo leak. It's a cool suit. That's a terrible photo that I was unaware was being taken, much less being posted. Some things need work and they will be worked on. We'll get there," the actor writes. "As far as the body shaming. That's what pisses me off. Not even just for my sake. I've had 20+ years of kids and adults telling me or my parents I was too thin. I've had my own journey of accepting it. But there's a double standard where it's ok to talk s**t about a dudes body." Check out Gustin's full post below: Gustin, 28, noted that he works hard to stay in shape and bulk up as much as he can, but the fact is he's "naturally thin" and his "appetite is greatly affected by stress" so packing on the pounds isn't easy. So to all the body-shaming jerks out there nitpicking about his appearance, The Flash has a message for you. "I'm happy with my body and who I am and other kids who are built like me and thinner than me should be able to feel the same way," Gustin added. "Not only that, but they should be able to feel like THEY could be a superhero on TV or film or whatever it may be someday." As far as the new costume, which eschews the show's traditional muted leather look for a more eye-popping design, the TV star said it's ever-evolving, so the leaked photo is by no means the final word. Though the version shown in the candid pic does look a bit rough around the edges, the Arrowverse has a proven track record of getting costumes right — so there's no reason to think that would change now. Season 5 of The Flash premieres on The CW Oct. 9.<doc-sep>The Flash‘s Grant Gustin hit back at body shamers who criticized his looks after a photo of the actor in a prototype of his costume leaked online. Fans of The Flash who didn’t like the costume or the way Gustin looked in it took to attacking his appearance. “Yikes the test photo suit doesn’t look good,” one person tweeted. “I actually prefer the chin strap. Grant Gustin doesn’t have a superhero chin or physique.” Gustin responded to the critiques in an Instagram post on Wednesday in response. “It’s a cool suit. That’s a terrible photo that I was unaware was being taken, much less being posted,” he said. “As far as the body shaming. That’s what pisses me off.” Gustin said his changing stress levels affect the way he eats and makes gaining weight a challenge. “There’s a double standard where it’s ok to talk sh-t about a dudes body. I do my best to stay in shape and add as much size as I can through out these seasons,” he said. “I’m naturally thin, and my appetite is greatly affected by stress.” The Flash actor said he is happy with the way he looks. “Other kids who are build like me and thinner than me should be able to feel the same way.” Get The Brief. Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now. Please enter a valid email address. * The request timed out and you did not successfully sign up. Please attempt to sign up again. Sign Up Now An unexpected error has occurred with your sign up. Please try again later. Check the box if you do not wish to receive promotional offers via email from TIME. You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thank you! For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder. Write to Mahita Gajanan at mahita.gajanan@time.com.<doc-sep>
Grant Gustin responded to body shamers who mocked him after 'The Flash' costume surfaced online. Grant Gustin, 28, has a message for body shamers. After a photo of Gustin, 28, wearing a prototype of his new costume from season 5 of The Flash surfaced online this week, many fans became outraged with both the look of the suit and Gustin’s look in it. “Yikes the test photo suit doesn’t look good. I actually prefer the chin strap. Grant Gustin doesn’t have a superhero chin or physique,” one fan wrote in reference to the costume, which appears to be made of a different material and has a smaller Flash emblem than in previous seasons. On Wednesday, Gustin responded to all of the negativity on Instagram. “So here’s the thing about this bullsh– photo leak. It’s a cool suit,” Grant said. “That’s a terrible photo that I was unaware was being taken, much less being posted. Some things need work and they will be worked on. We’ll get there.” “As far as the body shaming. That’s what p—— me off. Not even just for my sake. I’ve had 20+ years of kids and adults telling me or my parents I was too thin,” Gustin continued. RELATED VIDEO: CW Superheroes Crossover Revealed “I’ve had my own journey of accepting it. But there’s a double standard where it’s ok to talk s— about a dudes body.” “I do my best to stay in shape and add as much size as I can throughout these seasons. I’m naturally thin, and my appetite is greatly affected by stress.” “Stress is something that ebbs and flows for me throughout the season. Thus, gaining weight is a challenge for me. I didn’t cast a slim actor as The Flash,” Gustin explained. Gustin also went on to encourage people who’ve also been a victim of body shaming. *EXCLUSIVE* Grant Gustin is handcuffed as he shoots scenes for ‚ÄòThe Flash‚Äô Grant Gustin | Credit: AKM-GSI “I went to an audition for a role I never dreamed I’d actually book. But, here I am 5 season later. I’m happy with my body and who I am and other kids who are built like me and thinner than me should be able to feel the same way.” “Not only that, but they should be able to feel like THEY could be a superhero on tv or film or whatever it may be someday. “I love the suit that has been designed for me, and I think when everyone sees it in its entirety, you will love it too. Things have been adjusted since that leaked shot was taken, and more things will continue to be adjusted until it feels right,” Gustin added.