As THE FLASH races through its Seventh Season, the show announces the departure of two of its most beloved original cast members and prepares to introduce a fan-favorite from the comic book legacy that is bound to shake the Speed Force up!
The Speed is ON! The latest season of The Flash has had Central City’s greatest defenders battling the dreaded “Seven Year Itch”. After Seven Seasons of battling speedster rivals, mad thinkers, and the inevitable “Crisis”, Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) has finally overcome his own personal obstacles and emerged more powerful than ever, bestowed by the Speed Force itself (recurring guest star Michelle Harrison) with unparalleled access to the energy that binds the entirety of the multiverse, but with great power — there comes a great price!
The Speed Force has allied itself with The Flash with the expectation that Central City’s Scarlet Speedster will lead it to the new Force powers that were recently unleashed — the Sage, Still, and Strength Force — each have taken on an avatar of their own. The Speed Force revealed its true nature and in order for it to thrive, it intends on using The Flash to subvert the other existing forces of nature and kill them one by one. It will undoubtedly lead to Barry’s most desperate hour as he takes on the divine energy and source of his incredible powers!
The Seventh Season of The CW hit series (which was delayed due to the global pandemic) has taken unpredictable divergence that has left fans wondering what to expect next, but perhaps the most surprising announcement came this week when the network revealed that series regulars Carlos Valdes and Tom Cavanagh, who have been with The Flash since the series premiered in 2014, will be officially leaving the show after the conclusion this season. The two have been an indelible part of Team Flash and the reaction from fans has been mixed.
Valdes as Cisco Ramon became one of The Flash’s most indispensable allies as the voice in the hero’s ear during missions and the tech genius at STAR Labs that has come up with everything from the practical aspects of Barry’s Flash suit to the names of the rogues’ gallery of villains they’ve faced. Cisco would soon develop superpowers of his own and take on the identity of Vibe, using his metahuman abilities to navigate the breaches between the multiverse. Cisco has had several love interests but has developed a very close relationship with Kamilla (Victoria Park) an artist and photographer.
Tom Cavanagh has worn many hats (literally) since joining the cast in Season One, as Harrison Wells, the mastermind behind STAR Labs who was soon revealed as Barry Allen’s most notorious arch-nemesis Eobard Thawne/Reverse-Flash. Cavanagh made his mark over the years, as the embodiment of the multiverse playing multiple versions of Harrison Wells, each one more fanciful than the last. As the core team (alongside Danielle Panabaker’s Caitlyn Snow) behind the console at STAR Labs, Ramon and Cavanagh offered many of the series’ most memorable moments over the years.
A Lasting Legacy
After last season’s crossover event “Crisis on Infinite Earths” concluded, the multiverse had been realigned and Wells (who also played his part as The Pariah that released the Anti-Monitor from his confinement) found himself at a crossroads. Wells embodied multiversal energies that contributed to helping to jump-start the Speed Force, sacrificing himself to set things right with The Flash and giving him his speed back. It was indeed a hero’s exit for Wells (and in theory Cavanagh’s last appearance) but fans are always theorizing that we haven’t seen the end of Wells…or Eobard Thawne!
Carlos Valdes remains an ever-present element this season, though Cisco and Vibe have taken a more subtle backseat, especially with the introduction of Chester P. Runk (Brandon McKnight) who is being positioned to take over as the STAR Labs wingman. Valdes has committed to sticking around through the end of this season, just in time to welcome into their midst one of the Flash Family’s favorite characters as Bart Allen makes his live-action debut on The Flash. Impulse will be played by Jordan Fisher and it has been established that Bart will the son of Barry and Iris Allen from the future.
In an arc that will bring back XS/Nora Allen (Jessica Parker Kennedy) into the fold, the Flash Family will reunite to take on a common enemy — one that is determined to claim the Speed Force all for himself! It’s going to take all the speedsters: present, future, and even one from the Golden Age to stop this threat that is after their speed before it’s too late! With The Flash already renewed for a Season Eight, and many speculating that it will follow suit and perhaps ride off into the sunset same as Arrow wrapped its run in Season Eight, the show’s cast landscape will be left reshaped.
If indeed Season Eight signals the end of The Flash run regardless of how the new season launches, it will without a doubt find a way to bring both Carlos Valdes and Tom Cavanagh back for a proper send-off and one final hurrah. The series star has not shown any signs or indications that he’s prepared to hang up his suit, but with Ezra Miller’s “Flashpoint” big-screen adaptation in the works, and the introduction of the next generation of speedsters at the end of this season, it looks like at least one chapter in The Flash legacy is coming to the close, and another is waiting to move into the fast lane!
The Flash starring Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, and Danielle Panabaker airs new episodes every Tuesday night at 8 pm on The CW.
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