9 Characters That Should Return For The Final Season Of 'The Flash'

Feb 8

Team Flash — Image Source: Warner Bros. Television

WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR THE FLASH SEASONS 1 - 8

This week, The Flash returns for its ninth and final season on The CW. Over the course of its filming, many returning guest stars have been confirmed through official reports or set pictures. This includes The Flash’s family members who would be somewhat expected, like Keiynan Lonsdale as Barry’s now brother-in-law Wally West (aka Kid Flash), and Jessica Parker Kennedy as his and Iris’ daughter from the future, Nora West-Allen. His parents’ doppelgangers, Jay and Joan Garrick (played by John Wesley Shipp and Michelle Harrison) have also been confirmed. As the final Arrowverse series that takes place on Earth-Prime, several actors will be reprising the roles from their series, such as Supergirl’s Nicole Maines, Batwoman’s Javicia Leslie, and Arrow’s David Ramsey and Stephen Amell. It appears the series finale is already being written, but if Glee and Girl Meets World are any indication, anyone and everyone can be included up until the very end. The window might be closing, but as far as we are concerned, there is still time to consider who may make an appearance in the sendoff, with varying degrees of likelihood.

Cisco Ramon (Carlos Valdes)

Barry’s best friend, Cisco Ramon (played by Carlos Valdes), was an original member of Team Flash, having been on the show for the first six and two-thirds seasons. The mechanical engineering genius eventually became the superhero Vibe (later Mecha-Vibe). He left Central City with his girlfriend Kamilla Hwang (played by Victoria Park) after A.R.G.U.S. offered him a job as Director of Technology and Science. He returned for the two-part Season 7 finale where he helped defeat Godspeed and officiated Barry and Iris’s vow renewal. It would not be right for the series to end without Cisco being there.

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Eobard Thawne (Tom Cavanagh) And Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh)

As another original cast member, it would be weird for the show to finish without Tom Cavanagh. The actor has been a constant presence on the series since the very beginning, whether as arch-nemesis Eobard Thawne (Reverse-Flash), or the many Harrison Wellses in the show’s multiverse.

Cavanagh departed as a series regular in “Mother,” the third episode of Season 7 which was originally intended as the Season 6 finale. He would return as Wells one more time later in Season 7 while making a few more appearances as Thawne in the Season 7 finale and in Season 8. In-universe, The Earth-1 Wells, who had absorbed his doppelgangers, went on to relive his marriage with the wife he lost in the car crash where Thawne stole his face and identity.

Meanwhile, Thawne perpetrated Armageddon by executing a Reverse-Flashpoint. Season 8’s opening arc ended with him detained at Lian-Yu and depowered. After being killed by the Negative Still Force, he pulled off a resurrection where he was transferred into his time remnant (the one wearing his original face, played by Matt Letscher). This led to a climactic battle in the Season 8 finale between Barry Allen and Eobard Thawne where the Negative Forces empowered Thawne in a new black suit to "tip the scales."

The uncertainty at The CW has resulted in this two-part episode being written as a series finale. It felt like a final defeat, and the showrunners may not want to undercut that. However, I would not put it past this crew to get Tom Cavanagh onscreen in Season 9 in a fresh material somehow. Letscher has already been confirmed for an appearance in an unknown capacity even though Letscher’s Thawne tore his face in the Season 8 finale to reveal Cavanagh’s Thawne underneath. In Legends of Tomorrow, Thawne had also become the protector of the fixed point of the 1914 assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and was stabbed by a robot clone of Sara Lance

Maybe they will try to get both faces back onscreen together.

Bart West-Allen/Impulse (Jordan Fisher)

This is a no-brainer. Played by Jordan Fisher, Bart West-Allen is the son of Barry and Iris. He was revealed toward the end of Season 7 as their second child when the rebirth of the multiverse brought his sister Nora into future existence. As the two have appeared together since his introduction, and with Jessica Parker Kennedy already confirmed to return as Nora this season, it only makes sense to see him too.

Mick Rory/Heatwave (Dominic Purcell)

In a recent interview, Showrunner Eric Wallace revealed that with the limited 13-episode order, he was not able to wrap up Legends of Tomorrow's storylines. He also added, “All the Legends at least are all going to appear in an episode.” What does that mean exactly? Is it every Legend ever? Just the current team? Whatever the case, the appearance of Mick Rory in the final season of The Flash fits Wallace’s idea of “bookending the series and finishing on a really high, emotional note.”

Mick Rory (Dominic Purcell) was one of The Flash’s original rogues, and one of five characters from the series to be recruited as a Legend. His life got a little crazier since Crisis on Infinite Earths Part 5. It would be a nice surprise for Barry and co. for him to drop by, especially when some rogues from his time have been replaced by post-Crisis versions.

His appearance would also be similar to Ray Palmer’s two appearances in The Flash Season 8, following his departure from Legends. In Legends’ 100th episode, Rory was last seen in a drunken stupor on the floor facing away from the camera.

It would be a bonus if any Legends that originated in The Flash, like Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller), could also stop by.

Ralph Dibny/Elongated Man And Sue Dearbon (Natalie Dreyfuss)

Ralph Dibny and Sue Dearbon — Image Source: Warner Bros. Television

We should get one more appearance from Ralph Dibny with a different actor. Don’t just tell us he’s healed, show us. His powers allow for an in-universe reason for the recast. Don’t think we forgett the crucial moment when he testified as Clifford DeVoe to exonerate Barry.

We can respect the decision for Hartley Sawyer not to return, just as the crew can respect viewers’ desire for real closure using everything we know about Ralph Dibny as a character on the show and in the source material. Of course, Sue is welcome to come along with him, like with Cisco and Kamilla. The final season should advance their relationship appropriately in a way that would acknowledge their eventual marriage. Their relationship shouldn’t be left stagnant. They deserve to be happy like everyone else.

Clark Kent/Superman (Tyler Hoechlin) And Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch)

Now, you might be wondering, “Wasn’t Superman & Lois just revealed to be taking place on an alternate Earth?” That is correct, however, that means that their Earth-Prime counterparts have not appeared since the end of Crisis on Infinite Earths. We know that both Jordan and Jonathan Kent exist on Earth-Prime (or at least we assume the other twin is named Jordan). This means that Clark and Lois’s relationship timeline on Earth-Prime is otherwise untouched.

A hypothetical appearance of Lois and Clark on The Flash would hopefully clarify the situation. Then again, their absence would remove the need to acknowledge that the originals still exist alongside the doppelgängers, leaving a question for the actors on the convention circuit someday.

Apologies to the fans who may have been looking for Kara Danvers or even long-forgotten characters like Julian Albert and Patty Spivot. Poor Ryan Choi only got to suit up as The Atom in a bleak timeline that does not even exist anymore. Swerves, curveballs, and surprise cameos are great. Final seasons do tend to up the ante on guest stars for new characters, so that is something to look forward to.

The Flash’s final season airs Wednesdays at 8 PM ET/PT on The CW.

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