After almost nine years’ worth of speedster madness, the final season of The Flash will be premiering very soon. The series, along with Arrow, spawned the highly successful Arrowverse that at one point included Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, Superman & Lois, and much more. With nine seasons, the show will become the longest-running of the Arrowverse shows so far. This final season teases another amazing villain and the return of some of the fan’s favorite characters. So let’s break down all the details we have so far about the Scarlet Speedster’s final run!
Editor’s Note: This article was last updated on February 6 with the latest casting news.
When and Where Is The Flash Season 9 Premiering?
Season 9 of The Flash will premiere on February 8, 2023. The show will air at 8 pm EST on The CW, taking over the slot from Stargirl. For viewers based in the United States, the episodes will be released weekly on both The CW app and the channel. Unfortunately, international viewers will have very limited access to this app but as per the previous agreement with Netflix, the full season releases there eight days after the finale premieres. That Netflix release is both for audiences in and outside the United States, so it will be the most reliable way to see the series in its entirety.
So far, two trailers have been released, and the first is on the shorter side. The first trailer only has a few seconds of footage but from what we see, there are some indications that there will be quite a few guest stars in the final season. Several former friends and enemies appear in the trailer. Additionally, this footage from the trailer is rumored to be only from the first three episodes but there’s been no confirmation of that as of now. One of the more important bits is that we see Jesse L. Martin as Joe West in this final season, though he is reportedly scheduled to be in only half the episodes. There are also a number of returning villains who had been defeated after the Crisis on Infinite Earths arc. A TV spot for the season was also released recently, which reveals that Barry had a “Map Book” that he uses to plot out future events. One very important upcoming milestone: Iris is due to get pregnant in three months. This obsession with the future seems to be putting strain on Barry and Iris’s relationship and there’s also a new speedster in town, seeking to build a time machine and change the future that Barry is fighting for. Check it out below:
Who’s In the Cast of The Flash Season 9?
Some of the most exciting news for the upcoming season is the sheer number of stars returning to the show. Many of the cast members have been on the series for all nine seasons. This includes Grant Gustin as Barry Allen, Candice Patton as Iris West, and Danielle Panabaker as Caitlin Snow. Notably, Carlos Valdes, who played Cisco Ramon, is not expected to return as a season regular or as a guest star this season. As mentioned, Jesse L. Martin will also be returning as Joe West.
Other slightly newer faces who are also season regulars include Danielle Nicolet as Cecile Horton, Kayla Compton as Allegra Garcia, Jon Cor as Mark Blaine, and Brandon McKnight as Chester P. Runk. While many of these characters are beloved, the really interesting cast members for this season have to be the guest stars. Javicia Leslie will play Batwoman, Andy Maines will play the Pied Piper, Sendhil Ramamurthy appears as Dr. Ramsey Rosso, Nicole Maines as Nia Nal, Richard Harmon as Captain Boomerang, Daimon Poitier as Keith/Goldface, Max Adler as Jaco Birch, Keiynan Lonsdale as Wally West, David Ramsey as Spartan/John Diggle, and finally, Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen.
In the latest casting news, we’ve learned that Jessica Parker Kennedy, Rick Cosnett, and Matt Letscher are going to be returning for the final season as well. Kennedy previously played Nora West-Allen/XS in Supergirl and The Flash; Cosnett has previously appeared as Eddie Thawne; and Matt Letscher played the villainous Eobard Thawne/Reverse-Flash in both The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow.
With Barry’s time-traveling abilities, it is hard to tell how each of these characters will come to appear in the new season, especially those who have passed on like Oliver. We may get some flashbacks (though hopefully not as many as we saw in the first few seasons of Arrow). It’s possible this season may be the last story set in the original Arrowverse Earth (considering the only other remaining Arrowverse show, Superman & Lois, happens on an alternate Earth) so it appears that The CW is pulling out all the stops for this final farewell.
What Do We Know About The Flash Season 9’s Plot?
With all the other shows in the Arrowverse either wrapped up or canceled, Season 9 of The Flash is the conclusion of that shared universe. While rumors swirled about David Ramsey’s John Diggle getting an additional spin-off show as either a mentor or as a Green Lantern, nothing has been confirmed about that. Ramsey has also been confirmed to appear in Season 9 but only as the Spartan and not in an animated green suit.
Ahead of the premiere, The CW released this official synopsis for the season:
After defeating the Reverse Flash once and for all, the ninth season of The Flash picks up one week later following their epic battle, and Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) and Iris West-Allen (Candice Patton) are reconnecting and growing closer than ever before. But when a deadly group of Rogues descends on Central City led by a powerful new threat, The Flash and his team—Caitlin Snow (Danielle Panabaker), Meta-Empath Cecile Horton (Danielle Nicolet), the light-powered meta Allegra Garcia (Kayla Compton), brilliant tech-nerd Chester P. Runk (Brandon McKnight), and reformed cryogenics thief Mark Blaine (Jon Cor)—must once again defy impossible odds to save the day. But as The Rogues are defeated, a deadly new adversary rises to challenge Barry Allen’s heroic legacy. And in their greatest battle yet, Barry and Team Flash will be pushed to their limits, in order to save Central City one last time.
With less than a week of in-universe time between the seasons, the show will pretty much take off right where the last season left us. While the synopsis doesn’t say who the new villain will be, the most likely candidate is the Red Death, considering we’ve already seen a set video revealing the costume. For those who aren’t aware, the Red Death is a version of Batman (or in this case, Batwoman) who steals Flash’s Speed Force connection. In the comics, Batman loses his Robins and then forcibly joins himself with his version of the Flash, resulting in the Red Death having multiple personalities and Flash eventually being able to take control of the body. The character has been hinted at before in earlier seasons of The Flash but has never made the jump to live-action before. Whether the new villain is actually Red Death or not, it seems that this new antagonist is quite determined and it will take all of our favorite heroes to stop them.
And What’s Next For the Arrowverse?
While it is possible that another spin-off could be launched, The CW has already passed on Green Arrow and the Canaries, Wonder Girl, and a Black Lightning spinoff focusing on the character Painkiller. Superman & Lois is likely to continue for at least another season but as of Season 2, it has officially been set in a different universe. That means that in all likelihood, the Arrowverse will be officially concluding and some of our adored heroes will soon be put to rest. But what a ride it’s been!
