The Flash Casts Iris West's Mom

Vanessa Williams of Melrose Place and Candyman fame has been cast as the matriarch of the West family.

The as-yet-unnamed character will appear sometime in Season Two of The Flash, although it's not clear when. Her character's name was also not revealed.

Variety, who broke the story, calls her Iris's mother and "Joe West's wife," which suggests that perhaps she will appear primarily in flashback, since we didn't see her at all last year and oblique references were made to Mama West being gone.

Whether this means she passed away or left has been debated somewhat by the fans. Perhaps we'll find out in the coming season.

This Williams is not to be confused with the singer and actress Vanessa Williams, who appeared on Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives.

Williams' Candyman co-star Tony Todd was recently cast as the voice of Zoom, Season Two's primary antagonist.

The Flash returns on October 6 at 8 p.m.ET/PT on The CW.