The Flash Executive Producer Explains How Savitar Is Different From Previous Speedster Villains

During a newly-released interview, The Flash executive producer Todd Helbing explained that the series is well-served by having another speedster as a main villain, even though many fans wonder why somebody with basically the same powers as Season One’s Reverse-Flash and Season Two’s Zoom should be playing a big role in the upcoming third season.

Described as a “Dark Master of the Speed Force,” Savitar named himself after the Hindu god of motion. He’s different from the other speedsters, in part, because he’s able to lend or steal speed, and he’s spent a lifetime studying velocity. That’s obviously something that they played with a little bit with Zoom, but in the case of Savitar, it’s been a long, long life.

“I think in general if you have some of these other meta humans, it gets hard to show how Barry can’t get them,” Helbing told IGN. “If you have another speedster, especially someone like Zoom, or Reverse Flash, you need somebody on an equal level to provide that threat that a lot of these other metas can’t do.”

“Savitar is more of a psychological villain in a weird way,” Helbing said. “I think the Hindu word for Savitar means God of Speed; he’s all about speed. Everything about this guy is different. I can’t go into super detail, but he’s not like Zoom or Reverse Flash.”

The Flash Season 3 premieres Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.

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