The Flash: Candice Patton Explains Iris’ Role In Season 4

When the CW’s slate of superhero TV shows return this fall, one will be absent its title character as the other costumed protectors of Central City attempt to fill in the void left behind by the Scarlet Speedster.

And though the Flash will be stuck in the Speed Force when the show kicks off six months after the finale ended, one character will be stepping up and taking charge.

Star Candice Patton spoke with ComicBook.com at San Diego Comic-Con about her portrayal of Iris West and how she’ll be taking on a new role in Season 4 of The Flash.

“I don’t think this season we’re going to see a lot of reporter Iris, which is a little disappointing to me,” Patton said. “But what I can say is we do see Iris a little more developed in a sense of having agency in terms of being the leader of Team Flash. So she’s heavily involved at STAR Labs. She’s kind of the one overseeing everything, which is really cool.”

UP NEXT: The Flash: Tom Felton Will Not Be A Series Regular For Season 4

As Patton said, however, this expanded role with the heroes means Iris will be scaling back in her duties as a reporter.

“In terms of the traditional ‘Iris West, Ace Reporter,’ I don’t know that that’s a direction they’re going, I don’t know if we’ll ever get there,” Patton said. “For know, sorry to say, I don’t think it’s a thing.”

While it’s always great to see Iris chasing down sources and stories, we’re also excited to see this new expanded direction Patton’s character will take within the main component of the show.

We’ll learn more when The Flash‘s fourth season premieres on The CW on Tuesday, October 10th, at 8/7c.

Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) lived a normal life as a perpetually tardy C.S.I. in the Central City Police Department. Barry’s life changed forever when the S.T.A.R. Labs Particle Accelerator exploded, creating a dark-matter lightning storm that struck Barry, bestowing him with super-speed and making him the fastest man alive — The Flash.

But when Barry used his extraordinary abilities to travel back in time and save his mother’s life, he inadvertently created an alternate timeline known as Flashpoint; a phenomenon that gave birth to the villainous speed god known as Savitar, and changed the lives of Caitlin Snow (Danielle Panabaker) and Wally West (Keiynan Lonsdale) forever.

With the help of his adoptive father, Joe West (Jesse L. Martin), his lifelong best friend and love interest Iris West (Candice Patton), and his friends at S.T.A.R. Labs — Cisco Ramon (Carlos Valdes), C.S.I Julian Albert (Tom Felton), and an Earth-19 novelist named H.R. Wells (Tom Cavanaugh) — Barry continues to protect the people of Central City from the meta-humans that threaten it.

Based on the characters from DC, THE FLASH is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Greg Berlanti (“Arrow,” “Supergirl”), Andrew Kreisberg (“Arrow,” “The Flash”), Sarah Schechter (“Arrow,” “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow”) and ToddHelbing (“Black Sails”).

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