The Flash: Series Showrunner Teases New Details of Rick Cosnett’s Season 8 Return

The Flash returned this week with The CW series’ Season 8 getting off to a running start after last fall’s five-episode “Armageddon” event with a trip to the past by the West-Allen kids, Bart (Jordan Fisher) and Nora (Jessica Parker Kennedy). The pair, after realizing the timeline was out of whack, went back to December 31, 2013, to set things right. The visit to the past meant the return of Rick Cosnett as Eddie Thawne for the flashback episode, but fans will get to see more of the character as the season continues. It’s already been confirmed that the character will have a multiple episode arc in Season 8, but now The Flash show runner Eric Wallace is clarifying a bit about that arc. Turns out, Eddie’s arc won’t be taking viewers back to the past, but exactly what’s in store remains a mystery.

“Well, that would be a big spoiler, wouldn’t it?” Wallace said when asked by TV Insider about Cosnett’s upcoming appearances as Eddie this season. “I will only say this: No. We are not staying in the past, but yes, Eddie is back. I wonder how? That’s a story.”

Getting Eddie Thawne not in the past is, as Wallace said, certain to be quite a story. As fans of the series will recall, as the ancestor of Eobard Thawne/Reverse Flash, Eddie ended his life in the Season 1 finale, sacrificing himself to wipe Eobard Thawne/Reverse Flash from existence. While Cosnett has reprised the role twice previously, once was in the past (Season 2’s “Flash Back”) and the other was as an avatar of the Speed Force in Season 3. It sounds like the upcoming appearance of Eddie Thawne will be something completely different. Some fans have already started to speculate that The Flash could be introducing Cobalt Blue with Cosnett’s return. While Wallace didn’t confirm that or even tease that, he did indicate that whatever the storyline is, it’s doesn’t have anything to do with “Crisis on Infinite Earths” which rewrote the histories of many characters in the Arrowverse.

“No, this is a very, very different story,” Wallace said. “Again. No spoilers here, but let’s just say Eddie coming back after 806 is not what you’re expecting.”

Wallace also said that he hopes the fans enjoys the twist they bring to the character.

“It was so fun having Rick back on set and with the gang,” Wallace said. “I remember speaking to him and saying, ‘You know, you helped create this legacy way back in Season 1 and I’m so happy to be able to bring you back.’ When I kind of told him what our plan was, he kind of laughed and just said, ‘I’m on board. Let’s do this.’ S yeah, he had a good time, and we had a good time having him back. I hope the audience enjoys the twist we’re gonna put on his character.”

The Flash airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.