The Season 8 finale of The Flash saw Barry Allen defeat Reverse-Flash (Tom Cavanagh) seemingly once and for all after the longtime foe, having lost his connection to the Speed Force, ended up becoming the avatar for the Negative Forces. However, despite that massive victory, Barry may not be done with Eobard Thawne/Reverse-Flash just yet. It was recently announced that Matt Letscher — who plays the original Eobard Thawne on The CW series — would be returning in Season 9 and now, showrunner Eric Wallace is teasing that we could see a showdown between The Flash and his oldest enemy one last time.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Wallace confirmed that Letscher has only ever played Reverse-Flash in one form or another on The Flash and that in the final season, they are looking to tying up loose ends from Season 1.
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“Every time Matt has been on the show, he’s only played, no matter what version of it, one unforgettable character, and that is the Reverse-Flash,” Wallace said. “I don’t see that changing this season. However, the question is how can he be alive when we all saw him die? And if he is still alive, what does that mean for Barry Allen? And that goes back to tying up loose ends from Season 1. That’s all I’ll reveal, but get ready for some sparks between Grant Gustin and Matt Letscher that will blow your mind.”
Barry is dealing with his demons in the final season.
The season premiere opened with Barry having a nightmare and while the actual events of the nightmare are unique to the episode — Team Flash taking on Tar Pit — Barry’s fears are familiar in that he can’t protect those he loves. In an interview with ComicBook.com, Wallace spoke about how the final season will see Barry dealing with his demons and how it’s all leading to the hero finally coming to terms with it all.
“It’s no coincidence he wakes up from a nightmare. Barry has unfinished business and baggage left over from season one that he’s going to come to realize he hasn’t dealt with over the course of the season,” Wallace said. “And as you might guess, in the series finale, he’s going to finally come to terms with this particular baggage from the past and finding closure will allow him to achieve a new beginning. That’s really the season, so that’s why we have him waking up with a nightmare in the premiere.”
The Flash airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.
