On Wednesday, The CW announced that one last time for the ninth and final season of The Flash which returns in February. With Amell’s Oliver Queen having started the network’s interconnected universe of DC superheroes and indeed first introduced fans to Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen in Arrow‘s Season 2 episode, “The Scientist” in 2013, it’s fitting that Amell be back for the end — and even more fitting how Amell chose to mark the announcement.
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On Instagram, Amell shared a photo of himself with Gustin on set with the caption “When Barry calls… Oliver answers…” but before fans get to thinking that this is an image from the upcoming season of The Flash, think again. This is actually the photo Amell shared back in September 2013 welcoming Gustin to the Arrowverse when the actor was first on set filming “The Scientist”.
“As soon as our final season was announced, we knew we wanted Stephen to come back and reprise his iconic role as Oliver Queen,” The Flash showrunner Eric Wallace said in a statement. “After all, it was Oliver who originally launched Barry Allen on his heroic path. That’s why everyone on Team Flash felt so strongly that it was important to create a full-circle moment with Oliver’s return in the final season of The Flash. The result is an epic-yet-emotional episode we hope Arrowverse fans will enjoy. It’s all to say ‘thank you’ to everyone for watching and supporting our show throughout nine wonderful years. We absolutely cannot wait for everyone to see Grant and Stephen saving the world together again. And yes, there will be thrills, chills and tears.”
Familiar faces returning for The Flash‘s final season
On Tuesday, it was also announced that a trio of familiar faces would be coming to The Flash for its final season. David Ramsey, Keiynan Lonsdale, and Sendhil Ramamurthy are all returning as John Diggle, Wally West, and Ramsey Rosso/Bloodwork respectively.
“As one of the legacy Arrowverse characters who helped start it all, John Diggle holds a special place in our hearts, as well as the fans,” showrunner Eric Wallace said in a statement. “Plus, the commanding presence and commitment to excellence actor/director David Ramsey brings to the screen each-and every time is truly inspiring. So, of course, it was a no-brainer to have Diggle join Team Flash in our final season! So, get ready for a very emotional reunion as John Diggle aka Spartan helps protect Central City alongside Team Flash one, last time.”
“We’re so happy to reunite with the incredibly talented Keiynan Lonsdale as a part of The Flash’s final season,” Wallace added. “Because Kid Flash isn’t just another speedster—he’s a beloved part of our Team Flash family. So as soon as we knew he was coming back, we set out to create a special and heartfelt story for his return. The result is a brilliant performance from Keiynan that showcases a side of Wally West you’ve never seen before.”
“Ever since Sendhil turned in such a brilliantly haunting and unforgettable performance as the tortured Ramsey Rosso in Season Six, we’ve been looking for a way to bring him back,” Wallace concluded. “We also knew we wanted to have Ramsey play a part in Flash’s final race. Fortunately, everything came together and now the villainous Bloodwork’s return will set into motion one of the Flash’s wildest and most emotional adventures yet.”
The final season of The Flash will consist of 13 episodes and will debut on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, at 8/7c.
