The Flash Star Grant Gustin Reportedly Renewing Contract for Season 9

The Flash might be one step closer to getting a ninth season. On Friday, TVLine reported that series star Grant Gustin, who has been playing Barry Allen / The Flash since the series began, is nearing a new one-year contract to continue working on the show. While not confirmed by Warner Bros. Television or The CW, this rumor would certainly hint at the series being renewed for a ninth season. Deadline is also reporting that Gustin was given the option to return for multiple seasons, and that his new contract will bring a sizable raise, with Gustin’s salary being believed to be more than $200,000 an episode. Their reporting also indicates that Gustin’s contract would be for a maximum of fifteen episodes in Season 9.

Back in 2020, Gustin revealed on the Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum podcast that the COVID-19 pandemic had stalled conversations around a hypothetical Season 8 and Season 9 renewal of The Flash. 

“The conversations actually had started already for adding a potential eighth and ninth [season], but then this pandemic happened, and everything has stopped,” Gustin explained at the time. “We don’t know when we’re back, and I don’t know when we’re going to continue the renegotiation talks.”

In the years since, fans have begun to speculate about the long-term future of The Flash, especially following the exits of original cast members Carlos Valdes and Tom Cavanagh in Season 7. At the moment, The Flash is the longest-running DC Comics-inspired show on The CW, with a roster that also currently includes Season 7 of Legends of Tomorrow, Season 3 of Batwoman, Season 2 of Superman & Lois, and Season 1 of Naomi. The network has not had a proper crossover event since 2019 and 2020’s “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event, outside of a number of Arrowverse actors appearing on The Flash‘s “Armageddon” arc earlier this season. 

A potential ninth season would keep the series airing into the fall of 2022, which is when The Flash movie is expected to debut in theaters. Gustin’s incarnation of the character already crossed paths with Ezra Miller’s version of the character in The CW’s “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event, and rumors have swirled around Gustin reprising his role in the movie as well, or that previous crossover affecting the film in some way.

What do you think of the latest reports surrounding Grant Gustin’s tenure on The Flash? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!