The Flash gets an end date at The CW

The CW reveals episode count and release date window for final season of The Flash

Grant Gustin's Barry Allen in his superhero suit in The Flash season 8

The CW’s The Flash is wrapping up for good.

Will there be season 9 of The Flash?

Yes. The CW renewed The Flash for season 9 in March 2022.

Has The Flash been cancelled?

Season 9 of The Flash will be its last. After months of speculations, The CW officially confirmed in August 2022 that the Grant Gustin-led series is ending its run with season 9, which is set to begin production in September 2022 and will debut on the network at midseason in early 2023.

“Nine seasons! Nine years of saving Central City while taking audiences on an emotional journey full of heart, humor, and spectacle. And now Barry Allen has reached the starting gate for his last race,” said The Flash showrunner Eric Wallace in a statement announcing the show’s final season. “So many amazing people have given their talents, time, and love to bring this wonderful show to life each week. So, as we get ready to honor the show’s incredible legacy with our exciting final chapter, I want to say thank you to our phenomenal cast, writers, producers, and crew over the years who helped make The Flash such an unforgettable experience for audiences around the world.”

Rumors that season 9 could be The Flash’s final installment first surfaced in January 2022 when Gustin chose to sign a one-year deal over a multi-year offer to return as the show’s titular character for season 9. It was also reported at the time that the actor capped his involvement at 15 episodes next season.

Grant Gustin's Barry Allen in his superhero suit in The Flash season 8
Grant Gustin as Barry Allen in season 8 of The Flash

Why was The Flash cancelled?

The CW didn’t offer a reason for the show’s cancellation but a recent interview with Wallace revealed that season 8 was supposed to be the final season of The Flash. Wallace told TVLine in July 2022 that they had to change last season’s final scene multiple times after Gustin closed a deal to continue the series for one more season.

“We had to change the whole final scene,” said Wallace. “We had to rewrite it three different times because when it was a series finale, we had to have a much more [sic] deep conversation with Barry (Gustin) and Iris (Candice Patton), dealing with the fact that they were going to have kids soon. It was a little bit sexier, and it was a lot more romantic of a scene. I really liked it.”

Season 8’s original ending also included a scene with the entire Team Flash getting their goodbyes on. “But when we found out we had another season to play with, that meant, ‘Ooh, I can tease next year’s Big Bad? All right, let’s do that!’ So that final scene changed radically,” explained Wallace. “And then the ‘Goodbye to Team Flash’ group party scene got deleted entirely.”

How many episodes will there be in season 9 of The Flash?

Though Gustin’s one-year deal to appear in the final season of The Flash has a cap of 15 episodes, season 9 will only consist of 13 episodes, making it the show’s shortest season ever.

Is Candice Patton leaving Flash?

Candice Patton as Iris West in season 8 of The Flash
Candice Patton as Iris West in season 8 of The Flash

No. Candice Patton is confirmed to return for the ninth and final season of The Flash. But if you’re wondering why Patton’s Iris was absent in four consecutive episodes of The Flash last season, that’s because the actress herself had proactively requested the potential time off.

Patton previously revealed on her Instagram Stories that her season 8 contract designed by herself and her team allowed her to appear in fewer episodes, which was essentially a failsafe in the event that the borders between the U.S. (where she lives) and Canada (where the show films) were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Patton said that she and her team made it clear that should the pandemic travel situation “continue to stay optimistic (and it was clear early on that it would)” she would be happy to be featured in all 20 episodes of the season. Though that option was ultimately not exercised, Patton said that they “respected that decision.”

The Flash season 9 cast

In addition to Gustin and Patton, Danielle Panabaker, who plays Caitlin Snow, is also confirmed to return in a series regular capacity for the show’s final season. Meanwhile, Jesse L. Martin, who portrays Joe West, is committed to appearing in as many as five episodes of season 9. But this number could possibly go up if his NBC pilot, The Irrational, does not go forward.

Wallace also teased that Tom Cavanagh will appear in the show’s final season. “Reverse-Flash and the Negative Reverse-Flash, just like Frost, are dead. I mean, they are dead. Now… having said that… it is a comic book show, and I’m pretty sure that in season 9, there’s some reason that you might see Tom Cavanagh again,” Wallace told TVLine. “I won’t go into it, but that’s a pretty safe bet.”

Barry Resets The Timeline With All His Power | The Flash 8x20 [HD]
Sources: Deadline, TVLine