The Flash original cast members Carlos Valdes and Tom Cavanagh are exiting the CW series.
Valdes, who portrays Cisco Ramon in the Grant Gustin-led show, is set to end its series regular stint after the program’s current seventh season with an appearance in the finale.
Cavanagh, meanwhile, was actually supposed to end his run as a series regular at the end of season 6. But since that season was cut short due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cavanagh ― who has played Eobard Thawne/Reverse-Flash as well as the several incarnations of Harrison Wells in the show ― returned for the first three episodes of season 7 and quietly ended his tenure as a series regular with season 7, episode 3, titled Mother, which was the original season 6 finale.
While Cavanagh has not been seen in the show since his last appearance in episode 3, online listings suggest that the Canadian actor will pop up in episodes 9, 10, and beyond as a recurring guest star. Cavanagh’s final appearance in season 7 is being kept a surprise, but there are no current plans for the actor to continue on the show beyond that.
However, showrunner Eric Wallace said that they’re wrapping the stories of Valdes and Cavanagh’s characters in a way that allows them to come back in the future. “Tom and Carlos have been an integral part of our show for seven seasons, and will be greatly missed,” Wallace said in a statement to Deadline. “Both are incredible talents who created beloved characters that fans and audiences around the world have come to love. Which is why we are happily keeping the door open for return appearances.”
It’s not clear why exactly Valdes and Cavanagh are walking away from the series. But since networks usually sign talents anywhere between five and seven years, with the latter being the most common option, it appears that Valdes is just finishing out his seven-year contract so he could move on to new acting opportunities.
The Flash, which has already been renewed for season 8, airs every Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.
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