Most of the original Team Flash will be back for The Flash Season 8.
Jesse L. Martin, Candice Patton and Danielle Panabaker signed deals to reprise their respective roles as Joe West, Iris West-Allen and Caitlin Snow/Frost in Season 8, reported Deadline. They will once again be joined by Grant Gustin, whose current contract already has him set to return as Barry Allen/The Flash for next season.
This news follows on the heels of longtime The Flash cast members Carlos Valdes and Tom Cavanagh leaving the show after playing Cisco Ramon/Vibe and the various Harrison Wells throughout the show's first seven seasons. The scientist Chester P. Runk (Brandon McKnight) and meta-human Allegra Garcia (Kalya Compton), who were both introduced during Season 6, have since stepped in to fill their spots on the Team Flash roster.
The CW officially renewed The Flash for Season 8 in early 2021, in addition to ordering additional seasons of its fellow Arrowverse -- AKA The CW-verse -- series Batwoman, DC's Legends of Tomorrow and Superman & Lois. Mark Pedowitz, The CW's Chairman and CEO, later announced The Flash Season 8 will kick off with a five-episode crossover event featuring team-ups of The Flash and other heroes.
"The idea for The Flash is [showrunner] Eric Wallace and [executive producer Greg Berlanti] have come together, and we're talking about other superheroes from the CW-verse that will come together in each individual episodes [sic]," Pedowitz explained. "It will not quite be a crossover, but it will have a crossover-type feel with the introduction of all these characters."
For the time being, it's unclear whether The Flash will end after its eighth season, much like The CW's Arrow did in 2020. Its fellow Arrowverse series Black Lightning called it a day after four seasons earlier this year, with Supergirl also set to conclude after airing its final batch of episodes starting in August.
Moreover, The CW recently gave a series order to Naomi, an adaptation of the DC comic book superhero Naomi McDuffie executive produced by Ava DuVernay and Jill Blankenship. The show will premiere as part of the network's 2021-2022 season and could potentially occupy The Flash's place in the Arrowverse's lineup after that.
The Flash stars Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Jesse L. Martin, Danielle Panabaker, Kayla Compton and Brandon McKnight. New episodes air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.
Source: Deadline