Last season saw The Flash take everyone through the wringer. Barry Allen's posse was left devastated and with a few casualties after Savitar turned out to be his time-remnant gone bad. He tortured the team and also set Barry and Iris off on a path that took their relationship to the limits. Eventually, they defeated the evil Barry, but that didn't result in the wedding bells we all wanted as a freed Jay Garrick meant that Barry had to go plug the energy dissipation in the Speed Force.
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Coupling this with Cisco's evolution as Vibe, Caitlin Snow's battle to not become Killer Frost, and the crossovers with Arrow, Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow, there was a lot of drama in yet another emotional rollercoaster of a season. When all was said and done, it felt like the show needed some sprucing up, because it meandered until the last few episodes. A major factor in this is that we saw the same faces dragging out storylines of old for way too long, and also, it gets kind of boring watching Team Flash laboring in a lab so often. With that in mind, CBR looks at 15 heroic faces we want to see next season helping mix Barry's journey up.
SPOILER WARNING: Major spoilers ahead for all seasons of The Flash
15 SUPERMAN
It was pretty intriguing to see Kal-El on Supergirl and then battle alongside her as Superman. Watching them face Kryptonian threats and protect Earth was a joy for those who loved television shows like Smallville and Lois and Clark. While Flash and Supergirl have crossed over, the one we want to see most is him meeting Superman, so hopefully Clark Kent makes his way to the CW next year to have a latte with Barry Allen.
This would be a big moment for fans who want to see hints of a Justice League but also, we could get them racing to see who's the fastest in this universe! The Flash and Superman could also learn a thing or two about leadership from each other and realize that teaming up for good may well be the solution that the galaxy needs.
14 HAL JORDAN
We know it'll be a long shot to get a Green Lantern in the mix (especially as a movie reboot is in the works), but maybe we can somehow get Hal Jordan involved. It would be nice if he simply comes to inquire about all these crises that wrecks Flash's city next season. We'd love to see him using his green ring in secret without actually turning into Green Lantern, instead focusing on finding out what kind of hero Barry is at heart.
It would go a long way to determining if Barry is ready for the big Justice League, with Hal acting as a scout. This move would also capitalize on building the close friendship both have shared in the books, similar to the relationship between Barry and Ollie on television.
13 CONSTANTINE
Matt Ryan as Constantine would be a big draw for next season because introducing magic into this series' world of science would flip things on its head. Imagine Cisco and Professor Wells trying to wrap their minds around the supernatural realm. Constantine came over to the CW's Arrow after his solo was cancelled at NBC, and Ryan voiced him again in the Justice League Dark animated movie, so it's very feasible.
We've seen the Speed Force and its wraiths, time-travel and the multiverse, so what's a little magic here and there? This could reinvigorate the show and add a breath of fresh air by introducing a whole new world to Team Flash. Barry should be expanding his horizons and some mystical treasure hunting with Constantine could be more than enough to do the trick.
12 HAWK & DOVE
Fans got acquainted with Hawk and Dove (Hank and Don Hall) on television through the Justice League Unlimited cartoon, but modern comic fans are most accustomed to Hank working with Dawn Granger as Dove. The Hawk mantle was blessed with the power of aggression and Dove, that of peace, in order to balance out chaos and order in the world. They would also be a mystical addition to the world as Team Flash knows it, with roots also entwined in Justice League Dark to the likes of Deadman.
Seeing them in operation would give Barry a great insight into the light and darkness that usually resides within himself because this duality has been what drives him to help his loved ones and the world in general. But it has also torn him apart, as seen with his Flashpoint actions. They could be the mirror that help redefines the speedster.
11 FIRE
Beatriz da Costa was imbued with mystical powers that turned the Brazilian into Fire. She worked for Amanda Waller and Max Lord in the past, and joined the Justice League International. She was also in the 1997 Justice League of America television pilot movie that tanked, and the Justice League Unlimited and Batman: The Brave and the Bold cartoons.
She appeared in Powerless, too, but what makes her crucial for next season is that in the Season 1 episode "Power Outage," she was mentioned as being one of the people who seemingly died as a result of the particle accelerator accident that gave Flash his powers. In Season 2's "Invincible," a metahuman is seen as part of Zoom's Earth-2 army attacking Central City resembling Fire -- blasting and emitting green flames from its body. If Caitlin Snow becomes Ice instead of Killer Frost, Fire could partner up with her as per the books.
10 ROCKET
Raquel Ervin a.k.a. Rocket was part of the Milestone imprint that got absorbed into DC Comics, leading to her and her mentor, Icon, also popping up in Young Justice. Icon was an alien living on Earth, similar to the Martian Manhunter, and Rocket used tech to power up and become his sidekick. Not only would this add to the alien aspect of the show, as seen with the alien invasion storyline last season, but also Rocket's very interesting given her background of poverty.
Hers is a true success story of perseverance and would be a great fit to network television in terms of showing that not all heroes come from privilege or are the results of weird accidents. Rocket wanted to become one in order to change the world and help offer poor kids inspiration that they could follow suit. Apart from the diversity factor, it would make an endearing arc for Team Flash to explore.
9 ANIMAL MAN
Animal Man is a left-field pick to bring in but it helps keep the show from becoming stale. Buddy Baker borrows abilities from animals and what makes him a cool addition is the mere fact that the animal-powered Vixen already exists in the CW hero-verse. His powers were alien in origin and, if CW wants to tap into the millennial demographic, they could look at his comic storyline as an environmental activist.
At the heart of his story though is family, which could be a smart trip down the rabbit hole for Barry and Iris. A great plot would involve Team Flash helping him as he takes his family on the run after he discovers that his daughter Maxine is the avatar of The Red (the force which sustains all animal life), and that agents of The Rot (the elemental force of decay) are seeking to kill her.
8 BLUE BEETLE
Blue Beetle has gotten a lot of love recently, especially in Young Justice and Injustice 2, but having been mentioned already on the CW through Kord Industries via Ray Palmer, then maybe the character could be brought back in, as was initially intended. Jaime Reyes was seen in the Titans as part of DC's animated front recently, so while he may be off limits, Ted Kord or even Dan Garrett could still be used.
These earlier incarnations would help build the philanthropist aspect of the CW universe even more, which clearly loves its science geeks. If Reyes does factor in, it would be a great way of linking to the new Titans series that's in the works as well. Having him and Wally West meet up, learning from Barry, in just one episode would be an amazing tribute to us fans.
7 ZATANNA
Zatanna would be another powerful magical character to incorporate if the CW wanted to try their hand at someone other than Constantine. Her stories, as seen on Smallville and the Justice League cartoons, are less crude and abrasive than Constantine's. With the Justice Leage Dark movie in limbo yet again, fans are growing restless, and once more, she could be the key to showing Team Flash that magic and science go hand in hand.
Her addition could not only hint at other characters such as Dr. Fate, Etrigan, Deadman or Swamp Thing, but it could also tease to Barry that something bigger looms over the horizon in the Justice League. Wouldn't it be cool to head off on a trip to another Earth overrun by magic, wizards and sorceresses? Team Flash needs to have the established order shaken up a bit and this is an awesome way of doing so.
6 BEAST BOY
With Garfield Logan looking at a Titans appearance, all we're asking for is a crossover. It would be a big geek moment for Beast Boy to end up meeting up with Wally and realizing that they've got a future together in the crime-fighting business. Maybe he could be the reason Wally wants to even join the Titans in a future adventure, but as we said, with Vixen in the CW realm, it's all game for Beast Boy to come on board.
Imagine seeing him turning into a gorilla to join another fight against Grodd and his armies! His witty demeanor would also fit right in with Cisco and the rest of the team, who we're certain would be intrigued by his abilities. Team Flash needs to lock horns with more heroes to keep their missions fresh, and Garfield has a tendency to bring excitement with him.
5 STATIC
Static Shock was another cartoon that garnered a cult following after it relayed the story of Virgil Hawkins, a teen who grew into an electrifying young superhero! Another import from the Milestone imprint, his tale would surely resonate big time in the current world, given the sociopolitical state of America, and his story of poverty. Being a superhero of color, there's another layer to dive into as well.
Fans already missed out on him in the Injustice 2 game so it would be nice to capitalize on the Young Justice momentum he garnered, and perhaps paint him as part of a runaways arc. Seeing him as either part of a group of young metahumans who were experimented on or leading the search to find them so that they're not exploited would make for a great child-trafficking metaphor that Team Flash could explore.
4 CAPTAIN ATOM
Nathaniel Adam as Captain Atom would be a big hitter to add to this show. He also was a huge part of Justice League Unlimited and would tie into the physics of the show, as his abilities are nuclear in nature, dealing with quantum particles. This would match the particle accelerator explosion perfectly. In the New 52, he also energized and burst into the timestream, so that could also be a way of replenishing the Speed Force with enough energy to free Barry.
The potential with this character is off the charts and, to spice things up, it could lead to a military feud, as they would see him as their property and a potential weapon. Team Flash clashing with the government is quite a mouth-watering story, especially over Atom, raising the stakes even higher. They do have a lot of rebel in them, after all.
3 AQUALAD
It's uncertain if the Aquaman movie will be using Kaldur'ahm, who grew really popular in Young Justice and Brightest Day, or Garth (Aquaman's earlier sidekick). While we await news on this, the former would be a formidable and surprising addition to this series because it would mean that the CW is listening to DC's fans. This Aqualad was a major part of what made Young Justice tick and what helped lead to the show's renewal for another season.
His familial ties to Black Manta could even be retconned to craft a Titans angle with Wally for television, but seeing such a young, strong military tactician meet up the experienced Flash would make for an interesting dynamic. The show has proven it has the C.G.I. talent to pull off such a character, so our fingers are crossed that Geoff Johns lets him bring his water-blades to TV.
2 BOOSTER GOLD
Born Michael Carter, Booster Gold often finds himself dealing with the time crises in DC Comics. This makes him ideal for Team Flash's usual missteps with the timestream or even the Legends of Tomorrow themselves. We saw him in the likes of Infinite Crisis, 52 and One Year Later, but despite being comic relief, he's very selfless which tied into how hard he took Max Lord killing Ted Kord.
Protecting the integrity of the timestream with his A.I. comrade from the 25th century, Skeets, also factored into a Smallville appearance, because fans know his potential to deliver as a big-game hero just when it matters the most. Booster would help frame the time-travel issues in the CW universe and could go about really shaping how these heroes can help stop butterfly effects from happening and causing major harm, like Barry did in trying to save his mom.
1 BART ALLEN
Bart Allen is a descendant of Barry's from the future, who came back to the past to help fight injustice. He donned the monikers of Impulse as well as Kid Flash, so with so many speedsters appearing on this show, why not add in one of the most important ones to the Flash mythos? Barry actually teased his name as Bart last season, and with Impulse not only appearing in Young Justice and Smallville, it's clear there is room for an angle on the character.
He took the Kid Flash mantle over from Wally, so maybe here, Bart could come back and try to help free Barry from the Speed Force, proving that he and Iris do have a future together. He could also return to help push Wally to truly become something more than a sidekick, while inspiring Team Flash for future crises that need their help.
Let us know in the comments which heroes you'd love to see on The Flash in Season 4!