"The Flash's" New Speedster Villain Savitar 'is Not Like Zoom or Reverse Flash'

CBR

By Dan Caffrey

Published Aug 18, 2016

Todd Helbing recognizes that Savitar's powers are similar to Zoom and Reverse Flash, but also says fans shouldn't expect a rehash.

A week ago today, Savitar was announced as one of the two primary antagonists in "The Flash" Season 3. Executive producer Todd Helbing acknowledged that Savitar -- yet another speedster antagonist -- has the potential of being repetitive, but hinted at why Savitar will feel fresh.

"Savitar is more of a psychological villain in a weird way," he told IGN. "I think the Hindu word for Savitar means God of Speed; he's all about speed. Everything about this guy is different. I can't go into super detail, but he's not like Zoom or Reverse Flash."

In the comics, Savitar was a Cold War-era pilot from a third-world nation whose plane was struck by lightning, giving him super-speed and a strong connection to the Speed Force. Naming himself after Savitr, the Hindu god of motion, the character studied elements of the Speed Force that were unknown to other speedsters at the time, eventually forming his own cult. Savitar developed the ability to create a force field, regenerate and transfer speed to other objects and people.

The in-depth chat also goes into details about the season's other big baddie, Dr. Alchemy, as well as why Reverse Flash is Helbing's favorite villain on the series.

Starring Grant Gustin, Jesse L. Martin, Carlos Valdes and more, "The Flash" returns to The CW on October 4 at 8 pm EST.