Tom Cavanagh is no stranger to playing multiple roles in the same universe. On The Flash, he has played Reverse-Flash as well as alternate universe versions of Harrison Wells, including H.R. Wells, Sherloque Wells, Hells Wells, Herr Harrison Wolfgang Wells, Wells 2.0 and Wells the Grey. As such, it's no surprise he will play yet another character in this year's crossover "Crisis on Infinite Earths": Pariah.
"As part of 'Crisis on Infinite Earths' crossover, not only will Tom [Cavanagh] be playing the two character we heard here, he will also be playing Pariah as part of the crossover," The Flash showrunner Eric Wallace revealed at the show's Comic-Con International panel. "He works for the Anti-Monitor."
"In the original miniseries, it's Pariah who is very much integral in releasing the Anti-Monitor," he continued. "For Tom to play such a pivotal character... it's just going to tear your guts out and make you cry." The first half of The Flash Season 6 will "lead up to a very, very big twist at the end of the Bloodwork case that launches 'Crisis.'"
In Marv Wolfman and George Pérez's Crisis on Infinite Earths, Pariah inadvertently summoned the Anti-Monitor and thereby launched the events of the comic. Pariah was one of the greatest scientists on his world but, as a result of his experiment to view the creation of the universe, he caught the Anti-Monitor's attention. The Anti-Monitor used Pariah's experiment as a tool to free himself from a prison made by his brother, the Monitor. The Monitor snatched Pariah away from his world just before the Anti-Monitor destroyed it. The destruction of Pariah's world gave the Anti-Monitor enough power to begin his quest to annihilate the multiverse.
Ever since the destruction of his home world, Pariah involuntarily traveled from universe to universe. He was forced to watch the Anti-Monitor destroy Earths across the multiverse one by one. As such, Pariah became something like a harbinger of doom; if he showed up on a world, the Anti-Monitor wasn't very far behind.
Seeing as Cavangh's Wells are most often scientists, Pariah certainly makes sense as an extension of his characters. It seems likely Pariah will be another version of Harrison Wells, though no additional details are available about the role at this time.
Returning Tuesday, October 8 at 8 pm on The CW, The Flash stars Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Carlos Valdes, Danielle Panabaker, Tom Cavanagh, Jesse L. Martin, Danielle Nicolet and Hartley Sawyer. Scheduled to air this fall on The CW, "Crisis on Infinite Earths" will envelope Arrow, Supergirl, The Flash, DC's Legends of Tomorrow and Batwoman.