The Flash Showrunner Opens up about Possible Arrowverse Spinoffs

Arrow was the first to introduce the Arrowverse to The CW in 2012 and it soon became the network’s biggest franchise.

Following Arrow’s premiere, the DC drama launched a number of spinoff series, including the very popular The Flash. With a total of 171 episodes, The Flash is now the longest-running Arrowverse series, surpassing Arrow.

The two-part Flash Season 8 finale featuring Barry Allen’s battle with the Negative Forces and Reverse-Flash aired this week, bringing the show to a close. In addition to The Flash’s battle with a leveled-up Eobard Thawne, Episode 20 concludes the Flash era for now.

The Flash finale addressed time-sickness for the very first time. Although she had died last week, Iris returned in the last episode. Actress Candice Patton, who portrays Iris, is also scheduled to appear in The Flash Season 9, set to premiere in 2023.

Even with a new season coming up, The Flash is definitely nearer to its end than its beginning, and nothing is known yet about whether it will return for another season after the next one.

In an interview with Deadline following the Season 8 finale of The Flash, Wallace spoke about the episode, as well as about the show’s future.

Wallace was asked if he was considering Arrowverse spinoffs branching off from The Flash, with its end likely coming up within the next two or three years.

Despite his unclear response regarding future productions and plans on focusing on the next season of The Flash, Wallace didn’t rule out the possibility of creating new shows set in this world.

“No[…]obviously…we’ve introduced a lot of characters over the last couple of seasons and would say to the audience, if you have some characters that we have introduced in the last few years that you want to see in a spinoff, you should write to The CW. But I’m going to just stay focused on The Flash right now before I start focusing on anything else.”

Since The Flash Season 9 is still in the early stages of development, it makes sense that a spinoff is not a primary focus right now.

Nevertheless, Wallace makes a valid point that they have new key players that are suitable for an offshoot. XS and Impulse are two of them who are visitors from the future, as they visit the past every once in a while. In fact, Jessica Parker Kennedy, who plays XS, has stated that she would be interested in an Arrowverse spinoff focusing on Nora and Bart if it were ever offered.

It will be interesting to see how the Arrowverse’s future unfolds when The CW could be acquired by Nexstar. Despite being adjacent to the Arrowverse, Superman & Lois confirmed this week that they’re not set on Earth-Prime. This leaves The Flash as the only “normal” Arrowverse show for now.

There’s always a possibility that HBO Max, which is where the majority of new DC TV shows are produced these days, would be interested in producing a new Arrowverse spinoff after The Flash ends.

The Flash Season 9 will premiere on The CW in 2023.

About The Flash (The CW)

The Flash is an American superhero television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg and Geoff Johns. It is a spin-off from Arrow, existing in the same fictional universe known as Arrowverse.

Cast members include Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker, Rick Cosnett, Carlos Valdes, Tom Cavanagh, Jesse L. Martin, Keiynan Lonsdale among many others.

The series follows Barry Allen, a forensic investigator in Central City, who is hit by lightning on the night of the inauguration of the particle accelerator. Months later, he wakes up from a coma and discovers he has super-speed. He becomes The Flash and fights crime in Central City.

Source: Warner Bros