After 9 seasons and 184 episodes, The CW’s The Flash is canceled and reaches the finish line at the end of the next season.
The CW has announced that the long-running series will come to a close after a 13-episode ninth season in 2023. The Arrowverse drama premiered in 2014 and remains one of The CW’s most-watched series. The show’s end also brings the Arrowverse to an end after 11 years, on the heels of the cancellation of fan-favorite Arrowverse series Batwoman and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow earlier this year.
Season 9 will see the return of original cast members Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, and Danielle Panabaker as Barry Allen, Iris West-Allen, and Caitlin Snow, respectively. Danielle Nicolet, Kayla Compton, and Brandon McKnight return as Team Flash members Cecile Horton, Allegra Garcia, and Chester P. Runk. Jesse L. Martin, however, who has played Joe West since the show’s inception, will not return in a regular capacity. He will appear in as many as five episodes of the final season of the series. Martin will instead star in the NBC pilot The Irrational. He could, however, appear in more episodes, should NBC decide not to move forward with the pilot, Deadline reports.
Showrunner Eric Wallace released a statement on the Flash ending
Nine seasons! Nine years of saving Central City while taking audiences on an emotional journey full of heart, humor, and spectacle. And now Barry Allen has reached the starting gate for his last race. So many amazing people have given their talents, time, and love to bring this wonderful show to life each week. So, as we get ready to honor the show’s incredible legacy with our exciting final chapter, I want to say thank you to our phenomenal cast, writers, producers, and crew over the years who helped make The Flash such an unforgettable experience for audiences around the world
In a surprising move, The CW recently canceled almost half of their scripted slate earlier this year. The Flash was among the eight series picked up for new seasons and is the second of those to have an ending in sight, as Riverdale is also set to end in 2023. The CW has yet to make a decision on the DC drama Stargirl, premiering its third season on August 31st.
Ironically enough, the series will end a few weeks before The Flash film opens, on June 23, 2023. Warner Bros. originally announced the film in October 2014, one day after the second episode of The Flash series aired on the CW.