The Flash season 7 has officially come to an end with a sweet and action-packed finale, but there’s plenty more to come as the series heads into season 8. The last year has been filled with production shutdowns, filming delays, and COVID-19 restrictions that made The Flash season 7 somewhat different from previous seasons. The first three episodes of the season were dedicated to wrapping up the Mirrorverse arc from season 6, which ended prematurely.
After getting Iris out of the mirror and defeating Mirror Mistress, The Flash season 7 saw Barry and Iris reboot the Speed Force, leading to the introduction of three new Forces — Still Force, Sage Force, and Strength Force. Despite the Forces storyline being underwhelming, the arrival of Bart and Nora West-Allen, Barry and Iris’ future children, and the start of the Godspeed war arc rejuvenated the series and moved it in a more exciting direction.
With Godspeed finally defeated and the timeline still intact despite Bart and Nora’s time traveling, The Flash season 7 came to a close with a couple of leftover storylines that will likely carry over into season 8. Here’s what fans of The Flash can expect as The CW’s flagship series heads into its next season, including the return of a season 1 villain.
The Flash Season 8 Renewal
The CW has long been a network where fans don’t have to fear their favorite shows being abruptly cancelled. The Flash has been its number one series since it debuted in 2014, so it was even less surprising when the Arrowverse show was renewed for season 8 in February 2021, one month ahead of its season 7 premiere. The Flash season 8 is scheduled to begin filming in mid August and will wrap production at the end of March 2022. It’s unknown how many episodes the eighth season will have, but it’s likely there will be at least 18 in total, which is how many episodes season 7 had.
The Flash Season 8 Story: What Will Happen Next?
The Flash season 7 ended in a unique way compared with other seasons — there was no major cliffhanger and it wrapped on a happy note as Barry and Iris renewed their vows to each other with their closest family and friends in attendance. But that doesn’t mean there wasn’t any setup at all for season 8. With regards to potential storylines, The Flash has yet to provide an answer as to why Iris was phasing in and out of the timeline. Showrunner Eric Wallace teased the series could adapt the comics storyline that sees Iris originally being from the future.
While it’s unlikely to follow in the same exact path as the comics (something The Flash never does), it ensures Iris has a subplot next season, one that might possibly be connected with the Eternium Harrison “Nash” Wells detected on her in season 6. What’s more, The Flash has already set up Reverse-Flash’s return in season 8. After Barry and Iris called upon him to aid in defeating Godspeed, the villainous speedster was angry The Flash was finally faster than he was. His obsession with besting the Scarlet Speedster led to Reverse-Flash making a loose threat that he will find a way to be faster than his nemesis once more before escaping, as Barry knew he would. This sets up a future battle between the two speedsters in The Flash season 8.
The Flash Season 8 Cast
The Flash season 7 officially saw the exits of Carlos Valdes and Tom Cavanagh. While they both returned for The Flash season 7 finale, they won’t be around as series regulars in season 8. However, Grant Gustin will officially return as Barry Allen/The Flash next season, alongside Candice Patton as Iris West-Allen, Jesse L. Martin as Joe West, and Danielle Panabaker as Caitlin Snow/Killer Frost. In addition to the original cast members returning, Danielle Nicolet (Cecile Horton), Brandon McKnight (Chester P. Runk), and Kayla Compton (Allegra Garcia) will most likely return in season 8 as well. It's unclear if Jordan Fisher and Jessica Parker Kennedy will be back as Bart and Nora, respectively, but it's always possible for them to drop in for another guest appearance.
The Flash Season 8 Release Date
After a year of schedule adjustments and delays, The Flash season 7 debuted at midseason in 2021, which was quite unusual. However, the superhero series will return in the fall this year, with season 8 set to premiere on Tuesday, November 16 at 8:00 p.m. ET on The CW. The season will kick off with a five-episode crossover-type event. It won’t be as big as Crisis on Infinite Earths or anything, but fans should expect to see other superheroes from the Arrowverse appear in each of The Flash’s individual episodes.