The Flash has officially been renewed for season 9 at The CW. The renewal joins a host of other shows getting the early re-upping treatment. The Flash, (or Barry Allen in his civilian life) portrayed in the series by Grant Gustin, is a classic DC hero with super speed and a heart of gold, and the series first aired on The CW in October of 2014. It joins the likes of Kung Fu, Nancy Drew, Riverdale, Superman & Lois, and Walker in this wave of early renewals for the network's shows.

In the previous season, Gustin's Flash dealt with the "Armageddon" event, where Barry was targeted by Despero (played by Tony Curran) and subjected to the Reverse-Flashpoint, an event where he traded places with one of his most dangerous villains, Eobard Thawne, the Reverse-Flash, played by Matt Letscher. After repairing the Reverse-Flashpoint, Barry strips Thawne of his powers and re-imprisons the villain at Iron Heights Penitentiary. The season also leaves Neal McDonough's Damien Darhk in the position of giving a Time Stone to Jesse L. Martin's Joe West.

Related: The Flash Finally Acknowledged The Arrowverse's Dumbest Vigilante Plot Hole

Now, Variety reports that The CW has officially renewed The Flash for season 9. The Flash season 9 is expected to see the return of most of the main cast from season 8, as well as supporting cast, such as McDonough's Darhk. While speaking with Variety, chairman and CEO of The CW, Mark Pedowitz, noted that he had faith in the recently renewed series to support the station as a foundation in the year to come. Read what he said below:

“As we prepare for the 2022-23 season, these scripted series, along with the alternative series we renewed earlier, will serve as the start of a solid foundation utilizing some of our most-watched series for us to build on for next year and beyond. These dramas are also important to our overall digital strategy, as they are some of our most-streamed and socially-engaged programming, and we look forward to adding more new and returning series to help strengthen and expand our multiplatform footprint.”

Grant-Gustin-as-Barry-Allen-in-The-Flash-TV-Show-Season-5

The renewal of the series indicates that The CW isn't done with The Flash just yet, despite its dwindling numbers in last year's ratings. The introduction of the Reverse-Flashpoint Darhk and the turning over of the Time Stone to West leaves open enough loose ends for the writing team to work with through season 9. What remains to be seen is how this season's story will play out, as no official plot or leaks have been revealed as of yet.

The Flash remains a staple of The CW's programming lineup at the end of the day. While the average viewership has gone down in the past few seasons, it's still a strong pull for many television watchers toward the programming offered by The CW, and by announcing the show's early renewal, the network has shown that it believes in the stories and entertainment that it can provide. With the additions of season 8 now under the show's belt, it seems likely that Barry Allen will be around for a while yet.

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Source: Variety