Fans of The CW's 7-year series The Flash may have assumed that, by now, certain things about the show would stay constant through its entire run. Barry loses his speed at least once a season, he will also time travel at least once a season, and everyone will get a hallway pep talk at least 12 times an episode. While those 3 exaggerated (though surprisingly not by much) elements don't seem to be going anywhere, series mainstays Carlos Valdes and Tom Cavanagh are unfortunately reaching the end of their tenure.
Valdes and Cavanagh, who have played Cisco Ramon and the near-infinite incarnations of Harrison Wells, respectively, throughout the series, have both confirmed that they will officially leave the series following its 7th and current season. The Flash itself has been renewed for season 8, but sadly, two of its most prominent stars won't be joining the rest of the team this time. Both characters were big departures from the original Flash comics, with Wells being a completely original character in the series. But even so, they still feel absolutely integral to the show, making this news that much sadder.
Cavanagh had already taken a step down from series regular to more of a guest role following season 6, and a tragic show event that effectively killed off all current versions of Wells seemed to have removed him from the series entirely. The actor himself had even suggested his time was at an end a year ago with an Instagram post thanking all the Wells fans for their support throughout the series. But showrunner Eric Wallace continued to hint to fans that, just like with every superhero story, just because someone is dead doesn't mean they're gone for good. This suggests that Cavanagh will appear again before his official departure from the series.
Valdes, on the other hand, currently stars on The Flash in the same capacity he always has, as a wisecracking genius and one of the cornerstones of Team Flash. Unlike Cavanagh, he doesn't seem to have made any statements on the big change, but the incoming split appears to be amicable. He's played several versions of Cisco throughout the series and gotten plenty of action as a superhero due to his character's metahuman powers, so perhaps one big reason he's leaving is that he feels he's done everything he can on the show and needs some new opportunities.
But fans don't necessarily have to say goodbye to these two lovable characters entirely, as the showrunner seems open to guest spots in the future. "Tom and Carlos have been an integral part of our show for seven seasons, and will be greatly missed,” Wallace said about the news. “Both are incredible talents who created beloved characters that fans and audiences around the world have come to love. Which is why we are happily keeping the door open for return appearances." Other actors have pulled off the same thing, such as Arrow's David Ramsey, who seems poised to return to the CW even after his show's cancelation.
Fans of the series can rest a little easier knowing that its 3 other leads Grant Gustin (Barry Allen/The Flash), Candice Patton (Iris West-Allen), and Danielle Panabaker (Caitlin Snow/Frost) will be sticking around, as well as, presumably, Jesse L. Martin as Joe West. But however things go on The Flash in the future, here's hoping both Cavanagh and Valdes see plenty of success in their future endeavors. It's difficult to imagine the show without them, so some guest appearances wouldn't be unwelcome, but every hero has to go off on their own at some point, and these two have more than earned that honor. Hey, maybe they can wrangle up cameos in the upcoming DCEU Flash movie alongside Michael Keaton.
The Flash airs on Tuesdays at 8 p.m on The CW.
Source: Deadline