Grant Gustin reacts to ‘The Flash’ season 8 premiere’s revelation about Barry’s dark destiny

The Flash kicked off its eighth year last night with the first part of “Armageddon”, a thrilling new crossover storyline that’ll play out across the first five episodes of this season. Doctor Who‘s Tony Curran made his debut as alien villain Despero who arrived in Central City looking to kill the Scarlet Speedster—but only because he’s trying to save the world. According to Despero, Barry is destined to cause the apocalypse himself in the year 2031.

Barry managed to buy himself some time, striking up a deal with Despero to give himself seven days to prove that he’s never going to break bad, but the hero is still stunned by this surprising revelation. While speaking to TV Line, star Grant Gustin reacted to this big twist, saying that Barry is overconfident at first that he’s going to be able to prove Despero wrong.

“He of course thinks there’s no way that this is possible,” Gustin said. “There’s nothing that would make Barry turn on the world that he has vowed to protect. And because he and the whole have leveled up, he feels very confident — initially — that this is not going to be a problem.”

With “Armageddon” episode one seeing Team Flash team up with Brandon Routh’s Atom, episode two will feature Barry traveling to the Hall of Justice—the super-HQ established in “Crisis on Infinite Earths”—to get help from Cress Williams’ Black Lightning. However, some mysterious big twist then occurs that causes Barry to wonder if Despero might be on to something after all.

‘There’s a turn, and that is why Barry goes to the Hall of Justice and seeks out Jefferson [Pierce]” Gustin continued. “He needs help with something that I won’t spoil, because it’s a big twist that kind of sets the rest of the five-parter into motion. But by the end of the second episode, there is a development that makes Barry think that maybe [The Flash causing Armageddon] is possible.”

“Armageddon” is also due to include the return of Javicia Leslie’s Ryan Wilder/Batwoman, Kat McNamara’s Mia Queen/Green Arrow, Osric Chau’s Ryan Choi and Chyler Leigh’s Alex Danvers/Sentinel, fresh off the Supergirl finale, who was just name checked in the season premiere. Fan reaction has been hugely positive so far, so here’s hoping The Flash season eight shapes up to be one of the show’s best-ever runs.

Don’t miss The Flash: “Armageddon” as it continues next Tuesday, November 23 on The CW.