Although The CW has given birth to its own veritable superhero universe, we must not forget that at the center are The Flash and Arrow. Trailers for both shows’ upcoming seasons premiered today at San Diego Comic-Con and featured a surprising amount of new footage, as opposed to being mere sizzle reels.
As we can see, The Flash will find itself in a much different place in its third season. According to Comic Book Resources, a year has passed since Barry Allen has started to live in the new timeline: he’s happy to have his parents back among the living, but those once closest to him are in somewhat different roles. Expect him to not get along with Joe West very well and to see Cisco Ramon as a man of affluence, who is, not surprisingly, a bit of a jerk.
Those who expected to see a literal translation of the comic book story known as Flashpoint will hopefully not be disappointed, as I don’t see how warring Atlanteans and Amazons would have fit into the established confines of the show. At least we’ll get to see some interesting new villains though, along with Wally West being The Flash in the new timeline.
As for Arrow, the trailer for its fifth season teases us with Oliver Queen training some new proteges. If all make the cut, I’ll be surprised, but I think Team Arrow will likely expand its ranks in a generous way. It looks as though Curtis Holt is taking some strides toward being Mr. Terrific and Felicity is, well, being Felicity whether you like it or not.
Be sure to pause near the end of the video, too, because that new villain looks rather imposing. This may be the new baddie in town known as Prometheus – but don’t let the name throw you. He’s a creation of the show’s producers, not the man of the same name from the comics.
The Flash premieres Tuesday, October 4 on The CW, with Arrow following on Wednesday, October 5.