The Flash is arguably the most perennially popular of The CW’s ever-growing crop of DC TV shows, but fans still have one major gripe with it. Despite maturing quite a bit over the past three seasons, Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen still doesn’t quite ring true with the character from the comics. He makes universe-shattering mistakes, he’s weighed down with the responsibilities of being a hero and, let’s face it, his suit is the wrong shade of red.
At last, season 4 could go a long way to fixing these flaws (yes, even the third one), as the writers have clearly taken on board some of the criticisms aimed at season 3. According to exec producer Andrew Kreisberg, Barry’s return from the Speed Force at the beginning of the run will see him reborn, offering him “a fresh start.”
“Barry is not exactly the same as when we last saw him, and he’s going to go on a bit of a journey in the premiere episode,” said Kreisberg. “But the most important thing about Barry this year is that the experience of being in the Speed Force was a bit of a baptism for him.”
“The premiere episode is called ‘The Flash Reborn’ and Barry, in a way, has been born again. His experience in there has really washed away a lot of his sins, cleansed him of his doubts, fears, and his guilts, and he really loves being The Flash again. It really is leaving him free and clear to have an open road and a fresh start, and he’s just not upset the way he’s been these past two seasons.”
Kreisberg went on to explain that he sees each of the Arrowverse shows as long-form origins stories for the titular heroes. But with The Flash having been on the air for four years, it’s now time for Barry Allen to truly step into the running shoes of the beloved comic book hero.
“It’s not in the titles, but every one of these shows — whether it’s Supergirl or Arrow or Flash — it really is like Begins; it’s really ‘Arrow Begins,’ and ‘Flash Begins,’ and ‘Supergirl Begins.’ Now it’s Season Four and he’s really become The Flash in the comic books, the one who really is in full mastery of his skills and has the emotional maturity that he has in the comics.”
This news follows on from comments Stephen Amell has made about Arrow season 6, promising that he’ll campaign for a more comics-accurate Oliver Queen in the near future. Likewise, Kara Danvers looks to be taking her heroism more seriously over on Supergirl this season. It’s sure to be an exciting year for these shows, then, as it seems like they’ve finally come of age.
Thankfully, we don’t have long to wait to see these changes take effect, as The Flash returns to The CW on Tuesday, October 10th.
