Grant Gustin Gives The Flash Fans An Emotional Gut-Punch With Bittersweet Post

Warner Bros. and Paramount have both changed dramatically since a 23-year-old Grant Gustin was first introduced in 2013 as the young CSI Barry Allen on CW's "Arrow," who — by the end of Season 2, Episode 9 ("Three Ghosts") — officially became "The Flash." When the series debuted shortly after that "Arrow" episode, it marked the second series added to the shared DC universe called the Arrowverse. At its height, it would include six series, two web series, and ties to both the series "Constantine" and "Superman & Lois." But as the DC film universe grew and both studios became preoccupied, the CW's Arrowverse slowly dwindled away, and no one was surprised when fans of "The Flash" got the bittersweet news that the upcoming ninth season would be its last.

Fans of the Arrowverse have had a difficult time the past two years, with the shows in the Arrowverse coming to an end, and beloved key characters leaving the show or meeting their demise. While it wasn't unexpected for original cast members Carlos Valdes and Tom Cavanagh to exit after Season 7, fans were shocked when it was revealed that Allen's foster father, Joe West (Jesse L. Martin), had died offscreen.

Now as filming begins for the ninth and final season, Gustin is showing that he's just as emotional as the rest of us.

Grant Gustin's social media has always been a cheer squad for "The Flash" and his fellow actors, so it's not surprising to see him try to convey the intense feelings he has about the final season. On September 13, 2022, he took to his Instagram to share some photos and a heartfelt message for fans, writing, "Tomorrow we start filming the final season of The Flash. I'll save the long, emotional captions for later in the season, but to say I'm grateful for this journey and the growth it's provided me in so many different ways would be a gross understatement. Thankful to everyone who helped give me this opportunity and all the fans of the show that have showed me and anyone that's been a part of The Flash love along the way. Here's a bit of a photo dump from my first year on the show."

What followed were photos from the first season of "The Flash," and fans provided the emotional captions Gustin didn't. There were words of thanks, such as xmaxl_, who wrote, "thank you grant for giving us that wonderful series, thank you for the moments of happiness you gave me, the flash will live in my heart forever." There were also bittersweet messages, with jocailyn writing, "I don't want it to be over but I know it's the right thing to do." It's always difficult when things end, even if we know it's the right time. Here's to one last season of "The Flash."