The Iris Theory That Would Change Everything On The Flash

The arrival of "The Flash" on The CW in 2014 heralded the arrival of a bold new era, as it was the first indication of the channel exploring the world of DC superheroes beyond the Green Arrow on "Arrow." The universe has since grown to include shows such as "Supergirl," "Legends of Tomorrow," "Black Lightning," "Batwoman," and most recently, "Superman & Lois." The ensuing years have seen "The Flash" go from being the new kid on the block to the longest-running series of that universe that's still on the air.

The show features Grant Gustin as Barry Allen, who gains the power of super-speed thanks to a particle accelerator accident. He takes on the moniker of The Flash to help combat criminal metahumans in Central City alongside a number of supporting characters that include Candice Patton as Iris West-Allen, whom Barry married in Season 4, Danielle Panabaker as Caitlin Snow, Carlos Valdes as Cisco Ramon, and Jesse L. Martin as Joe West. While "The Flash" is in its seventh season, it remains unafraid of major paradigm shifts, and there's a new theory about Iris that could change everything on the show.

Episode 11 of "The Flash" Season 7 ended with Iris and Barry agreeing that they both wanted to start a family. However, that family might be coming sooner than anyone expects, as speculation has arisen that Iris might soon be revealed to be pregnant.

There are hints both large and small with regard to this, the biggest one, of course, being the story of the creation of the forces that have been the main storyline of the season. The show has been overt about how Iris and Barry created the forces together, and how the forces see them as parents, requiring the couple to step into such a role to defuse the conflicts between them. But writers have also dropped smaller hints pointing to this, like Kamilla saying that Iris had a glow when the Central City Citizen team searched for the Speed Force earlier in the season.

The biggest way this could impact the show is by expanding the Flash team. In the comics, Barry's kids are Bart Allen and Nora West-Allen (via Screen Rant), both speedsters themselves. Nora has previously appeared in the show as XS, a speedster from a timeline that was subsequently erased, and Barry's closing line in Episode 11 was "I love that impulse," a cheeky nod to Bart's alter-ego in the comics. Having both characters appear in the main timeline with no current access to the multiverse means that Bart and Nora could very well be here to stay when they arrive.

While there have been other speedsters over the course of "The Flash," none of them have stayed long on the team. Iris' half-brother Wally West is the most prominent one, but Jesse Wells (the daughter of Harrison Wells), Jay Garrick (a speedster from another Earth), and the aforementioned Nora West-Allen are also key examples. Each character has either gone on to have their own adventures, perished while trying to save the multiverse, or been erased. With Bart and Nora being Iris and Barry's children, however, and with nothing to threaten this timeline, there's a high probability they'll be here to stay.

This could, in turn, change the dynamic of the team. When fighting alongside Wally or Nora, it's been shown how Barry and Team Flash are more effective with a second speedster on the team. If nothing else, it could mean that Barry can take a day or two off from being the Flash and give Bart and Nora the opportunity to patrol the city and handle threats on their own. At the very least, it would require villains to re-calibrate their strategy to account for multiple speedsters, instead of just one.

How this dynamic will truly affect the show and its characters will be seen when "The Flash" continues its seventh season on The CW.