The Flash Season 8 - What We Know So Far

The CW series "The Flash," a modernized retelling of DC Comics superhero Barry Allen's (Grant Gustin) origin story, has been a reliable staple of the network's lineup for seven seasons now. Barry, his wife Iris (Candice Patton), his friend Caitlin Snow (Danielle Panabaker), Iris' father Joe (Jesse L. Martin), and the rest of Team Flash have seen some major ups and downs over the years, and thanks to the network that started them off, they'll be having a bunch more.

The show was renewed in February 2021 for an eighth season alongside a large raft of The CW's other shows, according to Entertainment Weekly. That means fans are guaranteed a fresh season of "The Flash," and the CW has already announced an interesting future plotline for the show's first Season 8 outing. 

Who will star in it, when will it debut, and what will it be about? Here's what we know so far.

Good news for "Flash" fans: The show's season 8 premiere date has already been announced. According to Deadline, "The Flash" will return for its eighth season on November 16, 2021, and will continue to air on Tuesdays in its regular 8 p.m. time slot. The season premiere will be part of a special five-episode crossover event with other DC superheroes familiar to Arrowverse fans. More details on that event below.

With the premiere set, it's unlikely that the show will run into any production delays that might prevent it from meeting its appointed arrival date. Season 7 began airing on March 2, 2021, and will conclude on July 20, according to the Futon Critic. The current season got a late start due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The show generally runs on an October-to-May timeframe, which matches the rest of The CW's lineup. It appears that the next season will run on the standard fall-to-spring schedule, as well.

The rest of this article contains spoilers for future and currently airing episodes of "The Flash."

As fans of the show well know by now, "The Flash" will be losing two regular castmembers as the eighth season begins. Carlos Valdes, who has portrayed Cisco Ramon, one of Barry's closest confidantes and a mechanical engineer for S.T.A.R. Labs, left "The Flash" after serving valiantly for seven seasons. Also leaving the series is Tom Cavanagh, who portrayed an array of characters, including Eobard Thawne, Reverse-Flash, and Harrison Wells.

Cisco left "The Flash" during the Season 7 episode "Good-Bye Vibrations," which aired on June 8, 2021. Plot-wise, Cisco took a job with A.R.G.U.S, necessitating a move with his girlfriend Kamilla (Victoria Park) from Central City. But Cisco, according to Deadline, is apparently set for a few more appearances in the seventh season before leaving the show entirely. Cavanagh had intended to exit the show a season earlier, according to Deadline, but the pandemic delayed his exit. His last appearance was in the third episode of the season, "Mother," but there are strong hints he may appear in the season's final episodes. 

According to Deadline, Grant Gustin has already inked a deal for the eighth season. Candice Patton, Jesse L. Martin, and Danielle Panabaker were all in negotiations to return to the show as of May. 

Viewers can expect the unexpected with the show's eighth season. As stated above, Season 8 of "The Flash" will open with a major five-episode-long crossover event, but it will be different from any crossover or multiverse arcs the show has done before, according to Deadline. Per the report, It "will feature different heroes from the CW-verse."

The idea behind the event, according to what CW CEO Mark Pedowitz told Deadline, will feature a series of five crossovers between "The Flash" and other CW-based superhero shows, but the episodes will not form a continuous arc. "It will not be quite be a crossover but will have a crossover-type feel and the introduction of all these characters," he said. It's likely that "Superman and Lois" and "Stargirl" may be among the series "The Flash" crosses over with.

Otherwise, it will likely be business as usual for the super team of speedsters. And for fans of the show, that is definitely a good thing.