While “The Flash” is already set to speed back to the CW for its eighth season, two of its original stars are staying behind: Carlos Valdes and Tom Cavanagh are both officially leaving the show after Season 7.
Cavanagh — who played several alternate versions of the brilliant and prickly scientist Harrison Wells (as well as Flash nemesis Eobard Thawne) — was technically set to end his tenure as a series regular with Season 6. But after the pandemic shutdown, Cavanagh stayed on to wrap up those storylines in the first three episodes of Season 7. Since then, he’s been billed as a recurring guest star.
Valdes, meanwhile, will end his run as a series regular with the Season 7 finale. He began the series as Francisco “Cisco” Ramon, resident tech geek at S.T.A.R. Labs who helps create and maintain Barry Allen’s super-suit as the Flash. Eventually, Cisco took on the superhero persona of Vibe (and, later, Mecha-Vibe).
In a statement, executive producer and showrunner Eric Wallace said he is “keeping the door open” for both actors to return as guest stars.
“Tom and Carlos have been an integral part of our show for seven seasons, and will be greatly missed,” Wallace said. “Both are incredible talents who created beloved characters that fans and audiences around the world have come to love. Which is why we are happily keeping the door open for return appearances.”
With Valdes and Cavanagh’s departure, “The Flash” core original cast remains Grant Gustin as Allen, Candice Patton as Iris West-Allen, Danielle Panabaker as Caitlin Snow (a.k.a. Frost and Killer Frost) and Jesse L. Martin as Iris’ father (and Barry’s father figure) Joe West.
Deadline first reported the news about Valdes and Cavanagh.
Joe Otterson contributed to this report.