The Flash Season 4 Premiere Title Revealed (?), Hints at ‘Rebirth’ Arc
The Flash appears poised to tackle another noteworthy storyline from the comic books.
With production resuming this week on the CW superhero series, the production office tweeted out a photo that seemingly reveals the title of the Season 4 premiere — and if so, strongly suggests a take on Geoff Johns’ six-issue “Rebirth” arc from spring 2009, which revolved around Barry’s return from an absence.
https://twitter.com/FLASHProdOffice/status/882082536444149760
When the Flash TV series left off, Barry had volunteered to leave behind his loved ones and fill the “void” left in the Speed Force, after Jay Garrick was freed from the prison to help defeat Savitar. All that is known thus far about Season 4 is that the action picks up six months later, and that the new Big Bad is likely to be The Thinker aka Clifford DeVoe, who twice was recently mentioned on the show. (Oh, and there’s also this fun teaser about another new character.)
“[The Oct. 10 premiere] takes place six months in the future, and we still don’t have Barry out of the Speed Force,” Candice Patton shared with TVLine at the Saturn Awards (where she was named Best Supporting TV Actress). ” Iris is really struggling to deal with that, and she does it in her own way.”
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Nice! I like Geoff John’s Rebirth arc. Curious to see what (if anything) they take from it. Maybe we’ll get to see Iris be Barry’s Lightning Rod. I wonder if we’ll get to see what Barry is up to, too. Since the Speed Force exists outside of time he could maybe meet/see the Reverse-Flash.
I think you are referring to the current DC Universe Rebirth where no one remembered Redheaded Wally West and Barry was his anchor to come back and be remembered. Geoff John’s Flash Rebirth was where Barry came back from the Speed Force after being gone for about 24 years in real time. Not sure if they will take much from the comics. Iris in the comics was in her late 40’s or early 50’s prior to Barry coming back . Once he was back she suddenly became younger without explanation. My guess is that the TV show will have very little to do with the comic book version other than Barry is back from the Speed Force
You are confused. Johns Rebirth arc heavily features the concept of Iris being Barrys lightning rod and Thawne trying to kill her because of it. That is most likely what Diana was talking about.
Ok Judging by your post further down, you know a lot more about this than I do. I am still disappointed by last year’s Flashpoint. I think they could easily have had Barry live in the Flashpoint reality for the first half of the season and have the second half be the consequences of the changed reality when he tried to fix things. The whole I have seen the future and Iris is going to die plot line could have been dropped.
I would have hated it if they had drawn out Flashpoint for half a season. In the comics Flashpoint only took place for not even a week before Barry restored the timeline.
I would have been okay with Flashpoint taking place across 5 episodes or so, much like Agents of SHIELD did with the Framework arc last year
I am not sure what the passage of time in the comics means. For example how long was it between Crisis On Infinite Earths when Barry died and Flash Rebirth when he came back for the characters? It was about 24 years for the readers. Then you had the New 52 where everyone is younger. Did Barry die in the new reality? Now you have DC Rebirth but everyone except perhaps Superman is still New 52 young so far . Iris just found out that Barry is the Flash in the comics. Time is very fluid in the comics.
I was disappointed in Flashpoint too. I had hoped they’d go full tilt on the whole alternate reality and the Arrow episode of the Invasion Story arc, and the Doomworld episode of Legends of Tomorrow would have all worked perfectly with that world. They could have even used it to merge Supergirl’s Earth with the rest of the Arrow-verse.
I wish it would take place a major time jump. like a year or two but that probably wont happen because all of the shows are connected
The story above denotes the time jump length.
It is an unfortunate restriction of being a shared universe. A year+ time jump would be what would be ideal because we could really have the characters in new points in their lives allowing for new dynamics when Barry returns. With 6 months, there is a sense that it won’t have been that long they have completely gotten over losing Barry.
I strongly recommend for every serious Flash fan to read “The Flash: Rebirth” by Geoff Johns which is one of the most iconic and important Flash books.
The end of Season 3 was strongly influenced by the legendary comics event “Crisis on Infinite Earths” from 1985 (which was already hinted at with that newspaper headline in Thawnes timevault “Flash vanishes during crisis”)
At the end of Crisis Barry sacrificed himself to the speed force in order to stop the Multiverse destryoing Anti-Monitor and was believed dead afterwards. Wally West succeeded him as the Flash and became the Flash for an entire generation (All of the 90s and most of the 2000s) and is in fact the most popular and fastest Flash until this day.
However after being absent from comics for almost two decades, Barry finally returned in 2007 during the comics event “Final Crisis” where he escaped the Speed force (which is usually impossible in the comics). He then assumed the role of Flash again alongside Wally leading to the “Flash Rebirth” book which revolves around Barry trying to pick up his life both as Barry and as the Flash again after his absence. the book features nearly every speedster (including Barry, Wally, Jay, Bart, Thawne, Zoom and even Savitar who is accidentally killed by Barry when Thawne manipulates Barry into becoming the new Black Flash) as well as every major supporting character.
Following the Rebirth book, Barry goes back in time to save his mother from Thawne leading to the infamous Flashpoint storyline (which in turn leads to a rebooted DC Universe after Barry restores the timeline. This is then used by Dr. Manhattan as an oppertunity to remove 10 years of history and relationships from the DC Universe leading to the “Rebirth” initiative which launched in 2016).
Its pretty clear that Barrys battle against Savitar and his subsequent sacrifice to the speed force was meant as the TV shows version of Crisis and also the Crisis that was mentioned in Thawnes newspaper article. Savitar was basically the TV shows version of Anti-Monitor (which makes sense considering that if Savitar had succeeded he probably would have shattered all of time and space. He would have become a god and that is pretty much exactly what Anti Monitor is).
Thus it only makes sense that they follow the path of the comics from the Post-Crisis era by making Wally the new Flash and then bringing Barry back from the speed force (though probably not 10 years later as in the comics), who then has to reconnect with his old life as Barry and Flash as he did in the Rebirth book.
Dude,seriously, thank you. That’s a damn good drop of Flash knowledge.
I hope they don’t mess it up like they did last season. After 3 seasons of time travel they really lay off the time travel and the guess the villain storyline and mature Barry quickly. And get him back to acting like a hero and not like a villain. I’m still hopeful that season 4 turns things around.
time travel is an essential part of Flash lore. Its featured in the comics almost all the time. The current arc in the comics sees Barry travelling to the 25th century. If you dont like time travel stories then Flash is the wrong show for you. Thats like saying you want less flying and aliens on Supergirl.
Comics have 12-13 issues per yr v. 23 eps in 8 months so yeah time travel got old fast. You know what else is Flash lore? He’s a superhero & he does fine without a team flash. How about we get more of that instead.
Too bad , you know what the heck u were signing up from the beginning. U don’t like it now? Then you leave, don’t try and insist the show change based on your whims!
I signed up for a superhero show about a guy who’s the fastest man alive. What did you sign up for? A soap opera about a team of people pretending they’re not doing the hero’s job while he mopes over his girlfriend? How about you take your own advice? ’cause good luck getting anyone to change on your whim.
I’m sure this will be as much like Rebirth as Flashpoint was like Flashpoint. As in…well…it has the same title.
I just hope that Barry Allen returns from the Speedforce more like his happy, optimistic, excitable and fun-loving season 1 self and less like the villain of his own story.
And it would be nice if the female cast members got some interesting storylines which didn’t revolve around which male member of Team Flash they’re romancing. I have particularly high hopes for not-Caitlin / not-Killer Frost, although they’ve arguably made her so powerful that having her assist Team Flash too often would effectively render Team Flash obsolete.
“I just hope that Barry Allen returns from the Speedforce more like his happy, optimistic, excitable and fun-loving season 1 self and less like the villain of his own story.”
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I agree. I miss that Barry :)
Nope. He wont be that Barry again. He experienced too much, it would be unrealistic if that would not change him and he would just revert to his carefree, naive former self. superheroes changing and evolving because they are shaped by their experiences is a common theme.
It is much more likely that Barry will be restless, thinking he is never doing enough, doubting himself and wether or not he still can be the Flash or wether he should be or if he is truly needed. Those are the things he went through in the comics when he returned from the speed force. You dont go through these things and just pop up as a carefree go lucky kid.
people need to let go of the notion that the characters on Flash or Arrow should revert back to their early Season 1 selves. Not gonna happen. They will continue to change and evolve into more complex and burdened characters which is a realistic and natural result of the things they go through and how the events change and shape their lives. They will never be the same as before and never be the carefree, innocent people they were at the beginning. Such is life. Its an ongoing evolution and journey for them. And they will always move forward not back.
“And they will always move forward not back”
Except this Barry has been in the same place since S2. He has shown no growth at all levels, repeating the same mistakes over & over, still needing team flash for everything. It remains to be seen if the show learned anything from last season. Given what’s been put out so far, they haven’t.
why do you constantly reply to me, only to tear my comments apart ? You`re starting to annoy the hell out of me.
Huh that’s an interesting way of agreeing Barry hasn’t moved forward at all.
I’m curious to see how they’re going to stabilize the speed force after Barry vacates the space. At this point, Barry’s like the speed force’s favorite child. They might make a deal together that it no longer needs another speedster inside in order to be stable because who in the world is gonna volunteer… again..! LOL.
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There’s also the issue of the Black Flash. After Frost iced Hunter, the system’s going to need another enforcer.
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Anyway, so excited about season 4. I want to see more Vibe and Cynthia (Carlos, don’t cut your hair, please), Caitlyn figuring out what she wants to do, Wally growing as Kid Flash, Tracy finding her groove after losing HR, Harry coming back to Team Flash, Julian being Julian (lol), Barry and Iris being reunited, and of course, Joe West being flawless as always. Love this show so much. My favorite cast on TV!
am one of the best fan.waiting for season 4
season 4 ‘s going to rock
Interesting that season 4 May have come from Rebirth storyline from comic books. Excited to see what happens in season 4!
I just stared to read the comment and u got people talking about pre 52 i never read it.
I look them up on youtube and watch them. I want flash to make a ep about superman and the flash raceing and we all now flash will win. But still be cool
Let S4 be better than 2 and 3.
Re-doing comics stories isn’t going to get me back to The Flash. I want to see female characters with decent storylines instead of the endless sausage fest.
Half of superhero fans and games are women. Time for shows and movies to reflect that.