The Flash to end after season 9

The Flash to end after season 9
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

The Flash is speeding to an end.

The upcoming ninth season will be the last for the CW's superhero drama starring Grant Gustin as the Scarlet Speedster, EW has learned. The final season will also be shortened, consisting of only 13 episodes.

The Flash
The Flash

Bettina Strauss/The CW

"Nine seasons! Nine years of saving Central City while taking audiences on an emotional journey full of heart, humor, and spectacle," showrunner Eric Wallace said in a statement. "And now Barry Allen has reached the starting gate for his last race. So many amazing people have given their talents, time, and love to bring this wonderful show to life each week. So, as we get ready to honor the show's incredible legacy with our exciting final chapter, I want to say thank you to our phenomenal cast, writers, producers, and crew over the years who helped make The Flash such an unforgettable experience for audiences around the world."

When Wallace recently spoke with EW about the season 8 finale, he said that while he hoped season 9 wouldn't be the final run of episodes — "because there's still many more Flash stories to tell" — he was still preparing for that to be the case. "I don't want the audience to get caught with a cliffhanger that doesn't get resolved or anything like that," he said. "I want to make sure that we complete the journey that Barry, Iris, and Team Flash have been on."

At that time, Wallace was still "trying to figure out" how he wanted to ultimately end the series. "I know what the plot endgame of next year is. That's not a problem," he said. "Ironically, it's set up very succinctly in the season finale for this year. However, where all the characters end up emotionally, that's still in flux ... In between seasons 8 and 9, I'm going to get a bit more of a chance to get a little bit of a breather to think about where do I really want to send these characters off emotionally as people and as human beings? What do I want their final goodbyes to this wonderful, loyal audience to be? That's what my summer homework is."

The Flash season 9 begins filming next month and is currently slated to air in 2023.

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Related content: