Grant Gustin has been cast as Barry Allen/Flash on Arrow Season 2 and the potential spinoff thereafter, a rep for the hit CW show has just confirmed.
Gustin will appear in three episodes, two in the first half of the season and one near the end which will be the backdoor pilot for a potentially new show.
Barry Allen is a “forensic investigator who arrives in Starling to look into a series of unexplained robberies that may have a connection to a tragedy in his past."
Fittingly, comic book fanboys know that Barry, a comic book fanboy himself, doubles as Flash, who may anchor his own CW series. Says the network:
"Barry is obsessed with the Arrow unaware that working with Oliver and Felicity to solve the crime brought him right into the dangerous world of the vigilante.â€
Andrew Kreisberg, Arrow's executive producer, says, “When we first meet Barry Allen, he’s just a forensic scientist working for the police department."
"As we always do on Arrow, we try to keep things as grounded and realistic as possible. And that is a way the audience will get introduced to Barry."
“He’s just an ordinary man when we meet him. I think that’s part of the fun for the audience for the ride: to see how we do our Arrow take on the Flash legacy."
"I think some of it will feel very familiar and some of it will feel hopefully fresh and exciting. The same way we approached Arrow is the same way we’re approaching Barry.â€
Arrow Season 2 begins Wednesday, October 9.
The Hollywood Gossip