As The Flash Season 9 piles up with guest stars, another Arrowverse veteran joined the list.
The Flash's final season will end the Arrowverse as fans know it, but set photos and official marketing for The CW series revealed that surprises are in the cards.
Several Arrowverse favorites, such as Stephen Amell (Green Arrow) and Javicia Leslie (Batwoman), have been confirmed to make comebacks, but there are still some notable characters that have yet to be spotted on set, like Carlos Valdes' Cisco Ramon.
Despite that, a new batch of images revealed an unsurprising comeback from original Flash actor John Wesley Shipp.
The Flash Set Photos Highlight John Wesley Shipp
Canadagraphs shared new set photos from The Flash Season 9, giving fans a first look at the return of John Wesley Shipp and Michelle Harrison in the final season:
Shipp and Harrison portray several different characters in The Flash. The pair first played Henry and Nora Allen, Barry Allen's parents.
In Season 2, Shipp returned to play Jay Garrick, aka The Flash of Earth 2. Meanwhile, Harrison portrayed Joan Williams (Garrick's wife) and the Speed Force. Shipp also made a surprise appearance as Jay Garrick at the tail-end of Stargirl's final season.
Based on the set photos, it is unknown which characters Shipp and Harrison are playing, but their clothes could hint that they are portraying Barry's parents.
Canadagraphs then shared a description of the pair's time on set, confirming that they shared scenes with lead star Grant Gustin:
"The Flash did more filming for episode 9x10 today in downtown Vancouver, and this time, it had even more returning characters.
In the same location as yesterdays shoot with Jesse & Patrick, today we had John Wesley Shipp, and Michelle Harrison on set with Grant Gustin.
Eric Wallace is directing."
Canadagraphs also revealed that set photos spoiled the comebacks of Jesse L. Martin's Joe West and Patrick Sabongui's David Singh (former captain of the CCPD), indicating that they are involved in a flashback in the same episode:
"The Flash is filming episode 9x10 today in downtown Vancouver.
2 returning characters are in the scene, which seems to be a flashback, Jesse L Martin as Joe West, and Patrick Sabongui as David Singh.
Show runner, eric wallace is directing."
How Will Barry Allen’s Parents Return in the Flash? (Theory)
Given that The Flash Season 9 set photos indicate that Joe West, David Singh, and the Allen family are all in the same location, there's a strong possibility that they are involved in Barry Allen's time travel shenanigans.
Moreover, since Barry's mother is still alive, this episode will likely tackle the day of her death, giving fans a chance to witness what transpired before Reverse Flash murdered her.
While The Flash Season 3 already showcased the ramifications of Barry traveling back in time to the day of her mother's death, there must be a good reason why the titular speedster returns to this fateful day, and it could have something to do with the Reverse Flash.
Although Tom Cavanagh's Reverse Flash was ultimately defeated in The Flash Season 8, the younger version of the speedster villain portrayed by Matt Letscher is still around (he was the one who also killed Barry's mother, so it fits).
It's possible that Barry went back in time to see his parents one final time, but he could've also returned in the past to prevent Reverse Flash from killing his mother much earlier.
On the flip side, Barry could be preventing another speedster villain from hurting his parents before the fateful night of Reverse Flash's murder. Another possibility is that Barry accidentally traveled to another Earth in the wider Multiverse where his parents are still alive.
The Flash Season 9 is set to premiere on The CW on Wednesday, February 8 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
