You can’t stop The Flash. It was announced today that The CW has renewed The Flash for a ninth season, which will make the series the longest running installment of the Arrowverse.
In addition to The Flash, The CW has also renewed Superman & Lois for a third season, Riverdale for a seventh season, Walker for a third season, Kung Fu for a third season, Nancy Drew for a fourth season, and All American for a fifth season. These aren’t the extent of The CW’s renewals as the rest are expected to be announced over next few months. “As we prepare for the 2022-23 season, these scripted series, along with the alternative series we renewed earlier, will serve as the start of a solid foundation utilizing some of our most-watched series for us to build on for next year and beyond,” said Mark Pedowitz, chairman and CEO of The CW Network. “These dramas are also important to our overall digital strategy, as they are some of our most-streamed and socially-engaged programming, and we look forward to adding more new and returning series to help strengthen and expand our multiplatform footprint.“
The news of The Flash returning for a ninth season isn’t a big surprise, but it was never a guarantee. Showrunner and executive producer Eric Wallace recently told Entertainment Weekly that the eighth season finale could have served as a series finale had the show not been renewed. “I have to write two endings, because I don’t know what the future holds,” Wallace said. “I know what I’m hoping for. I’m very hopeful there is a season 9, but I have to make sure I have closure on all of the character arcs depending on which way it goes. But then I also have to film a tag or a teaser that potentially sets up another year. So it’s a challenge, but it’s one that we love doing as writers. It’s made it even more interesting and more intense, but I think it’s going to be worth it.“