How Elongated Man will exit The Flash season 7 and what it means for Sue Dearbon

With Elongated Man exiting the show, how will the creators conclude the character’s story in The Flash Season 7?

The Flash Season 7 appeared to be in turmoil earlier this year when a member of the main cast was fired following questionable posts in the past. Showrunners announced that Hartley Sawyer, who portrayed Ralph Dibny/Elongated Man, would not be returning, leaving many fans wondering how the dismissal would impact the show.

The sixth season was cut short when production was stopped due to the global pandemic, leaving some loose ends waiting to be tied up in the upcoming season. One of those threads was Dibny clearing Sue Dearbon (Natalie Dreyfuss) from charges of murdering the husband of Eva McCulloch/Mirror Mistress (Efrat Dor).

The Flash showrunner Eric Wallace shared the show’s plans for replacing the actor playing Dibny as well as how Sue Dearbon would be handled in the wake of the changes.

The Flash Season 7: What’s in the future for Ralph?

Arrowverse fans were given a sneak peek at The Flash Season 7 during the recently concluded DC FanDome, which left out Dibny and Sue Dearbon. Speaking to EW, Wallace reiterated that Dibny will not remain a part of the show. He said:

"“The beauty of comic book stories and superhero stories are the conventions that heroes come and go, but they never fade away and they never disappear entirely. So we’re going to treat it like we would if we were writing a comic book graphic novel.”"

The creators will give the character a ‘rest’ for a while, as they figure out how best to re-introduce him to the show. Since Ralph has become such an integral part of Team Flash, the showrunners want to keep the option open to bring this character back. They just don’t know how, as yet.

Dibny’s arc, however, will be concluded. Elongated Man has the ability to shapeshift, which means the showrunners will be able to recast the character for an episode or two, most likely with a stand-in actor, while Dibny wraps up the case of Dearbon’s false accusations.

Though the Dibny character is on indefinite hiatus for now, it’s possible the character will be recast and given a permanent home on Team Flash some time in the future.

Wallace hopes that the humorous send-off for Dibny will ‘honor the character’ and allow fans to bid him a proper farewell.

The Flash Season 7: Yes, Sue Dearbon will be back!

Dreyfuss’ Sue Dearbon has fast become a fan-favourite. The witty, energetic, and no-nonsense character was a perfect foil to the oft-serious Team Flash. She also proved she had a heart of gold by risking everything to team up with Elongated Man and save the day.

At the end of the previous season, Dibny and Dearbon had overcome their acrimonious relationship to move closer towards a romantic one. This arc made sense, considering the two characters are married in the comics.

Considering how intrinsically linked Dibny and Dearbon are, fans have been concerned that Sawyer’s firing would lead to an abrupt end for Dreyfuss’ run on the show. Wallace, however, has allayed fans’ – and Dreyfuss’ – fears.

The Flash Season 7 will clear Dearbon’s name and explore why the character returns to Central City. Dearbon will feature in several episodes. She will be interacting with Team Flash in the next season, in some unusual ways, and she will continue to be hilarious. With Dearbon going solo, the writers have been able to flesh out her backstory, and her arc will be tied to taking down one of the season villains, as well.

Additionally, Wallace hinted that a series regular will undergo an emotional journey in The Flash Season 7. Originally, the unnamed character was supposed to be on a season-long adventure with Dibny, but now that character will be on their own.

So far, we don’t know who this character is. Could it be Cisco Ramon (Carlos Valdes) and his journey to Atlantis? Is it Cecile Horton (Danielle Nicolet), who shared a professional relationship with Dibny to support her new career as a meta-human attorney? It’s possible that Nash Wells (Tom Cavanagh) finally finds closure over the loss of his surrogate daughter.

We can’t wait to find out when The Flash Season 7 airs in 2021.

Are you happy about how the showrunners are approaching The Flash Season 7? Let us know in the comments below.