The Flash: Tom Cavanagh reveals why he decided to leave the show
Tom Cavanagh, who has played various doppelgangers of Harrison Wells and the Reverse-Flash on The CW superhero drama, discusses his exit from The Flash.
It was recently revealed by Deadline that both Carlos Valdes and Tom Cavanagh will be exiting The Flash as series regulars during the seventh season.
Cavanagh has since followed up on that announcement with an interview with Entertainment Weekly, giving his thoughts as to what was behind his decision to leave the show.
Why is Tom Cavanagh leaving The Flash?
According to Cavanagh it was during the show’s fifth season that he realized he was ready to make his exit and he actually planned to depart during last year’s sixth season, but the pandemic complicated things. He commented:
"“I thought after [in a French accent] Sherloque was tracking down himself, the Reverse-Flash [in season 5], even early on in that season, ‘Yeah, this feels like I’m heading towards exit now.’ I thought [that would be] a perfect denouement.”"
He also revealed that he thought he would be leaving after the first season came to an end but that the multiverse idea resulted in him staying on – and this inevitably created various different iterations of the Harrison Wells character for him to play.
Cavanagh then made it clear that it was indeed his decision to exit and he believes that, while the Harrison Wells characters have been fun, the show is about The Flash and will survive without him.
He spoke about how lucky he felt to able to play a character like the Reverse-Flash, highlighting the character’s staying power as the Scarlet Speedster’s archenemy, comparing him to Superman’s Lex Luthor or Batman’s The Joker.
"“To put on a supersuit is a box you see checked by some actors these days with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC, but it’s a really small club when you think about who gets to put one on in the millions of actors out there. Not only a supersuit but an iconic one like the yellow Reverse Flash.”"
Tom Cavanagh’s Arrowverse return in Superman and Lois
Cavanagh won’t be far from The CW nor the Arrowverse as he confirmed that he was asked to direct the season finale of Superman & Lois. The actor is familiar with the prospect of working behind the scenes on the shared universe as he has directed three episodes of The Flash, including the 100th episode.
He revealed that he won’t shy away from returning to The Flash when it ultimately concludes, adding that “when Greg Berlanti calls, I don’t think there’s ever any hesitation”.
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What are your thoughts on Tom Cavanagh making his exit from The Flash? Would you like to see him to come back as a guest star? Is it the right time for Cavanagh to leave The Flash? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!