The Flash season 8 ending explained: Is [SPOILER] coming back in season 9?

The Flash season 8 concluded on a shocking note. Does it mean we’ll see the return of one particular character in season 9?

Season 8 of The Flash has been a trying one for Barry Allen and Team Flash. It opened with a five-part “Armageddon” crossover that saw Central City at the mercy of the alien Despero, who was convinced that the Scarlet Speedster was set to bring about the end of days. What he didn’t know was that it was really Reverse-Flash who had engineered the whole thing.

Defeating Despero and Reverse-Flash, however, simply paved the way for a greater threat for Team Flash, as the Negative Forces rose from Thawne’s defeat, getting revenge on Barry for eradicating the Negative Speed Force – and using Iris’ Time Sickness to do it.

It all culminated in an epic battle between The Flash and the revived Reverse-Flash, who now possessed all of the power of the Negative Forces. And when the dust settled, it left a mysterious question about the future of the show.

Does The Flash season 8 tease the return of Eddie Thawne?

The season finale, titled “Negative, Part Two”, saw Barry Allen defeat his archenemy once and for all, ending the Reverse-Flash’s reign of terror. However, the episode’s closing scene also made it clear that we hadn’t seen the last of the Negative Forces and that they would likely choose a new avatar at some point in time.

Speaking of points in time, the finale cut to 2049, revealing a blue crystal that began glowing as Barry and Iris discussed the new avatar via voiceover. Is this indicating the arrival of a new speedster in season 9 – one that could wield the Negative Speed Force?

As far as blue goes, one character that fans often associate with that color is Cobalt Blue – a character from DC Comics named Malcolm Thawne who is actually the long lost twin brother of Barry Allen. In the comics, Malcolm is resentful that his brother had a much happier life than he did, and ultimately wields the Blue Flame – through the use of a powerful blue medallion.

While Malcolm doesn’t exist in The Flash, there has been a long-running fan theory that Eddie Thawne could return as a variation of the character. Portrayed by Rick Cosnett, Eddie was a regular on season 1. Iris’ fiancee, he ultimately sacrificed himself when he discovered he was an ancestor of Eobard Thawne’s, hoping that his own death would erase the evil speedster from the timeline.

Should he return in the present and be corrupted by the Negative Speed Force, it’s likely that he would feel anger and jealousy when he discovers that Iris is now married to Barry, recreating much of Cobalt Blue’s arc from the comics.

Is Rick Cosnett returning as Eddie Thawne in The Flash season 9?

What makes this theory all the more plausible is the real possibility that Rick Cosnett could return in The Flash season 9. Having already reprised his role for three episodes in season 8 (via flashback and a Deathstrom grief phantom), it was revealed that he could return to do more episodes in the ninth season.

Given that the Deathstorm arc has been wrapped up for some time and the flashback episode was a one-and-done story, it’s unlikely that his potential return in season 9 would have anything to do with those. With that in mind, could we finally see Cosnett play Cobalt Blue, bringing to life that long-standing fan theory?

We’ll have to wait and see.

What did you think of The Flash season 8’s finale? Are you excited for season 9? Let us know in the comments below!