Changes are afoot at The CW, whose upcoming The Flash series is slated to get a standalone pilot after its lead character is introduced in Arrow.
The original plan for The Flash was to introduce protagonist Barry Allen, played by Glee‘s Grant Gustin, in Arrow episodes 8 and 9, which have already been shot. Episode 20 was then intended to serve as a backdoor pilot.
But after cuts of Arrow episodes 8 and 9 were particularly well-received by network higher ups, The CW has decided to nix the backdoor approach and instead film a traditional standalone pilot, reports Deadline.
With Allen’s Arrow episodes serving as his origin story, the costumed Flash will now debut in the new pilot rather than in Arrow. Arrow co-creators Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg will be behind the new Flash pilot, with series writer Geoff Johns penning and David Nutter, who also helmed the Arrow pilot, directing.
There are no indications of what shape Arrow episode 20 will take now, though the Arrow staff is expected to discuss the episode with the network this week.
The standalone Flash pilot will allow for greater world building for the speedster hero, though Allen’s story will still take place in the same universe as Arrow.
On Arrow, Allen, an assistant police forensics investigator for Central City, arrives in Starling to investigate “a series of unexplained robberies that may have a connection to a tragedy in his past.” Also a comic book fanboy, Allen is a big fan of the Arrow. However, he is unaware that teaming up with Oliver and Felicity “has brought him right into the dangerous world of the vigilante.”
The synopsis for Gustin’s introduction as Barry Allen in Arrow season 2, episode 8 “The Scientist” reads:
BARRY ALLEN COMES TO STARLING CITY — A seemingly impossible robbery at Queen Consolidated’s Applied Sciences Division brings Central City police scientist Barry Allen (guest star Grant Gustin) to town. Citing a similar case back home, Barry offers to help Oliver (Stephen Amell) and team with the investigation. Oliver senses there is more to Barry than meets the eye, but he’s distracted by the similarities between this current case and something that happened on the island. Meanwhile, Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) takes a liking to Barry, which doesn’t go unnoticed by Oliver. Sin (guest star Bex Taylor-Klaus) asks Roy (Colton Haynes) for help when a friend of hers goes missing. Roy is surprised when Thea (Willa Holland) not only encourages him to help, but joins the search. Unfortunately, Sin’s friend is connected to Brother Blood (guest star Kevin Alejandro), and their search ultimately gets one of them seriously injured. Michael Schultz directed the episode with story by Greg Berlanti & Andrew Kresiberg and teleplay by Andrew Kreisberg & Geoff Johns (#208).
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Arrow season 2, episode 8 “The Scientist” airs Wednesday, December 4 at 8:00 p.m. ET on The CW.
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