The Flash: Matt Letscher returning as Reverse-Flash

The Flash type TV Show network The CW genre Superhero Where to watch Close Streaming Options

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As if Barry Allen didn’t have enough on his plate with villain Zoom wrecking havoc on Central City, now he’ll have another speedster to contend with in the new year: Reverse-Flash!

No, we’re not talking about Tom Cavanagh yellow-suiting it up once again. EW has learned exclusively that Matt Letscher will be returning to The Flash as Barry’s nemesis, Eobard Thawne, otherwise known as the Reverse-Flash.

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A brief refresher from last season: Letscher’s Eobard Thawne traveled back in time and killed Barry’s (Grant Gustin) mother before getting trapped in that era. Eobard then absorbed Harrison Wells’ (Cavanagh) DNA to take on his persona, and trained Barry to be fast enough to tap into the Speed Force so he could return home. But his ancestor Eddie Thawne (Rick Cosnett) killed himself, effectively erasing Eobard from the timeline. So, considering the original Reverse-Flash met his maker last season, we may be looking at a speedster from a different Earth.

Here’s what executive producer Todd Helbing, who penned the episode featuring Letscher’s return with Aaron Helbing, would reveal: “His impossible return to Central City puts a member of the S.T.A.R. Labs team in unexpected danger, forcing Barry to make a life-changing decision.”

Letscher (Scandal, The Carrie Diaries) is slated to appear in episode 211, which is fittingly titled “The Reverse-Flash Returns.”

The Flash returns Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.