When The Flash returns for Season 2 on Oct. 6, Barry Allen won’t be the only one running through Central City. In fact, the young hero will be joined by not one but three other speedsters, that we know of thus far!

So how does the CW series keep Barry’s story special and unique when there’s people zipping in from all sorts of places and timelines?

“We didn’t want Barry to get lonely so we thought we’d bring in some more speedsters,” executive producer Gabrielle Stanton tells TVLine. “It’s always Barry’s journey. The Flash is always about Barry, but these people who come in will show us different ways that The Flash can be.”

For starters, blast from the past Jay Garrick (played by Masters of Sex‘s Teddy Sears) — the first DC Comics character to take on the Flash persona — will represent “another version” of the scarlet speedster. “He’s going to be Barry’s mentor a little bit and help him really reach his potential” as the costumed superhero, Stanton previews.

Then there’s Wally West (Dance Academy‘s Keiynan Lonsdale), who in comics lore becomes the hero known as Kid Flash. Stanton is mum on how he will be introduced into the show, but hints at “a very interesting and close relationship” between the newbie, Barry and the rest of the team.

Not to be outdone by all the fast-moving heroes, Season 2’s Big Bad will also ramp up his speed. “Zoom is just scary as all hell,” Stanton says of the new nemesis. And although he may resemble Eobard Thawne upon first impression, Stanton promises there will be no mistaking him for Barry’s previous foe once he’s introduced.

“Zoom is going to be very different in terms of motivation, in terms of what he wants from The Flash, in terms of why he’s doing what he’s doing,” the EP teases. “I know a lot of people are thinking, ‘[Zoom and Reverse Flash] were so similar in the comics. What’s going to make them different?’ I guarantee no one will confuse him for one second with what we did last year. It’s actually much more different than people would think.”

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