Surprisingly we never received any teaser or indication of who the big bad of season 8 will be, despite Reverse Flash promising Barry he will be back. We actually have no idea who the next major villain will be.
This is where we come to theory craft on ideas of who will make the biggest impact on the show.
I do believe after how much Godspeed saved season 7, a full season length speedster villain is now in order, so all of my theories will be speedsters.
1. Red Death
This is a villain that fans have been shouting about for quite some time now. In the original comics, Bruce merged with the Speed Force, and ultimately gained Barry’s consciousness, and began killing his Rouges. He’s a beast nonetheless, and obviously with Bruce Wayne donning speed powers only makes him more powerful. This would be a tough test for Barry Allen.
This particular Bruce and Barry come from Earth-52 which does no longer exists due to The CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths, but they could still make this work in another light. The same way they switched up the origins of Savitar from the comics. I think above all else, the suit just looks incredible, and imagine seeing this in live-action would be fantastic, especially considering The CW does an amazing job with their suits.
2. Cobalt Blue
The long-lost twin of Barry Allen would prove a huge test for Barry, and come with massive implications which would be amazing entertainment. Malcolm Thawne was raised by the Thawnes unbeknownst to Nora and the Allen’s. There is a simple cast member they could introduce into this and that would be Rick Cosnett, the man who played Eddie in the opening seasons. The twins don’t need to be identical, and the fact that Rick looks more like the comic version of The Flash could work wonders.
Phil, my colleague suggested this around 3 years ago and it has stuck with me ever since. I think the first part of a major villain is the initial impact, this is something that would have a detrimental impact not just on Barry, but the West’s as well. Not to mention how brutal Cobalt Blue actually is would be incredible to see, and also again, the suit would be mesmerizing.
3. Daniel West
The origins of Daniel would prove difficult in the current earth due to the fact in the comics, Iris supported Daniel after his father was violent. Something we know Joe isn’t in the show. Plus, Daniel hasn’t been mentioned and we’ve already gone down the long lost son route with the show’s version of Wally. However, this could still work in a big way. They could run it down that Daniel is unknown to the West’s after Joe had another fling, it would be cliche but it could work.
This again would prove amazing entertainment seeing Daniel not be like Wally, but be an absolute brutal villain who doesn’t care for love and relationships, and instead, hell bent on revenge. In the comics, Daniel is the second Reverse Flash, which could also work if Tom Cavanagh doesn’t want to return in my next point below.
4. Reverse Flash
A man that needs no introduction into the show. Tom Cavanagh has done an amazing job as Eobard Thawne throughout the shows run, and this is why I think he could easily return for another full season. Tom did leave the show in season 7, but the showrunners have said the door will remain open for him to return at any point.
Reverse Flash is still around as we saw in the closing scenes of season 7, which does make me wonder if they could be setting this up. I would love it considering we know about Eobard, what he’s capable of, and more. The show could work by bringing him back for a full season. After all, he’s still running around, so ultimately the rivalry there still hasn’t ended, and the war hasn’t been won, despite Barry winning battles.
5. Godspeed
I called this one in my season review which you can read here. Godspeed saved season 7 from being one of the worst seasons to exist, and he definitely didn’t get enough time to properly shine as he can do. I believe a story in where Barry goes back to find August before he becomes a speedster, where he’s still just a Detective, in a bid to prevent him from even becoming Godspeed, which will result in just that happening anyway.
Karan Oberoi is a great choice for the character, and I do believe Godspeed does deserve the full arc in order for the fans to fully invest in the villain from the offset. This is one of my major wants for season 8. After all, Godspeed was only rendered unconscious after his and Barry’s lightsaber battle, so the door is more than open for us to see Godspeed next season. I just hope the character gets the spotlight he deserves.
There we have it, folks! Who would you like to see in the next season? Let me know down in the comments below.
