The Flash season 4: A new writer and the Supergirl connection
In a post on Twitter, Sterling Gates (an excellent name for a writer) confirmed that he joining the staff this weekend, and is sharing an office with Thomas Pound. Why this matters is that Gates is already prominent within the DC Comics writing world already, especially when it comes to various comics centered around Supergirl. Sure, that’s another character separate from The Flash with her own show, but we do think that any opportunity to bring in a prominent DC writing figure into the show is an opportunity you seize and celebrate. Gates knows what it takes to create great stories, and how to write for characters in a way that pleases fans. This is especially true for the Vibe character, since he’s written towards that role in the past, as well.
When creating a show like The Flash, one of the goals is to always honor the source material, while also still finding ways to stand out on your own. Gates will bring some of that comic-book know-how, and could do his best to find ways to connect stories back to the source material. Given that this season we’ve got a pretty prominent comic villain in The Thinker / Clifford DeVoe coming on board, that may be all the more important.
Alas, it will still probably be a while since we see the fruits of Gates’ labor, given that The Flash season 4 does not premiere until October on The CW.
Where is the show now in filming?
As of right now, they’ve been filming for a handful of days! The Flash was the first of the DC series to start filming in Vancouver, though Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl have all since followed. The primary push of the first episode should be finding a way to get Barry Allen out of the Speed Force and back to Central City; beyond that, the characters can start to think more in terms of DeVoe and how to build up that story. At present, one of the big mysteries with the show is how to introduce him — they can either paint him as a villain who is born somehow out of the Savitar aftermath, or that he’s some long-simmering villain who’s been spending the past few years building up his strength and ability.
What we know for now is that DeVoe is not someone that the STAR Labs team has ever known about off-screen, given that Barry seemed surprised by the name when Abra Kadabra mentioned him. We do still hope that the team has spent some time preparing to fight him, given that there is an awareness now that he’s lurking somewhere in the shadows.
While you wait for more news…
Be sure to head over here! After all, that is where you can see our story archive and start to understand more everything that we’ve written about to date. (Photo: The CW.)