The Flash season 4: John Wesley Shipp returning as Jay Garrick

John Wesley

There’s no longer a reason to wonder about the future of John Wesley Shipp on The Flash season 4. While we haven’t seen Jay Garrick yet this season, the actor confirms to Digital Spy that he will be back and we couldn’t be happier about it!

So what form will this return take? Part of the fun here comes in figuring that out. Remember that Jay is the Flash over on Earth-3, so getting him back is not all that altogether easy a feat. For one, you have to find the right justification to bring him back. Everyone knows that Jay has his own responsibilities back on his earth and Barry and company cannot request his help with just a common criminal.

One intriguing possibility would be seeing if the character could be a secret weapon in the battle with the season 4 Big Bad The Thinker. After all, this is a man who claims to have mapped out every possible variable — is he going to have really mapped out one in which Barry Allen recruits help from a speedster on another Earth in order to devise a plan to take him down?

There are a few pretty good reasons as to why bringing Jay back to The Flash seems to be a good ideas.

1. Nostalgia – Anytime that you can bring the star of the 1990’s version now in the present day we like to think that this is a good thing. To many fans, The Flash is a constant celebration of nostalgia, especially for those who grew up on the comic books. This is just an extension of that.

2. The Henry Allen connection – While Jay may not be Barry Allen’s biological father, he looks just like the man who is. As a result of that there is something interesting that comes with getting to see him working alongside Grant Gustin. (Granted, it does also remind us of when Zoom killed Henry back in season 2, arguably the saddest moment of the entire series to date.)

3. Practicality – Sometimes, you just need another speedster! Sure, we’re well aware of the fact that there is already Kid Flash on Earth-1, but Jay has a ton of experience and speedster knowledge that can be tapped into.

Excited to see John Wesley Shipp back on The Flash season 4? Is there anything that you’re hoping to see out of the Jay Garrick character? Sound off now in the comments!

Also, don’t forget that the Crisis on Earth-X superhero crossover event is going to be airing starting on Monday — if you’re a fan of The Flash you’re going to want to watch all of it in order to stay up to date with what is going on! You can get some speculation about Barry and Iris by heading over here.

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