The Flash Season 7 release date, trailer, cast, plot of the CW's flagship show

This article about Season 7 of the series The Flash was originally published on June 9, 2020 and updated on December 27, 2021 following the release of the season on The CW. Read on for the original article, with some new changes to reflect the latest updates on this topic.

The CW renewed The Flash for Season 7 in January 2020, which was unsurprising considering it’s been the network’s highest-rated series for six seasons straight. The series capped off its sixth season in May, three episodes short of its original 22-episode order.

Since the unintended Season 6 finale aired, The Flash saw some behind-the-scenes changes that impacted the story. The series not only faced several months of delays, which pushed back its production start date from July to October, but its tentative premiere date (initially scheduled for January 2021) was also postponed due to the constantly changing filming start dates.

Here’s everything we know so far about Season 7 of The Flash, including the final release date, cast, plot, and more.

When was the release date for The Flash Season 7?

The Flash Season 7 has historically premiered in October, but 2020 has disrupted the usual cadence of TV productions, leaving fans without their beloved series for months on end. However, after months of uncertainty, Season 7 premiered on The CW on Tuesday, February 23, 2021.

Who appeared in the cast of The Flash Season 7?

All of the original cast members — Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Jesse L. Martin, Tom Cavanagh, Carlos Valdes, and Danielle Panabaker — returned. Danielle Nicolet, who was upped to series regular in Season 5, also returned for Season 7.

Recurring actors Kayla Compton and Brandon McKnight were promoted to series regulars. Victoria Park, who joined The Flash as recurring character Kamilla Hwang in Season 5, also returned in Season 7 but was not promoted to a regular cast member. New recurring/guest characters for Season 7 include Jordan Fisher as Bart Allen/Impulse and Jon Cor as Mark Stevens/Chillbane.

Who left the cast of The Flash in Season 7?

While many previous cast members returned for The Flash Season 7, Hartley Sawyer did not. Sawyer, who played Ralph Dibny and the superhero Elongated Man, was fired from the show after a slew of racist and misogynist tweets came to light. Read the joint statement from The CW, producers Warner Bros. TV and Berlanti Productions below (via THR):

“Hartley Sawyer will not be returning for season seven of The Flash. In regards to Mr. Sawyer's posts on social media, we do not tolerate derogatory remarks that target any race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, or sexual orientation. Such remarks are antithetical to our values and policies, which strive and evolve to promote a safe, inclusive and productive environment for our workforce."

The Flash showrunner Eric Wallace also posted a message about Sawyer’s firing to Twitter, which you can read below:

Additionally, Season 7 saw the final appearances of both Carlos Valdes and Tom Cavanagh. Cavanagh was originally supposed to leave the series after Season 6, but returned for the first three episodes to conclude the arcs of his many characters. Valdes departed the series in Episode 12.

What is the plot of The Flash Season 7?

The end of Season 6 saw Team Flash trying (and failing) to stop Eva and get Iris out of the Mirrorverse, with not much forward movement with either. Eva succeeded in killing her husband, and it’s unclear what her other plans for Central City entail. Meanwhile, Iris was working with Kamilla to find Singh and escape.

However, the longer Iris was inside the mirror world, the worse her neural dissonance became, and the unintended Season 6 finale ended with her vanishing right before Kamilla’s eyes. The very next episode would have revealed where she would have gone, but now fans will have to wait a lot longer to find out.

Season 7 was broken into two “Graphic Novel” storyline arcs, known as the third and fourth graphic novel, respectively. This continues the naming conventions established in Season 6. The first three episodes were still set back in Graphic Novel 2, leftover material from the previous season before production shuttered. Barry made his way into the Mirrorverse to rescue Iris, while Nash sacrificed himself to restore Barry’s speed. The arc also writes Ralph Dibny and Sue Dearborn off the show, as they leave to travel the world and stop other organizations in the vein of Black Hole.

In Graphic Novel #3, “God Complex,” Team Flash faces Psych, a villain who uses fear waves. He’s able to successfully incapacitate Barry, as he tries to reconcile with past demons to take him out. He also meets a version of the Speed Force, who takes the form of his late mother, Nora. Meanwhile, Caitlin gets physically separated from her alter ego of Frost and debates whether they should recombine or stay separated.

Then came a three-episode “Interlude,” which saw Cisco leaving Team Flash and the group getting into more episodic adventures. The final four episodes were Graphic Novel #4, known as “The Godspeed Imperative,” has six Godspeed clones inflicting havoc on Central City. Barry brings back his future daughter Nora, as well as his new future son Bart, to help.

Is there a trailer for The Flash Season 7?

Yes, there is! Sort of. The Season 7 trailer is technically the footage from what was meant to be Season6’ss 20th episode. However, that episode served as the show’s Season 7 premiere. Since the episode was mostly complete, there is plenty of new footage for fans to see. Check it out below!

What happened at the end of Season 6 of The Flash?

Season 6 ended on a cliffhanger that saw Iris West-Allen disappear from the Mirrorverse altogether, and Eva McCulloch, the season's big bad, wins a major battle.

However, the Season 6 finale was unintended, and the Arrowverse series was three episodes shy of completing its original 22-episode order. Expect to see those three final episodes of Season 6 before the series embarks on any brand-new Season 7 storylines.

Where can I watch The Flash Season 7 online?

All seven seasons of The Flash are currently available to stream on Netflix, so get to binging.

Was The Flash renewed for Season 8?

Yes! In February 2021, before Season 7 even premiered, The CW renewed The Flash for Season 8. It premiered on November 16, 2021.

The Flash Seasons 1-7 are currently available on Netflix.