The Flash released quite the mysterious new trailer for its Season 4 premiere episode, and beyond the new facial hair for what might be Barry Allen, fans probably noticed that the trailer was absent of science genius Julian Albert, since actor Tom Felton isn't returning to the show. And while that was already known, it's still unclear how The Flash will actually handle the character's exit. Thankfully, showrunner Todd Helbing shared a little light on the situation, and we won't have to wait long to learn new info.
You'll see pretty quickly --- there's a reason why he's no longer with the team.
Now, "pretty quickly" doesn't necessarily mean we'll discover new info about Julian during the season premiere, but by all means, we could. Perhaps after Barry has gotten used to being back on the outside of the Speed Force, he'll voice his concerns about Julian not being around anymore. And then Cisco or Iris can drop whatever info-bomb explains why Team Flash lost its Season 3 addition, who also happened to unwittingly serve as Savitar's minion as Alchemy for a while.
But what could the reason actually be? Perhaps there's something happening with his family?Did Barry's entry into the Speed Force inspire him to go out into the world and do some selfless good of his own? Did Killer Frost ice him up in her basement? Or maybe he had to admit himself into a mental asylum after seeing all the madness that went on in Season 3. I'd be pumped if they explained Julian's absence by saying he went off to join a fantasy movie about a boy wizard.
For fans hoping that Julian isn't gone for good, Todd Helbing raised some hopes when talking to TVLine, though nothing that should inspire overwhelming optimism for Tom Felton's immediate return.
There's always the chance that we can see anybody on this show return. We've had a lot of characters come and go for various reasons, and I don't think this will be any different.
Indeed, Julian Albert's return wouldn't be too surprising, since The Flash often sends villains and others away for a while before welcoming them back in future episodes whenever the actors are available. Plus, we know that Julian stuck around for many years after this in one timeline, as seen whenever Barry traveled to the futurelast season. That's obviously not the future we're heading to in this main timeline, since Barry defeated Savitar and all, but it's still worth considering.
With new characters that will fill the void left by Tom Felton's Julian, The Flash will return to The CW for Season 4 starting on Tuesday, October 10, to be followed by the Season 3 premiere of Legends of Tomorrow. To see all the other shows that Tom Felton won't show up in, head to our fall TV schedule.
