When Iris West and her father Joe were announced as main characters in The Flash, comic book fans immediately began wondering when Wally West, one of the most important characters in the Scarlet Speedster mythos, would be introduced. Although there was no reference to him during Season 1, The Flash’s executive producers have teased Wally coming to the show on several occasions. Now we’ve learned that Australian actor Keiynan Lonsdale will play Wally when the show returns for Season 2 in the fall.
The CW revealed today that Lonsdale has been added as a series regular for The Flash Season 2. Although the announcement acknowledged Wally’s tenure as both Kid Flash and Flash in the comics, they didn’t disclose whether he would follow the same path on the TV series. Obviously Wally becoming a superhero is nearly a sure thing, but if The CW and DC are playing coy, we may have to wait a while to see him show off his super speed.
Wally West was introduced in 1959 as Iris West’s nephew who gained his super speed in an accident similar to Barry Allen’s. For years, he fought as Kid Flash alongside Barry and the Teen Titans. After Barry “died” in the 1985 miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths, Wally inherited his mentor’s legacy and served as the Flash for over 20 years. In the New 52, Wally is back to being a teenager, and while he hasn’t become a speedster yet, a future version of him briefly became Kid Flash (as seen above). Wally’s most notable appearances in other media include the animated shows Justice League, Justice League Unlimited and Young Justice.
Because Lonsdale and Candice Patton are only four years apart, it’s extremely unlikely Iris will be Wally’s aunt. There was also no mention of Iris having a sibling in Season 1, so exactly what their relationship will be in the series is unclear. However, let’s not forget that Season 2 will be exploring alternate universes. Perhaps the Wally that Lonsdale is playing isn’t from The Flash’s main world, but Earth 2 (where Jay Garrick hails) or another Earth where Iris either has a brother or is old enough that he is her nephew. It will also be interesting to see what his relationship with Barry Allen is like, given there isn’t much of an age difference between them either.
Lonsdale's resume includes playing Ollie in the TV series Dance Academy and Uriah in The Divergent Series: Insurgent. He is the sixth new actor that’s been announced for Season 2, following Teddy Sears as Jay Garrick, Shantel VanSanten as Patty Spivot, Michael Ironside as Lewis Snart, Adam Copeland as Atom Smasher and Falk Hentschel as Hawkman (who will appear in the crossover with Arrow).
The Flash Season 2 will debut on Tuesday, October 6, in its normal timeslot on The CW.
