Catch up with Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker, and more of your favorite stars from the Arrowverse’s longest-running show

Where is the cast of The Flash now? See what the stars have been up to since leaving the Arrowverse

Catch up with Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker, and more of your favorite stars from the Arrowverse’s longest-running show

By Daysia Tolentino

Daysia Tolentino

Daysia Tolentino is a writer at *. *She has written for * *since 2025. Her work has appeared in NBC News, Vulture, GQ, and InStyle.

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August 4, 2026 8:00 a.m. ET

Candice Patton, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Carlos Valdes, Danielle Panabaker, and Grant Gustin on ‘The Flash’. Credit:

Jack Rowand/The CW

When *The Flash *premiered on October 7, 2014, it officially ushered in the greater Arrowverse, the CW’s universe of interconnected DC Comics superhero shows.

After impressing network executives with his two-episode cameo as a powerless Barry Allen in season 2 of *Arrow,* Grant Gustin was tapped for a full pilot featuring the Scarlet Speedster. Five new shows, two web series, and numerous crossovers followed, turning the Arrowverse into one of the most successful franchises on television.

It all starts when Barry (Gustin), a forensic crime scene investigator for the Central City Police Department, gets struck by lightning charged with dark matter. After spending nine months in a coma, he awakens in S.T.A.R. Labs with the power of superhuman speed, surrounded by lab engineers Caitlin Snow (Danielle Panabaker) and Cisco Ramon (Carlos Valdes), as well as its founder, Dr. Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh).

Over the course of nine seasons, Barry — alongside his best friend and future wife Iris West (Candice Patton) and S.T.A.R. allies — travels through timelines fighting evil and causing (well-meaning!) chaos.

Here’s what the cast has been up to since the series ended in 2023.

Grant Gustin (Barry Allen/The Flash)

Grant Gustin as Barry Allen; Gustin at the premiere of ‘Drop’.

Diyah Pera/The CW; JC Olivera/FilmMagic

For nine years, Grant Gustin ran circles around fans’ hearts as the awkward but affable Barry Allen, a forensic investigator for the Central City Police Department who moonlights as The Flash.

Barry goes through the entire hero’s journey several times over — defeating various Big Bads, crossing various timelines, and jumping across the 52 Earths. But Gustin actually got his start in theater, playing Baby John in the national tour for *West Side Story *in 2010. *The Flash* was Gustin’s first starring role, but he previously made waves on TV as Sebastian Smythe, the snarky leader of the Dalton Academy Warblers on *Glee *(2011–2013).

After *The Flash *ended in 2023, Gustin returned to the stage. He made his Broadway debut in *Water for Elephants* in 2024, playing the lead role in the musical adaptation of Sara Gruen’s bestselling novel, opposite Isabelle McCalla.

He’s been relatively inactive since then — which makes sense considering he welcomed his second child with wife Andrea Thoma just over a week after exiting the show. The actor, who first became a father in 2021, told EW in 2023 that family time was a major factor in his decision to end *The Flash.*

“I just knew it was time for me to step away, have more time with my family, and just enter this next chapter of my life,” he said.

He and Thoma have been together since 2016 and got married in 2018.

Grant Gustin says goodbye to 'The Flash' — and the Arrowverse

How the first Arrowverse crossover inspired 'The Flash' season 8's 'Armaggedon' event

Candice Patton (Iris West)

Candice Patton in ‘The Flash’; Patton at the Barbara Berlanti Heroes Gala in 2022.

Katie Yu/The CW; Gilbert Flores/Getty

Barry is nothing without his partner-in-crime and life, Iris. Played by Candice Patton, Iris is Barry’s best friend-turned-lover and emotional rock. Over the course of nine seasons, fans see Iris go from an ingénue to leader in more ways than one.

From a fledgling reporter at Central City Picture News to the founder of her own newspaper, the *Central City Citizen*, and from a frequent damsel in distress to the leader of Team Flash, Iris became a formidable force in her own right.

So was Patton, whose casting was a major step forward for representation in the DC Universe, despite backlash from fans. Reflecting on the racism that she faced for the role, Patton explained to EW in 2023* *why it was important to stay the course.

“It’s never been easy, and I think it’s still hard. It’s getting easier, we’re talking about it a lot more," she said. "But I had to learn a lot through trial and error, and I’m really proud of myself, of what I was able to accomplish, and how I was able to advocate for myself while I was there.”

Now a TV veteran of more than two decades, Patton made her screen debut on *The Young and the Restless* before landing appearances on other soaps like *The Bold and the Beautiful* and *Days of Our Lives.* The Mississippi native went on to book a string of guest spots on *Entourage*, *Grey’s Anatomy, One Tree Hill*, *Harry’s Law, *and *About a Boy*.

In September 2024, Patton welcomed her first child with former NBA player J.R. Smith.

Danielle Panabaker (Caitlin Snow/Killer Frost/Khione)

Danielle Panabaker in ‘The Flash’; Panabaker at the Summer Solstice Brunch in 2025.

Katie Yu/The CW; River Callaway/Getty

Danielle Panabaker had the tall order of playing three different characters: mild-mannered bioengineer Dr. Caitlin Snow, villain-turned-ally Killer Frost, and pacifist nature goddess Khione.

Panabaker first broke through with Disney Channel movies and the family flick *Yours, Mine & Ours *(2005), opposite Dennis Quaid and Rene Russo. Her big-screen work got substantially darker starting with the twisty serial killer thriller *Mr. Brooks *(2007).

She followed that with a run as something of a scream queen, rattling off remakes of *Friday the 13th *(2009) and *The Crazies *(2010) in addition to John Carpenter’s *The Ward *(2010).

When the decision to end *The Flash* was made, the Georgia native said she didn’t believe it at first, citing Gustin’s varied attempts to end the series in the past.

“It’s certainly the longest show I’ve ever done,” she told EW in 2023, “but I know that the people I’m close with, I will continue to have a relationship with and get to talk to and hopefully see again, so it didn’t necessarily feel like it needed to be one big goodbye for me.”

The actress recently returned to the CW for the rom-com *Second Guessing Fate *(2025), where she play an unlucky-in-love woman who gets insight into her romantic life from a fortune teller.

Panabaker has been married to entertainment lawyer Hayes Robbins since 2017. The couple have two children.

Carlos Valdes (Cisco Ramon/Vibe)

Carlos Valdes in ‘The Flash’; Valdes at the Fan Expo Chicago in 2025.

Diyah Pera/The CW; Daniel Boczarski/Getty

Carlos Valdes became a fan favorite as the big-hearted, quick-witted, hero-naming Cisco. Introduced to viewers as a genius engineer at S.T.A.R. Labs, Cisco helped build all of the tech for The Flash before becoming a metahuman himself. As Vibe, Cisco could psychically see events through time and space by touching an object.

Right before landing on the CW hit, Valdes had established himself on the stage, including a Broadway role in *Once*.

After seven seasons, Valdes exited the series, with his character moving away with his girlfriend to live a new life. The actor shared his reasoning for leaving with EW in 2021: “For me to step away from the show, it’s a way of me taking care of myself.”

After departing the show, the Colombian-American actor popped up on the Watergate-inspired political thriller series *Gaslit* opposite Julia Roberts and Sean Penn. He also starred in the short-lived romantic musical series *Up Here* with Mae Whitman before returning to Broadway in 2025 as Orpheus in *Hadestown.*

He and Whitman welcomed their first child in August 2024, a fact revealed by the new mom’s *Parenthood* costar Lauren Graham.

Tom Cavanagh (Dr. Harrison Wells/Eobard Thawne/Reverse Flash)

Tom Cavanagh in ‘The Flash’; Cavanagh at a benefit concert in 2023.

Katie Yu/The CW; Dia Dipasupil/Getty

Perhaps the only actor to come close to Panabaker’s role-juggling, Tom Cavanagh memorably played S.T.A.R. Labs founder Dr. Harrison Wells and his many multiversal variants. Cavanagh also played the Flash’s nemesis Eobard Thawne, better known as the Reverse-Flash, who traveled back in time intending to kill Barry as a child but instead murdered his mother.

Before joining the Arrowverse, Cavanagh was no stranger to television, having held lead roles on *Ed, Love Monkey , *and *Trust Me* in addition to guest arcs on *Scrubs* and *Royal Pains. *

The veteran actor left *The Flash* as a series regular after season 6, scaling back to a recurring role in subsequent seasons.

“There’s only a few that pulled a decade of duty, and I’m not one of them. Carlos and I made a decision to head out at the same time, both of us proceeding from gratitude at what we’ve been given, but also the sense of trying not to overstay your welcome,” he told EW in 2023. “That sometimes is difficult, but in my case, because I’m the Reverse-Flash, I’ve got to stir the pot and destroy Central City now and again.”

The Canadian actor subsequently appeared on the mystery series *Mistletoe Murders* and the procedural *FBI. *He also stars alongside Brooke Shields in the 2026 Acorn TV series *You’re Killing Me. *

Cavanagh has been married to sports photographer Maureen Grise since 2004. They share four children.

Jesse L. Martin (Joe West)

Jesse L. Martin in ‘The Flash’; Martin at the Fashion Awards in 2024.

Cate Cameron/The CW; Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/Getty

Jesse L. Martin was the face of law and order (pun intended) long before he portrayed the loyal Detective Joe West, Iris’ father and a father figure to Barry Allen.

Martin broke through in the original Broadway production of *Rent *in 1996, and even reprised his role in the 2005 movie adaptation*.*

Shortly after beginning his professional stage career, he began making a name for himself on television as Detective Ed Green on *Law & Order*. Prior to stepping into Detective West’s sensible loafers, Martin went back to his musical roots for a season of the Broadway-inspired series *Smash*.

Martin stepped back as a series regular for *The Flash*’s final season to star on the NBC procedural *The Irrational* as a behavioral scientist who helps solve crimes with his insight into human irrationality.

Despite initially planning to take a break from TV and return to stage acting, he told the *New York Times* he joined the show because it was an opportunity to play a lead.

Keiynan Lonsdale (Wally West/Kid Flash)

Keiynan Lonsdale in ‘The Flash’; Lonsdale the Sydney Opening Night Of “MJ The Musical”.

Jack Rowand/The CW; Hanna Lassen/Getty

Wally West came as a surprise in season 2, popping up as Joe’s long-lost son — and Iris’ brother. Keiynan Lonsdale added perfect little-brother energy to Team Flash, appropriately taking on the title of Kid Flash after adopting the same speedster powers as Barry.

Lonsdale split his tenure in the Arrowverse between *The Flash* and *DC’s* *Legends of Tomorrow* before stepping down as a series regular on both shows in 2018. Lonsdale came out as queer shortly before leaving *The Flash. *

He addressed his departure on Instagram, writing, “I’ve changed a lot in the past year (as you’ve probably noticed lol), and for infinite reasons my perspective on life & what I want from it now is just completely different. Because of that, my heart told me it was the right time to continue my journey on an unknown path, and I’m so damn grateful to both shows for honouring & respecting that with me.”

The Australian actor has featured in a few LGBTQ+ romances, including *Love, Simon *(2018) and *My Fake Boyfriend *(2022). In 2026, he appeared in the miniseries *Run*, based on Australian bank robber Brenden Abbott, a.k.a. the Postcard Bandit.**

Danielle Nicolet (Cecile Horton/Virtue)

Danielle Nicolet in ‘The Flash’; Nicolet at the NAMI Mental Health Gala in 2025.

Katie Yu/The CW; Amy Sussman/Getty

When Danielle Nicolet first appeared as District Attorney Horton, her character was in disbelief about the existence of metahumans. Soon afterward, she dove headfirst into their world, assisting Team Flash and growing close to her future fiancé, Joe West.

The couple went on to have a daughter, Jenna, with Cecile gaining powers of her own during the pregnancy. She later became Virtue, possessing and wielding psychic abilities.

First breaking through in a major recurring role on *3rd Rock from the Sun*, Nicolet appeared on several short-lived shows throughout the aughts, including *Second Time Around, Heartland, *and *The Starter Wife*.

Following her guest appearances in *The Flash*’s inaugural season, Nicolet headlined the dramedy series *Born Again Virgin* as Jenna, a writer who decides to go celibate after a series of romantic fails. When the show ended in 2016, Nicolet returned to the Arrowverse.

Over the years, she also appeared in such films as *Central Intelligence *(2016) and *Deidra & Laney Rob a Train *(2017).

She is married to her longtime partner Mike Kussman.

Jessica Parker Kennedy (Nora West-Allen/XS)

Jessica Parker Kennedy in ‘The Flash’; Kennedy at Sundance in 2024.

Katie Yu/The CW; Monica Schipper/Getty

Jessica Parker Kennedy first gave fans a glimpse of Iris and Barry’s future child in the Arrowverse crossover event *Crisis on Earth-X* during* The Flash *season 4. After a few guest appearances, Kennedy returned as a series regular the following season, as Nora visiting her parents from the future.

Despite some blips in the timeline, Nora became a regular appearance in later seasons. She has the same speedy abilities as her father, while her mother christened her with the nickname XS.

Before *The Flash, *Kennedy was a regular on the swashbuckling pirate show *Black Sails.* She also appeared on *The Secret Circle*, *Smallville,* and the *90210 *reboot.

In recent years, the Canadian actress has appeared in episodes of *Percy Jackson and the Olympians *and *The Old Man*.

Kennedy has been married to *9-1-1: Lone Star* actor Ronen Rubinstein since 2022. The two welcomed their first child in September 2024.

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Rick Cosnett (Eddie Thawne/Malcolm Gilmore/Cobalt Blue)

Rick Cosnett in ‘The Flash’; Cosnett at a ‘Palm Royale’ celebration in 2025.

Cate Cameron/The CW; Olivia Wong/Getty

After playing Dr. Wes Maxfield on The CW’s *The Vampire Diaries*, Rick Cosnett was originally slated to star as Jay Garrick in the pilot of *The Flash*.

Cosnett’s role eventually became Eddie Thawne, Joe West’s partner at the CCPD and later Iris’ fiancé. After sacrificing himself in the season 1 finale to save the team from the Reverse-Flash, Eddie respawns as Dr. Malcolm Gilmore, who turns into speedster Cobalt Blue.

Speaking about the decision to resurrect Cosnett’s character in the final season, showrunner Eric Wallace told EW in 2023, “It’s especially wonderful as Rick was an integral part of the show’s inaugural season. So having him return to help us conclude our show’s incredible nine-year run was more than a privilege. It was a no-brainer.”

In between appearances on *The Flash,* the Zimbabwean-born actor appeared on the likes of *Quantico *and *Castle.* In recent years, he’s booked high-profile roles on *Doctor Odyssey* and *Palm Royale.*

In 2020, Consett came out as gay in an Instagram post: “I just wanted everyone to know because I’ve made a promise to myself to live my truth every day and sometimes that is a really hard thing to do when you have all these subconscious things that you don’t even know about from childhood and society and from just life.”

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