‘The Flash’ Adds A Somewhat Controversial Version Of Wally West


At the end of last season, we knew that The Flash was going to be getting some brand new characters, including an alternate universe version of the superhero in the form of Wally West. We knew this as the time vortex showed us glimpses of different characters, including West’s version of the Flash. Now, we know who is actually going to play that character on the ultra-popular CW network television show.

The choice of the actor to join the cast of The Flash has actually been somewhat controversial, mainly because there is a small contingent of comic book fans on the Internet who appear to be unhappy that Wally West is not going to be taking the form of the hero from the golden age of comics. The Wally West that will be joining CW’s The Flash is going to be an African American actor by the name of Keiynan Lonsdale.

While Lonsdale might not be a name on the tips of every comic book fans’ tongues, he does join The Flash as someone who has had some serious big screen cred, as a member of the cast of the Divergent series. While there have been some who have been quite incensed that the CW’s version of The Flash will feature a black Wally West, it actually makes quite a bit more sense than it would have had he been the character that was first introduced in the 1960s in The Flash,issue number 110. In the comics, West is the nephew of Iris West (Barry Allen’s love interest in the show), who is herself African American.

It should also be pointed out that while The Flash has stayed true to the comics in terms of some of the characters introduced in the show, in other ways, it has taken some very sharp turns away from its source material. Despite these sharp turns, the program has managed to stay incredibly popular. West takes on a version of the hero who is actually a kid, though he does eventually take on the entire hero speedster persona when during the comics’ “Infinite Crisis.” As was promised during the season finale, there will be other incarnations of the superhero with super speed being brought into Season 2, as well. Jay Garrick, the hero with the winged hat, will also be making an appearance this year. How all these characters will be entered into the mix for this year’s season of The Flash should be interesting to watch.

[Photo by Larry Busacca / Getty Images]

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