After confirming earlier this week that Kid Flash would appear on the show, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow officially announced that Wally West will become a series regular. Many were unsure when his appearance was first announced, but we now know for certain that Wally West will be the newst addition to the Legends when the show returns.
Wally West debuted during season 2 of CW’s The Flash, and is the estranged son to detective Joe West and brother to Iris west. He had quite the rebellious streak to him, as he was bored with his engineering classes and loved the thrill of stree racing. Wally got the powers of the Flash during a fight with Savitar in season 3. Since then, he joined Flash’s side to protect the citizens of Central City, even fufilling the role himself when Flash was stuck in the speed force for 6 months between seasons 3 and 4. After Barry’s return, however, Wally often felt excluded and left Central City to pursue his own path. Now, aboard The Waverider, Wally West will have plenty of time to do just that.
Many felt that putting Wally West on Legends of Tomorrow is a logical adjustment. The change will allow the character to develop on his own without another Flash by his side. When writing for Wally in a universe with two Flashes, he often felt overlooked, and he was often sent off-screen to visit his girlfriend Jesse Quick on another Earth or for some other purpose. Phil Klemmer, executive producer of Legends of Tomorrow seems to agree saying,
“We loved working with Keiynan in our series premiere — the episode in which we learned that in between seasons 2 and 3 he had been fighting crime in Central City with Nick Zano’s Nate Heywood. So when his character stepped away from Flash to go on walkabout, after being dumped and feeling somewhat estranged from his family and team, we knew that Wally West would fit in perfectly on Legends.”
Kid Flash will also make a great addition to Legends of Tomorrow, who are a few members short after the departure of Firestorm. Wally may not be the experienced mechanic Jefferson “Jax” Jackson is, but during his time on the Flash, Wally has proven that he can learn quickly, and he’s made it quite far as an engineering student.
Legends of Tomorrow returns Monday, February 12 on the CW.
