‘The Flash’ Season 8: Grant Gustin ‘Armageddon’ Team-Up Preview

Season 8 of The Flash opens with a five-episode occasion through which Barry Allen & Co. attempt to avert Armageddon. However the larger twist is what — or specifically who — causes this future cataclysm.

Kicking off Season 8 this Tuesday, Nov. 16 at 8/7c (and airing throughout 5 consecutive Tuesday nights), “Armageddon” finds Grant Gustin’s Barry making the acquaintance of the alien Despero (performed by Defiance‘s Tony Curran). As soon as Despero points his warning of the looming menace, Barry will enlist a cavalcade of superfriends — together with Brandon Routh’s Ray Palmer/The Atom (previously of Legends of Tomorrow), Cress Williams’ Black Lightning, Javicia Leslie’s Batwoman, Chyler Leigh’s Sentinel (from Supergirl), Katherine McNamara’s Mia Smoak (from Arrow) and Osric Chau’s Ryan Choi (from the “Disaster on Infinite Earths” crossover occasion).

Additionally one way or the other figuring into the “Armageddon” combine shall be Arrowverse villains Eobard Thawne/Reverse Flash and Damien Darhk, performed once more by Tom Cavanagh and Neal McDonough.

TVLine spoke with collection lead Grant Gustin about how the Flash five-parter in contrast with conventional crossover occasions, the stunning reason for the eponymous Armageddon, and extra.

TVLINE | How is life for Barry when Season 8 opens?
Life is sweet! The children [Nora and Bart] have gone again to the longer term, to 2049, and our theme after we decide up is that we’ve all “leveled up,” so we’re seeing this model of Barry that I’ve hoped for for a complete now. He’s feeling a bit extra assured, he’s actually coming into his position as a frontrunner. He nonetheless relies on the workforce however is taking up a management position extra so than we’ve seen prior to now. Barry and Iris are in a very good place, life is sweet, which looks like the beginning of a season — and as everyone knows, it can most likely get flipped on its head fairly rapidly. [Laughs]

TVLINE | Is there any indication that Barry and Iris are nonetheless quote-unquote “attempting” to begin a household?
Sure. Subtly, sure. Rapidly, there’s an excessive amount of occurring to the touch on that frequently, however within the premiere it’s nonetheless a theme. It’s acknowledged.

TVLINE | How can we get the primary whiff that Armageddon is coming?
We’re coping with the Royal Flush gang, who first confirmed up [on The Flash] in Season 1, I consider. They’ve additionally type of leveled up, however Barry is dealing with them fairly simply. Then, in the direction of the very finish of the episode, Despero exhibits up for the primary time and primarily says that Barry goes to be the reason for the Armageddon to come back. Barry to begin with is in disbelief and tries to inform Despero that that is simply not attainable, however there’s sufficient proof that Despero provides to go away Barry fairly involved that this future is one thing which may find yourself occurring.

TVLINE | What sort of alien is the superior Tony Curran giving us? Is he regal, is he a smart-ass, is he badass…?
Tony is all the things, man; I had a lot enjoyable working with him. It’s cool as a result of we’re going to see a human aspect of Despero and an alien aspect. I haven’t seen what the ultimate product goes to seem like, as a result of I used to be working with a human with dots on his face at instances, however Tony’s efficiency is superior. He’s badass, however he’s a kind of villains the place you perceive the place he’s coming from, as a result of it’s all grounded in a fact for him.

TVLINE | What I’ve been attempting to determine, ever since this occasion and the casting was introduced, is: What pores and skin do Damien Darhk and Eobard Thawne have within the sport?
Nicely, we’re going to see a few totally different timelines, I suppose you would say. It’s cool, it’s a little bit of an alternate actuality that we’re going to be in. That was one other factor, I had a blast working with Neal [McDonough} and Tom [Cavanagh]. I had by no means labored with Neal earlier than, and their components in our storyline are integral and fairly cool.

TVLINE | I maintain referring to this as as team-up occasion, however is it extra like a progressive dinner? One week Barry visits Black Lightning, the following he visits someone else…?
No, we see Ray [Palmer] first, which is enjoyable as a result of it’s simply two outdated associates catching up for some time, till Despero exhibits up. However then Ray has to go away, and as we begin to see different characters all through the “Armageddon” occasion, it’s really extra like a real crossover at instances. It’s not simply standalones. We’re going to see plenty of totally different characters in the identical episodes in the identical scenes on the identical time.

TVLINE | Will we spend a while within the Corridor of Justice?
We’ll, sure! That’s the place Barry and Jefferson/Black Lightning meet up for the primary time.

TVLINE | Being 5 episodes of your personal present, did this find yourself being extra manageable for you than the normal, grueling annual crossover occasion?
Sure, and no. I might say that for manufacturing this was quite a bit simpler to make occur on paper, as a result of it wasn’t balancing 5 exhibits’ schedules and determining find out how to get all these totally different actors on totally different exhibits. I’m positive it was tougher on individuals like [Batwoman‘s] Javicia who’ve full schedules on their very own exhibits and are coming over to guest-star on a special present — I’ve been there, so I do know.

So for me it was simpler, since everyone was coming to us. But in addition, I had missed the primary two weeks of filming as a result of we had simply had our child [Gustin and wife LA Thoma welcomed a baby girl in mid-August], after which my schedule was jam-packed for about six weeks. It was type of probably the most difficult stretch of Flash I’ve had since Season 1, so far as the schedule was involved. However it was cool — it undoubtedly felt like a crossover occasion, but it surely all passed off “at house” for us.

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