The Flash: Introducing More Speedsters and Other Secrets from PaleyFest

The Flash's universe is about to expand.

During the show's PaleyFest panel Saturday in Los Angeles, executive producer Greg Berlanti told a packed house that the writers hope to introduce other versions of the fastest man alive, like comic book character Wally West (Kid Flash and eventually the third version of The Flash), in the future. "That's our hope. We've already been picked up for a second year. If we were going to do something like that, we'd do it next year," Berlanti said.

Fellow executive producer Andrew Kreisberg also teased that the series is also preparing to introduce a fairly major story line from the comics. Whether it's the Crisis on Infinite Earths story that many fans believe the show has been hinting at all season is unclear, but the producers did state that all of the elements that were introduced in the pilot would pay off by the end of the season.

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In less speculative news, Saturday's panel opened with a sizzle reel hinting at what's still to come this season. It included a glimpse of Arrow's Katie Cassidy informing Cisco she's Black Canary (he's in love, of course), a first look at Mark Hamill's The Trickster, and another glimpse of Gorilla Grodd, whom Jesse L. Martin affectionately referred to as a "big a-- monkey" during the panel.

But the most interesting scene involved Rick Cosnett's Eddie Thawne punching Grant Gustin's Barry (because Barry confesses his love for Iris once again) and firing a gun at two police officers.

The fact that Eddie's name is similar to comic book villain Eobard Thawne (aka Professor Zoom and Reverse Flash) has not escaped fans. At the Television Critics Association winter previews in January, Kreisberg admitted Eddie's name was not an accident. "Eddie's connection to the Reverse Flash lore is going to pay off big time in the back half of the year," Kreisberg said at the time. Well, it looks like that time has finally arrived.

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Other fun facts from the panel:

- The series will discuss the ramifications of time travel as the series begins to unravel the mystery of Tom Cavanagh's Dr. Harrison Wells/Reverse Flash. "There are episodes coming up where there's concern if certain events change in the past, it will affect who everyone is and their relationships to each other," said Kreisberg. "If the past changes, does the present change as well?"

- If you're one of those people worried about who's feeding the metahumans at S.T.A.R. Labs or whether they have access to a toilet (admit it, you were thinking it), the series will eventually address those issues. "An answer is coming," assured Kreisberg. "We see a scene of how they're being tended to." Added Berlanti, "We do deal with the moral implications of them being judge and jury by the end of the year."

- Wondering when the series will explore the origin stories of Carlos Valdes' Cisco and Danielle Panabaker's Caitlin? Valdes was pretty tight-lipped about his character's future, emphasizing the series' focus on telling Barry's story at the moment. But Panabaker was more forthcoming. "For some of us, [it might be] sooner rather than later." So take from that what you will!

- Wondering where Mama West is? Apparently there's a scene coming up in which Harrison and Joe discuss Iris' (Candice Patton) mother, but that story line will be further developed in Season 2.

The Flash returns Tuesday at 8/7c on The CW.

(Full disclosure: TVGuide.com is owned by CBS, one of The CW's parent companies.)

On the Set of The Flash: Get a tour of S.T.A.R. Labs!