Thawne Said Flash Traveled To The Future - Why It'll Happen In Season 8 - Screen Rant

This post contains spoilers for The Flash season 8.

Eobard Thawne said Barry Allen time traveled to the future — here’s why it’ll happen in The Flash season 8. The conclusion of “Armageddon,” the five-episode special event, saw Barry and Reverse-Flash, his most consistent enemy, face off in an unexpected way. The Flash wrapped up Thawne’s storyline for the time being, and in doing so revealed the villain’s origin story and just when exactly his hatred of Barry began.

Rather than using their speed to battle each other, Reverse-Flash returned to the present to ask his nemesis to save him before he disappears from the timeline entirely. Caught in a moral dilemma about whether to let Thawne die when the timeline solidifies or keep him alive but take his speed, Team Flash are split. In the throes of discussion and decision-making, The Flash meets with Thawne to get to the root of why he’s harbored such rage and hatred for Barry (and for so long).

Thawne and The Flash have a long history, one that is laden with animosity, but it’s the first time in the Arrowverse series’ run that fans learn what really caused Reverse-Flash to make Barry’s life miserable. In season 8, episode 5, Thawne reveals that Barry will time travel to the future again and there is a good reason for why this event will happen at some point during The Flash season 8.

Reverse-Flash Reveals Which Century He Lived In

Reverse-Flash’s history is a bit muddled due to all the time traveling that’s taken place on The Flash. When the yellow-suited speedster ran back to the past in an attempt to kill Barry (killing his mother instead) in season 1, he spent the next 14 years in a timeline he didn’t belong in. While his goal back then was to return to his timeline, Thawne never clarified where he came from or when he was born. Since then, he’s hopped around in time to Barry’s youth, the 2014 particle accelerator explosion, and to 2049.

However, The Flash season 8, episode 5 finally revealed exactly when in the timeline Reverse-Flash originally existed before traveling back and wreaking havoc. In a confrontation with Barry, Thawne says he lived “two centuries from now.” This suggests the villainous speedster originally hails from the 23rd century, though the exact year remains unknown. This is a bit different than in The Flash comics, where Reverse-Flash is born in the 25th century and travels through time from there.

Why Eobard Thawne Really Hates The Flash

In The Flash season 1, Barry asked his nemesis why he set out to destroy his life. Thawne said it was all because he hated The Flash — nothing more, nothing less. To be sure, it was a poor and vague response, yet it was somehow enough to continue fueling Reverse-Flash’s diabolical plans. Every hero needs a villain and Thawne was certainly up to the task. However, when Barry poses the same question in The Flash season 8, the response is far more lengthy.

The reason Eobard hates The Flash so much is because the Scarlet Speedster traveled to the 23rd century on a case and dazzled the audience with his speed, later saving the crowd just as Thawne had finally achieved the speed he’d long desired. The Flash basically (and unintentionally) stole Reverse-Flash’s greatest moment; someone Thawne previously admired and strived to be like had humiliated him in front of everyone. It’s pretty wild that Thawne still resents Barry for this after so long, but it’s the villain’s pettiness and rage (nonsensical as it is) that continues driving him to ruin The Flash’s life no matter what.

Iris' Time Sickness Causes Her To Phase To Thawne's Timeline

The final few episodes of The Flash season 7 introduced Iris’ time sickness, which saw her become unstable due to phasing in and out of temporal planes. Deon, the Still Force, managed to stabilize her for the time being, but the Arrowverse show is bound to reveal why it’s affecting Iris to begin with. Back in season 6, Nash Wells detected Eternium, an interdimensional element, on Iris. Not much was made out of the information at the time, but she can now phase in and out of timelines and it could mean she ends up in the 23rd century later on in The Flash season 8. In the comics, Iris is originally from the future and she is sent back by her biological parents to live in the past. It’s possible The Flash will adapt parts of that storyline, but rather than change it so Iris is from the future, her time sickness could simply send her to Thawne’s timeline, instigating his and The Flash’s future meetup.

Theory: The Flash Time Travels To Thawne’s Future To Save Iris

Reverse-Flash mentions a case Barry was working on that sent him to the 23rd century; that case could involve Iris. On the surface, there’s no reason The Flash would travel two centuries into the future to save people unless he was drawn there to save someone important to him. Enter Iris’ time sickness. It’s possible The Flash time travels that far into the future to save Iris, who might still be phasing in and out of the timeline. Now that the Arrowverse series has brought up Reverse-Flash’s origin story, it could play out onscreen. After all, part 5 of The Flash’s “Armageddon” event merely saw Thawne lose his speed instead of be erased from the timeline. Given the speedster always wants to win against Barry, it’s likely he will regain his speed somehow.

Conversely, Barry traveling to the future to bring Iris back after she phases could be the very thing that sees him crossing paths with the original Thawne. It can’t be a coincidence that Reverse-Flash would explain how he and The Flash met without showing the moment itself. If Barry goes to the 23rd century because of Iris’ time sickness, a storyline showrunner Eric Wallace says will be paid off in the back half of The Flash season 8, then fans could see the exact moment Thawne references. For now, it’s unclear why Iris is phasing in and out of the timeline, but if she eventually winds up in the 23rd century, the root of Thawne’s hatred could be a great tie-in. There’s also the time stone, which Damien Darhk gave to Joe West because he felt like he’d need it soon. All told, it would certainly bring the show — and Reverse-Flash’s ongoing feud with Barry — full circle while simultaneously explaining why The Flash was in the future at all.

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Mae Abdulbaki (852 Articles Published)

Mae Abdulbaki is a movie reviews editor with Screen Rant. She previously wrote about a variety of movies and TV shows for Inverse, CinemaBlend, Pajiba, and The Young Folks, where she wrote reviews, features, news pieces. Her other work can be found at The Mary Sue, Film School Rejects, UPROXX, Heroic Hollywood, Looper, The List, and Bam Smack Pow, among others. Mae has also appeared on television segments, podcasts, and panels to discuss all things entertainment.