As we prepare for The Flash season 9 on The CW, why not go ahead and tackle a big question here: The premiere date. When is the series officially going to be back?

Follow Matt and Jess TV on Instagram HERE!

First and foremost, we should note that there are no plans (alas) for Grant Gustin and the rest of the cast to be on the air the rest of the year. Stargirl is the only Arrowverse series on the fall schedule, and for now, it looks like an early 2023 launch is what we can expect. (We imagine that a season 9 premiere date will be unveiled this fall.)

In terms of episode count, we’re hoping for at least 15 — that is how many Gustin reportedly signed on to do, and we’re not sure that you can really do The Flash without having the Scarlet Speedster around for a good chunk of it. Candice Patton also will be back as Iris, so that takes away some of our concern, as well.

The other big question out there is one about the long-term future of this story: Are we almost at the end of the road now? We should note that at the time of this writing, nobody has said that season 9 will be the final one. However, we are approaching it with that in mind. It’s increasingly rare for broadcast shows to make it to season 10 in this modern day and age, and we don’t want to gloss over how this show has already lasted longer than any other series in the Arrowverse. Nine seasons is a huge achievement.

Hopefully, we’re at least going to get a better sense of what the new season could be in the next few months; we’re sure that showrunner Eric Wallace would like to know about the long-term future early enough to plan accordingly.

Related – Be sure to get some more news when it comes to The Flash, including other insight on the finale

What do you most want to see when it comes to The Flash season 9 on The CW?

Do you think this is the end of the road? Be sure to share right away in the comments! We’ll have other insight here soon enough. (Photo: The CW.)