The Flash: Eddie’s Return Makes The Biggest Villain Theory Even More Likely

Eddie Thawne’s return to The Flash builds even more evidence for season 8’s biggest villain theory. For years now, it’s been speculated that Rick Cosnett’s The Flash character is fated to become one of Barry’s most dangerous villains. However, it’s thus far failed to pan out.

In spite of Eddie’s death in the season 1 finale, The Flash has continued to find ways to bring him back into the picture. Time travel, the Speed Force’s habit of impersonating people close to Barry, and other plot devices have been used to facilitate Cosnett’s return to the Arrowverse. Yet again, the series will make Eddie a part of Barry’s story in The Flash season 9. The CW has confirmed that Cosnett, Matt Lescher, and Jessica Parker Kennedy will all be back as Eddie Thawne, the original Eobard Thawne, and Nora West-Allen respectively. Exactly how Eddie will factor into the story remains to be seen, but an old fan theory would explain it perfectly.

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Eddie Thawne’s Connection To Cobalt Blue Explained

When Eddie was alive, there were suspicions among fans that the endgame for his character was for him to become Cobalt Blue, a powerful member of Barry’s rogues’ gallery in DC Comics. In the beginning, this idea was fueled by a single connection between the two characters. As his name implies, Eddie is the ancestor of Reverse-Flash a.k.a. Eobard Thawne. The same happens to be the case for Cobalt Blue in the comic books. Cobalt Blue is the supervillain alter ego of Malcolm Thawne, the secret half-brother of Barry who uses a mystical talisman to drain powers from his enemies. In the source material, it was eventually discovered that Eobard is one of Malcolm’s descendants.

On the surface, Malcolm and Eddie had no other similarities in season 1 that could bolster any speculation that he and Cobalt Blue could somehow be one and the same. But, later seasons provided a deeper connection. When Eddie was alive, he was happy and in a committed relationship with Iris West, but since his death, Iris married Barry. In the comic books, Malcolm hated Barry because he was jealous of his brother, feeling that Barry was living a life that should have been his. Given his past relationship with Iris, it would make sense if a resurrected Eddie Thawne shared a similar sentiment.

The Flash Is Clearly Setting Up Cobalt Blue

Curiously, Cobalt Blue is already in a position to be one of Barry’s next big villains. When Team Flash was discussing the inevitability of the Negative Speed Force picking a new avatar to replace Eobard, the show pivoted to a blue crystal in a lab in 2049. The blue crystal was immediately identified as Cobalt Blue’s talisman, and the comparisons were encouraged by showrunner Eric Wallace, who said, “the hardcore comic book fans know what’s coming.” In other words, the show isn’t trying to hide the fact that Cobalt Blue is on his way to the Arrowverse. But “how” and “when” it happens are questions that currently remain unanswered.

Cobalt Blue Is The Best Explanation For Eddie’s Return

The idea that Cobalt Blue and Eddie Thawne will be on hand in The Flash season 9 drastically increases the chance of this theory finally coming true. It would also justify an additional appearance from a character who died over eight years ago, but has still maintained a recurring presence on the show. By this point in the show’s lifetime, there’s a sense that The Flash has nearly exhausted its storytelling opportunities with his character. Not only has the series used time travel to keep him around, but it’s also used him as a manifestation of the Speed Force and an illusion created by Deathstorm. Bringing him back as a hallucination or through another time travel story isn’t impossible, but ultimately, The Flash would just be recycling an idea it already used.

RELATED: Flash Theory: Barry Allen Creates His Own Villain Team

Turning him into Cobalt Blue, on the other hand, would give the series a good reason to make Eddie relevant again. By making Iris’ former fiancé and a long-lost Team Flash ally into a full-fledged villain, The Flash would offer a story unlike anything else it’s ever done with Eddie. Plus, it would give the main characters a meaningful, emotional connection to a villain who may or may not be the Scarlet Speedster’s final foe in the Arrowverse.

How Eddie Can Become Cobalt Blue In The Flash Season 9

The Flash has at least a few different avenues it can explore when it comes to a Cobalt Blue transformation for Eddie. One is the singularity; something could have happened when Eddie’s body was sucked into the singularity. Its energy may have restored him to life, while also warping his mind in the process. If so, he could come back as a twisted and angry shell of his former self and a grudge against the person now married to his fiancé. Alternatively, The Flash could revisit the alternate timeline concept and go to an Earth where Eddie didn’t die to stop Reverse-Flash and instead embarked on a much darker path.

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