It's no secret that big changes are coming for Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) during the third season of The CW's The Flash. That's a given when it comes to time travel. Not only will Flashpoint turn his existing relationships upside down; it will also introduce some new, mysterious characters into the fray. One such addition to the Scarlet Speedster's ensemble is Tom Felton's Julian Dorn. We don't know much about the enigmatic (and possibly villainous) Dorn, but the Harry Potter star recently opened up regarding how Flashpoint fits his character into the narrative of the series. He said:
I'm still trying to figure out all this timeline/Flashpoint stuff. I don't want to misquote anything here, but as far as I know, I didn't exist in the previous timeline, so I'm glad that he has changed something, so now I'm alive!
Tom Felton revealed a bit more about the nature of his character on The Flash to Comicbook.com at last weekend's San Diego Comic-Con. Although the specifics of timelines and alternate timelines can become a bit confusing, he managed to reveal that Julian Dorn definitely did not exist in the prime Earth-1 timeline of the first two seasons of the series. Felton knows that he has a reputation as a villainous actor, and elsewhere in the interview he addresses the fact that he was clearly hired for a reason. It's not much to go by, but it's a start.
Julian Dorn generally represents a difficult concept for us to wrap our heads around. He's yet another character with no precedent in the source material, so we cannot confirm whether or not he's a genuine threat to The Flash. I'm just guessing here, but Barry's mission to restore the timeline might not sit well with Dorn. If he doesn't exist in the prime timeline, then he will likely set out on his own mission to stop Barry and preserve his own existence. Tom Felton continued in his interview and explained that he will at the very least present an intellectual challenge to Barry Allen as a fellow CSI. He elaborated:
I know there's going to be some serious material to sink my teeth into at some point. Like you said I think he's suspicious of Barry's position. I also think he's as smart as Barry. At least in the forensic world, Barry's not used to having a mind as sharp as his around -- and he has a smug air of superiority, I think, over Barry. So, hey, it lends itself to many different choices and many different storylines. It's not really worth speculating because I'm sure the writers have something much cooler in mind.
Barry Allen has rarely had to contend with someone as smart as him poking around his personal life. The closest we ever got to something like this came last year when Patty Spivot began her crusade to hunt down Weather Wizard, but even she more or less had benevolent intentions when it came to The Flash himself. Julian Dorn apparently possesses a brilliant mind, so Barry's going to have to struggle more than ever before to get the job done.
It's an intriguing mystery, and we have no doubt that the exact nature of Tom Felton's Julian Dorn will become apparent once The Flash premieres for its third season. The Scarlet Speedster's solo series will return to The CW on Tuesday, October 4 at 8 p.m. EST. Check out our fall TV premiere schedule and mark your calendars appropriately.
