As it usually goes, the Arrow-verse is going through some big changes during the annual summer hiatus (noting that Supergirl is still in the midst of Season 3). Fans got a super-speedy shock when it was announced that Legends of Tomorrow and The Flash alum Keiynan Lonsdale would be exiting The CW's DC hero lineup, which was made all the more jarring without any kind of response from the actor himself. Thankfully, he did speak up about why he felt it was right for Wally West to bow out for the time being.
Soo as a lot of you have now read, I'm not returning next season as a series regular for The Flash or Legends. It's definitely not a total goodbye or 'see ya never' situation, cause Wally West will still be round when you need him the most! It's just that it won't be full time anymore. I've changed a lot in the past year (as you've probably noticed lol), and for infinite reasons my perspective on life & what I want from it now is just completely different. Because of that, my heart told me it was the right time to continue my journey on an unknown path, and I'm so damn grateful to both shows for honoring & respecting that with me.
Signing out with a yellow lightning bolt next to his name, Keiynan Lonsdale gave an understandable explanation for stepping away from the Arrow-verse. After landing the biggest role on the TV side of his career, the celeb's star status opened up considerably, which helped out his music ambitions as well as his film goals. He appeared in the acclaimed 2018 drama Love, Simon, and he has credited that role with helping him come to terms with his own sexuality; he'd come out as bisexual in 2017 before specifying that he'd prefer to identify as "queer." That's a lot for anyone to wrap their minds around in such a short period of time, and Lonsdale is obviously in a different place than he was when Wally first showed up at the Wests' door in Season 2.
Notably, Keyinan Lonsdale made it clear that Wally West is not going away, and The CW had confirmed with CinemaBlend that the character will not be killed off during his lone appearance for the upcoming seasons. Which is awesome, of course, and hopefully means we'll one day get to watch familial speedsters Barry, Wally and Nora on some kind of mission together.
To make sure that fans know just how much the role means to him, Keiynan Lonsdale had some special thanks for everyone who followed Wally West's journey.
I love Kid Flash, I love the family I've made, & I'm absolutely in love with the invaluable lessons I've learnt along the way. Thank you for believing in me & rooting for Wally to thrive. You honestly helped me see that I did indeed deserve to play him, & that shit right there made me a stronger actor.
Keiynan Lonsdale seemed like he was in it for the long run when he joined Legends of Tomorrow full-time in Season 3, but I guess there isn't really a "long run" for any characters on that show. But seriously, guys, keep John Constantine around for more than just one season, okay?
Check out the actor's tweet below.
With a crossover that's set to properly introduce Batwoman into the Arrow-verse canon, Legends of Tomorrow, The Flash, Arrow and Supergirl will pick up their future seasons this fall. In the meantime, head to our summer premiere schedule to see what will be showing up before then.
