The Flash: Original cast members Tom Cavanagh, Carlos Valdes to leave series at end of Season 7

Big changes are zooming in for The Flash next season, as two founding cast members prepare to depart the long-running CW superhero series at the end of the current seventh season.

Deadline reports original stars Tom Cavanagh (Harrison Wells) and Carlos Valdes (Cisco Ramon) are both set to officially depart the series this year. Valdes’ Cisco will end his stint on the series with an appearance in the Season 7 finale. The show has recently introduced a few new members to Team Flash, most notably fellow tech whiz Chester P. Runk (Brandon McKnight), so it’s clear to see how the team might evolve in its next phase.

Cavanagh’s exit is a bit more nebulous, considering his character (kind of) already left the core cast earlier this season. Cavanagh has played a half-dozen different versions of Harrison Wells from across the multiverse throughout the shows run, not to mention a version of DC baddie Eobard Thawne. He most recently returned with a multiversal rebirth embodying all the versions of Wells, and flitted off into the past to relive the final few years with his late wife. So it seems that exit will stick, though Cavanagh is slated to return later this season before his formal, full exit.

“Tom and Carlos have been an integral part of our show for seven seasons, and will be greatly missed,” showrunner Eric Wallace told Deadline. “Both are incredible talents who created beloved characters that fans and audiences around the world have come to love. Which is why we are happily keeping the door open for return appearances.”

As Wallace notes above, there’s always the chance these two could return for guest roles down the line — which is a common theme among departed Arrowverse stars across the CW’s roster of super-shows. Considering The Flash has already been renewed for an eighth season, there should be plenty of opportunities to bring these two fan favorites back for a visit or two at some point in the future.

But regardless, these are two critical departures from a core cast that has remained relatively stable since the show’s launch seven years ago. They're key parts of the show's chemistry and make-up, and they will be hard to replace. With Cavanagh and Valdes gone, that only leaves Grant Gustin (Barry Allen), Candice Patton (Iris West), Danielle Panabaker (Caitlin/Killer Frost) and Jesse L. Martin (Joe West) as the OG stars.

New episodes of The Flash air Tuesday nights on The CW.