Both Arrow and The Flash kind of blew up their whole shows at the end of last season, with most of Oliver Queen’s vigilante team abandoning him and Barry Allen going back in time and changing history in a way that may or may not literally destroy the universe, and now The CW has released trailers that give us a quick look at the new status quo. In Arrow (which you can see above), we get to meet a new team of heroes who were inspired by the Green Arrow’s heroism, and Oliver is putting them through the same tough training regimen that a few other would-be vigilantes have suffered through on Arrow. There’s even a quick shot of Echo Kellum’s Curtis Holt giving the ol’ salmon ladder a try, and it does not go especially well.
The trailer also features a hooded figure that executive producer Marc Guggenheim explained at the show’s Comic-Con panel is the new “big bad.” He says they’re calling him Prometheus, but he’s not tied to the comic book character of the same name—meaning Prometheus could be a code name or something. Also, despite dying last season, Katie Cassidy’s Laurel Lance will somehow come back (not necessarily through resurrection), and she’ll be popping up in The Flash and Legends Of Tomorrow as well. Who knows, maybe she’ll break bad and sign up with the Legion Of Doom?
Over in The Flash’s hometown of Central City, things are actually looking pretty good. Thanks to Barry changing the timeline, both of his parents are still alive and Cisco is outrageously wealthy. Barry doesn’t have his Flash powers and his surrogate father Joe West doesn’t seem to like him at all, but Keiynan Lonsdale is the new Flash and he seems to be doing fine. Unfortunately, Barry eventually starts having terrifying visions of a new villain—Doctor Alchemy, voiced by Saw’s Tobin Bell—so it’s clear he’s going to have to get his powers back eventually.
Then there’s the Reverse Flash, who seems to be the only person other than Barry who can remember the original timeline. He also drops the name “Flashpoint,” officially connecting this storyline to one from the comics, and he makes a callback to that series when he suggests that changing the past has kind of made Barry a villain.
The Flash will premiere on October 4, with Arrow following it on October 5.