The Flash: Is Jesse L. Martin leaving The CW series?

Actor Jesse L. Martin has been on The Flash for eight seasons. He plays Joe West, a former Central City Police Department detective, and later captain. Joe is also Iris, Wally, and Jenna’s father as well as the legal guardian to Barry Allen following the death of his mother and imprisonment of his father.

The CW series is currently on its eighth season which began its run with a crossover event called “Armageddon.” In the five episode event, a powerful alien threat arrives on Earth under mysterious circumstances. The team is pushed to their limits to save the world and will need the help of some old friends for good to prevail.

Martin has been on the show since the very beginning. He’s now one of four remaining original cast members along with Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, and Danielle Panabaker.

Going into the next season, will Joe West still be a part of the DC world? Here’s what we know!

Is Jesse L. Martin leaving The Flash?

Deadline reports Martin is leaving The CW show as a series regular. Though he won’t be appearing full-time anymore, he will still guest star in multiple episodes in the already confirmed ninth season. During contract negotiations Martin was not asked to come back, according to the news outlet.

But that doesn’t mean the actor won’t stay busy. He’s moving on to lead The Irrational, a NBC pilot which he will also produce. According to Deadline, The Irrational focuses on Alec Baker (played by Martin), who is a world-renowned professor of behavioral psychology. He uses his unique insight into human nature to help with high-stakes cases involving governments, corporations, and law enforcement. But he meets his match in a female domestic terror suspect.

Joe West is a fan-favorite on The Flash and will certainly be missed. Being one of the few original cast members left, it will be sad to see him go. At least he’s going to come back for a few episodes in the next season. He’s off to do other great things and if his new series is picked up by NBC, I’ll definitely be checking it out!

The Flash season 8 finale will air June 29 on The CW.