The Flash Coming to Arrow

CW president Mark Pedowitz confirmed the news at the networks executive panel during the Television Critics Association press tour in LA. "We plan to introduce a recurring character and the origin story of Dr. Barry Allen, who you know as the Flash," he said. "We do want to expand upon the DC Universe. We think that there are rich characters we can use, and we felt like this was a very organic way to get there."

The character is set to appear in episodes 8, 9 and 20, the latter of which will be directed by David Nutter, who directed the Arrow and Smallville pilots.

"I think [episodes] 8 and 9 will take place in Starling City, which Barry has come to, and episode 20 will be a bigger introduction to Barry's world," executive producer Andrew Kreisberg told a conference call of reporters late Tuesday. Episode 20 will be when viewers "start to see Barry's world forming in earnest," he said, teasing the possible introduction of more characters from the Flash world.

All three episodes will be written by executive producer Greg Berlanti, Kreisberg and Geoff Johns, chief creative officer of DC Entertainment.

Do we smell a possible spin-off?