The Flashseries finale is bringing back every main cast member who was there from the beginning except for one.
EW can exclusively reveal thatCarlos Valdeswill not be returning for next week’s series finale.
“I did consider it,” Valdes tellsEW in our latest cover story.
Carlos Valdes on ‘The Flash’.Katie Yu/The CW
“It was really heartbreaking to not be able to make it work.”
“Cisco deserves the very best.
And I think more than anything, Cisco deserves a successful romantic life,” Valdes says.
Carlos Valdes on ‘The Flash’.Bettina Strauss/The CW
I feel like he deserves to get his."
“But ultimately, I had to do what was best for me and my mental health.
Even though it was a really tough decision for me, you have one life to live.
Carlos Valdes as Cisco Ramon and Grant Gustin as Barry Allen on ‘The Flash’.Robert Falconer/The CW
Life is too short.
I have to keep moving.
So I really had to follow my personal compass on that one.”
While making that choice was difficult in the moment, Valdes has never regretted it.
That was really tough.
I definitely had those pangs of missing those pieces every now and then."
After leavingThe Flash, Valdes felt as if he went through a period of mourning.
That’s why he hasn’t been watching the series since his exit.
“But no, I have not been watching the show.
It’s torture at a certain point.
I don’t want to watch my friends having fun without me.
‘I’m supposed to be having fun with you!'”
The way the schedule worked out for his last day also meant that his final scene happened quickly.
“And that was okay with me.
I don’t like ceremony, I don’t like the spotlight.
I just want to live my life and die in peace those are my goals.
So that’s how my last day went.”
Valdes prioritized having smaller, more intimate memories with his coworkers instead to commemorate the moment.
“It’s a quality about him that I miss.
And I still feel little vestiges of that from him.
I definitely miss putting on that suit, so to speak.”
I suddenly found myself getting sappy with them."
But I’m biased.
I love that show.
I loved being a part of that show.
I feel so fortunate to have been a part of it."
“I have mixed feelings about it, to be completely honest with you,” he says.
Valdes laughs before adding, “I mean, I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.
The Flashseries finale airs Wednesday, May 24, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the CW.
