Popular Theories- Who is Zoom
Time for another round of popular theories, where I collect various popular theories from around the internet and make a comprehensive list ranking the likelihood of each one. This set should be especially fun given that every character in the Arrowverse is predicted by someone or other as being Zoom. But let’s stick to the big ones. Otherwise, this list will be a hundred characters long.
#10- EARTH 2 IRIS WEST
The Theory: The Iris West on Earth 2 is the real Zoom putting Barry on a path to defeat the doppelganger of his once heartthrob. This reveal would create an interesting dynamic and maybe the Earth 2 Iris will even replace the one from the Earth 1 timeline for a while. This would open up a lot of new story possibilities.
Likelihood: Very Low
Why?: First off, Iris isn’t very intimidating and is portrayed by one of the weakest actors on the show. I don’t think we can speak very well for her acting range and that makes evil Isis a little far fetched. Would we really take her seriously? As interesting of a dynamic that this could make, it’s just a little too out there. Also, Zoom very much looks like a dude.
#9- PATTY SPIVOT
The Theory: Though some think Earth 2 Spivot could be Zoom, this theory is going to concentrate on a baddie Earth 1 Spivot. The idea here is that Patty Spivot is just playing Barry and toying with him to get closer to him and his friends. In reality, though, she is Zoom and manipulating them all over time.
Likelihood: Very Low
Why?: Again…Zoom looks like a dude. I think we’d notice Spivot’s smokin’ hot bod even under a heavy latex costume. Secondly, this was more believable early in the season, but now we have seen scenes where Spivot clearly shows she cares for Barry even when he isn’t around. Some could make a case that she left as soon as she found out Barry was the Flash, which could show regret for getting close to him. Fair point, I say, but if Spivot IS Zoom then why would she allow herself to get captured MULTIPLE TIMES and put in danger. She could have easily saved herself.
#8- WALLY WEST
The Theory: The theory here could apply to either Earth 1 or Earth 2 Wally. The idea is that Wally has the speed force and everything he has been doing as Zoom is in some way tied to his dying mother. This route allows for good character growth and a potential redemptive arc for Wally in future seasons.
Likelihood: Low
Why?: Though I like the idea of a redemptive arc for a character (and the twist that Zoom is doing bad things for good reason is appealing) this whole scenario is highly unlikely. First, we don’t know Wally enough for this to be a big reveal or for us to care that much. Secondly, How could killing people and absorbing speed force POSSIBLY help his dying mother. There are good ideas in this concept, but it may come off as contrived or convoluted. And isn't he using illegal car raced to pay for his mother's medical bills?
#7- A NEW CHARACTER
The Theory: We haven’t met Zoom’s true identity yet. That’s it.
Likelihood: Low
Why?: God, I hope they don’t do this. First off this would be incredibly anticlimactic. The show has gone out of its way to keep Zoom’s face AND voice hidden from the audience. What is the point of all that if they are just going to make him someone we have never met before. It kind of takes a lot of the fun out of the season, as the identity guessing game has been a big part of the fun.
#6- EARTH 2 JOE WEST
The Theory: Joe West is the last guy you would expect to be a villain, which makes him an excellent candidate for a surprise twist villain. What if the earth 2 Joe West lost something important to him (maybe because of a speedster) and, as a result, he becomes unhinged. The theory is that this Joe West is out for blood,and similar to the Iris theory he could also temporarily take the place of the real Joe West in Earth 1, giving some new and interesting conflict.
Likelihood: Moderate
Why?: It is a fascinating idea and unlike Iris, Joe West’s actor is one of the strongest on the show and probably has the most range. He could easily portray his character gone bad and to dramatic results. The only thing keeping this theory down is that there is absolutely 0 supporting evidence behind it.
#5- HENRY ALLEN
The Theory: Typing this up, I almost forgot about this one. Henry Allen, much like Joe West, is a guy you wouldn't expect to go bad- especially after spending so long being wrongfully convicted. The theory is that Henry Allen on Earth 2 isn't such a swell guy and he got the Speed Force instead of Barry. The power drove him mad and now he is gunning for a little more power.
Likelihood: Moderate
Why?: Henry Allen was just given redemption so it would be interesting to see the flip side. Some people have pointed to simularities between Henry Allen's eyes and that of Zooms. It's not much to go on, but admittedly, it is halfway to convincing. From set photos we know that we are going to be seeing more from Earth 2, particularly involving Barry Allen's mirror image. This would make a logical tie to Earth 2 Henry Allen and by extension Zoom. The main factor against this theory is that Henry Allen's actor is said to have a very small role in the show. Making him the lead baddie would kind of be a bit of an expansion. Additionally, why would a Henry Allen of ANY world want to kill his son?
#4- EARTH 2 BARRY
The Theory: The Barry on earth 2 received the speed force just as Barry on Earth 1 did. Unfortunately, this one went to the dark side and became a criminal rather than a hero. Maybe this is what happens to Barry if he isn't raised by the righteous Joe West.
Likelihood: Moderate
Why?: This is actually a pretty good theory, and I’d rate it higher if not for two things. The biggest mark against it is Grant Gustin's claim that Earth 2 Barry is not Zoom and doesn’t have super speed. True enough actors often lie (Waltz as Blofeld, Shannon as Doomsday) and that’s why I’m not discounting the idea altogether. However, those leaked pictures of Earth 2 Barry go a long way to confirming what Gustin said, with the images portraying his doppelganger as a bit of a powerless geek.
#3- EDDIE THAWNE
The Theory: When Eddie shot himself, altered the timeline, and vanished into a black hole, he somehow survived thanks to the anomaly but absorbed the Reverse-Flash speed force and was twisted into something monstrous. Blasted through time and space, Eddie made it his mission to steal the speed from other speedsters and get revenge on The Flash for the hell he went through.
Likelihood: High
Why?: This has been a favorite theory since day 1 and for good reason. It is legitimately a great idea. It brings back a character with a relationship to Barry, would give a great twist, and provides better motivation to Zoom rather than being a discount Ash Ketchum who only wants to “be the very best”. This route continues the Reverse-Flash story in an organic way while delivering engaging conflict. The only knock against this theory is that it is a very good idea without a whole ton of evidence to support it.
#2- Jay Garrick:
The Theory: Jay Garrick is not who he pretends to be. The theory is that Garrick has never fought Zoom and could never defeat him…because he IS Zoom. The idea is that Garrick has been lying this whole time and was living a double life as both the Flash and Zoom to throw off suspicion and gain the trust of other speedsters. Or maybe he becomes Zoom later down the line and time travels backward to kill speedsters.
Likelihood: High
Why?: Jay Garrick so far has been a stick in the mud, sleep inducing, and pointless thanks to Harrison Wells. He is a drag every time he is on screen and needs SOMETHING to make us not want to take a nap every time he is on screen. A sudden villainous turn might do just that. Maybe I put this high just because I’m hoping for it, but it would be an interesting turn of events. But at the same time, there are a lot of things against it. For one, people from Earth 2 seem to know that Garrick fought Zoom multiple times (eyewitnesses anyone?). Then there is the issue of why Garrick hasn’t just killed Barry already if he is Zoom. Also, this arc might come off as being too similar to the Reverse-Flash story from last year. Lastly, there is the issue of our #1 spot.
#1- Hunter Zolomon (Earth 2 Garrick)-
The Theory: Hunter Zoloman shares the name with his comic book counterpart who becomes Zoom. This is a HUGE mark in its favor. The idea here is that Zolomon is either secretly Zoom, or something will happen to make him become Zoom. This will lead him to use his speed and time travel to hunt down other speedsters. This could all be tied to Garrick’s attempt to cure himself.
Likelihood: Very High
Why?: Besides having the right name for the job, Zolomon just makes the most sense regarding story development. It would also be an interesting turn to see the protagonists creating the villain throughout the show. There is nothing really against the theory that shows that it’s NOT likely. The only mark against this theory is that some may see it as being too obvious. But that same argument was raised last year for Harrison Wells not being the Reverse-Flash, and we all saw how that turned out. Besides, only the hardcore fans will make the connection. And even if the fans figure it out before the reveal, predictability does not mean that the drama and story will be any less enjoyable.
So there are the theories from around the web. What do you think? Agree, disagree?
What are some of your theories that didn’t make this list. I’d love to hear them, so sound off in the comment section below.
Here are some past Popular Theories. See how well I did!