When Colton Haynes was first cast as Roy Harper on Arrow, fans were clamoring for hints and signs of when he would officially suit up as Arsenal. However, Arrow's executive producers stated that Roy would first have to earn it. It appears that a similar stance is being taken on Keiyan Lonsdale's eventual evolution into the fan-favoirte, Kid-Flash. Showrunner Andrew Kreisberg stated, "Just like with Colton Haynes, who eventually one day put on the Arsenal costume, I wouldn’t be surprised if one day Wally West becomes Kid Flash. Part of the season is watching Barry mature and grow up not just as The Flash, but as Barry Allen. Suddenly introducing him to a bit of a wayward kid who has some attitude problems and some authority issues and is quick with a sassy remark — all of which is very Wally West — and then watching Wally integrate into S.T.A.R. Labs universe, but also just the world of these characters, is going to be a lot of the fun of the back half of the year."
Typically depicted as a smart allecky, red-head, Wally West was reinvented in the New 52 as the African-American nephew of Iris West in Flash Vol. 4 #30 (2014). This version of Wally blamed Barry for the death of his uncle and the disappearnce of his mother during the Crime Syndicates rampage during Forever Evil.