It has been previously reported that Hartley Sawyer has been fired and won't be reprising his Ralph Dibny role in the upcoming The Flash season 7. The actor was written off after racist and misogynistic Twitter posts from the past resurfaced.
One of the questions now entering The Flash season 7 is whether or not Sawyer's role will be recast. As per CarterMatt, recasting Ralph Dibny would be easier that recasting Batwoman's Kate Kane -- largely because the former has the ability to change his appearance because of his powers.
Creatively, it's easy to change Ralph Dibny's appearance after his former identity has been compromised. Furthermore, it seems like there's an extended storyline when it comes to his love interest, Sue Dearbon -- played by Natalie Dreyfuss.
In the comics, she ended up marrying Ralph Dibny. It wouldn't be fair for the actress if Hartley's past actions impacted her job. So, to make the story continue, recasting the character would likely be the very best option. Yet, there's still uncertainty when it comes to that.
The producers haven't yet commented whether or not they'll recast the character in The Flash season 7. Another issue here is that Hartley was part of the final scripts for season 6, which were never filmed. These stories will be carried out once the new installment premieres.
This might be challenging for everyone and they could make some adjustments. Perhaps, they could just remove his storyline -- but there's a chance other stories would be affected if they do that. Thus, finding a new actor to fill the void might be an option.
The CW, Warner Bros. TV, Berlanti Productions, and showrunner Eric Wallace previously announced that they're firing Sawyer after some of his old social media posts showed a pattern racist, misogynistic, and homophobic behavior resurfaced.
In a statement via The Hollywood Reporter, the parties said they don't tolerate derogatory remarks targeting any race, ethnicity, gender, national origin, or sexual orientation. The statement noted that such remarks are antithetical to their values and policies.
Wallace also issued a statement and vowed "permanent change" on the series, which includes telling more diverse stories. Following the news about his firing on The Flash season 7, Sawyer himself also issued an apology about the things that he said from the past.
Meanwhile, the official release date of The Flash season 7 is not yet revealed. There could be a potential delay, as cast and crew won't be able to start working anytime soon. The series has been impacted because of the current global health crisis.
