Carlos Valdes gives ETonline the scoop on the secret to Central City's coolest science genius.
Every show needs a lovable science god, and luckily on The Flash, the super-funny Cisco Ramon fills the role perfectly.
We know him as the mechanical engineering genius with a penchant for naming Central City’s villains and metahumans and saving The Flash suit from irreparable damage. Without Cisco, we simply wouldn’t be talking about Multiplex, or Plastique, or even Captain Cold. But as we’re about to find out, there’s more to Cisco than his sunny complexion and youthful enthusiasm for all things Flash (and Arrow). Is Cisco S.T.A.R. Labs secret weapon? We say yes.
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On Tuesday’s all-new Flash, the Firestorm-centric “The Nuclear Man,” Cisco is recruited by Detective Joe West (Jesse L. Martin) to help out with a case close to Barry Allen’s heart – the murder of his mother Nora – while continuing to assist with the latest metahuman developments.
“There is definitely a lot of metahuman activity happening in Central City as we speak, so even though the S.T.A.R. Labs gang is trying to take care of some personal interests in regards to Ronnie [Raymond] and others, the metahumans are still a prevalent thing,” Flash star Carlos Valdes tells ETonline. “At times there’s a balancing act to be done.”
Valdes – a theater vet like Flash lead Grant Gustin – has his hopes set on a season-capping metahuman showdown, but that’s just him speaking as a fan of his own show. Considering how many baddies the team has locked up, there’s bound to be something brewing.
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“As a representative of Cisco Ramon, I have to say that the S.T.A.R. Labs prisons are very secure, very securely tightened. Despite that, I would love to see a metahuman showdown!” Valdes says. “I don’t know if that’s in the future of the show but that would be something to behold.”
In the coming weeks fans will meet a member of Cisco’s immediate family, his estranged older brother Dante (played by Nicholas Gonzalez), once a gifted pianist who never reached his true potential. Details of Dante’s return are few and far between, and Valdes would only say that his appearance takes place on his birthday.
“You’ll see more about Cisco’s background in regards to his family and where he comes from, specifically how his beginnings and his familial relationships affects his current state and where his character’s trajectory is going,” Valdes reveals. “There are some glimpses into Cisco’s family life but ultimately fans will have to wait and see what happens in future episodes.”
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Gonzalez appears in episode 16, “Rogue Time,” and Valdes calls his brotherly turn “amazing.” And, he’s already angling for Gonzalez to reprise his role “in some capacity.” Yes please!
Two episodes later, Arrow’s Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh) and Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) task the S.T.A.R. Labs geniuses to help foolproof the Atom suit. We already know Ray and Cisco become fast friends during the upcoming crossover episode, but just how happy will Cisco be now that he has even more toys to play with?
“Cisco is very young and very smart. I think he’s so overwhelmed by all of these amazing, iconic figures wanting his help and wanting to seek him out. Needless to say, he gets very geeked out being in the position that he’s in,” he says with a laugh. “It doesn’t get to his head quite yet, but maybe in the future he’ll develop an ego – we’ll see!”
“There will be some connection there between the two of them given their shared interests,” Valdes says of Ray and Cisco’s fast friendship.
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Even as he’s helping the top superheroes, Cisco still has a ton to learn. “He’s still very much a fanboy and very much excited about what’s happening around him,” Valdes says. “There’s a lot he has to learn about responsibilities and we’ll see if he ends up learning those lessons or not.”
One thing’s for sure, Cisco will never stray from Barry’s side. “He will always be [Barry’s] No. 1 champion. He will always be there for him.”
Bonus treat: Where is Cisco’s secret stash of sketches for his own kick-ass suit? Is there a secret room in a dark corner of S.T.A.R. Labs? “He definitely has a secret stash of schematics with different gadgetry and tech stuff that he comes up with on the fly.” Guess we’ll have to do our own sleuthing to find out!
Are you loving Cisco on The Flash? Tell us your thoughts by tweeting Philiana Ng at @insidethetube, and don’t forget that #ETnow hashtag!
The Flash airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on The CW.