The Empire Stage–the second largest in the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center–was packed to the rafters on Sunday and those who got into the room after waiting in the enormous line that weaved throughout the convention center’s lower level were treated to info about the new Flarrow spinoff series, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. Though White Canary Caity Lotz didn’t appear as scheduled, Arthur Darvill (Rip Hunter), Brandon Routh (reprising his Arrow role, the A.T.O.M.), Ciara Renee (Hawkgirl) and writer Phil Klemmer discussed the characters, team dynamics and even a little shipping. Here are the most important topics the panel addressed:
Flarrow
Legends was the only representative for The CW’s suite of superhero shows at the Con, so fans were treated to sizzle reels for the other two. While most of the footage came from the shows’ premiere episodes, there was some new footage. For Arrow, by far the biggest reaction came when a shot of Oliver (Stephen Amell) and Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) sharing an upside down kiss flashed across the screen. For The Flash, the audience seemed most excited about the appearance of alternate universe Flash, Jay Garrick (Teddy Sears). There was also a teaser for Legends that was almost identical to a previously-released clip except for a few shots of White Canary and Arrow‘s Black Canary taking down bad guys together that drew cheers.
Doctor Who
Considering former Who actor Darvill is going from playing a companion to a guy who travels through time in a crazy spaceship, comparison between the two roles was inevitable. The actor even seemed to cheekily court it, wearing a shirt that read, “I have seen the future,” during the panel. However, he assured the crowd that Rip is, “very different than the Doctor,” and he thinks of the character as more of a, “weird, mysterious adventurer who can kick ass.” Earlier in the day, during an interview with Pop-Break, Darvill admitted that the shows, “[have] to do with the same things.” “The fact that history can change and what the responsibility of that is is such a fascinating thing to explore,” he added. He struggled to elaborate but gave up saying, “I can’t say too much, it’s really cool.” Though he did assure, “the ship’s amazing. It’s the coolest set I’ve ever been on.”
As for Rip, Darvill said during the panel that the character’s dissatisfaction with the future is what makes him travel to the past to assemble this team of “nutjobs.” Though the character is the group’s de facto leader, Darvill was at a bit of a loss to pick which team member Rip got along with best. “Everyone’s really irritating,” he joked. Klemmer jumped in and said Rip, “thought it was going to be one episode not sixteen,” before they solved the problems Vandal Savage (Casper Crump) creates throughout time.
Superman Returns
Though Routh has been playing Ray Palmer for about a year now, audience members couldn’t help asking about his first foray into the DC comic universe: Superman. When asked what the two characters would say to each other if they ever met, Routh quipped, “Don’t I know you?” Earlier in the day, Routh was more serious in comparing the two characters, saying that his experience playing Superman has helped with Legends, “in amazing ways.” “I don’t even know if it’s so much onscreen as just me working through and dealing with the trials and tribulations of filming something like this,” he explained. “While that was an amazing experience for me, that was a lot at a very early age, so I wasn’t always able to sit and relax and go, ‘wow, this is amazing.'”
As for the A.T.O.M., Routh said that Ray’s problems with controlling the suit–namely the fact that he’s stuck in miniature mode right now–will all be “worked out” prior to Legends starting. Based on the Arrow sizzle reel, it looks like Felicity will have a hand in that.
Hawkgirl
While most of the heroes on the team (except Rip) are known to the audience from appearances on either The Flash or Arrow, Hawkgirl’s brief appearance in the finale of the former show didn’t reveal much about her. The character is in a similar boat. “She has no idea what’s going on,” Renee said during the panel. Earlier in the day, she addressed her character’s confusion at learning she’s a been reincarnated saying, “when she starts remembering and having visions of the past, it’s very shocking and jarring to her and it doesn’t make a lot of sense.” She also said that Falk Hentschel’s Hawkman would be an integral part of helping the character adjust and warned during the panel that their past doesn’t mean they get along in the present. “It’s a little jarring when you meet someone for the first time and they say that you’re their reincarnated lover from 4,000 years ago.”
Shipping
Speaking of romantic connections, one audience member asked if anything would form amongst the characters while they traveled through time, specifically mentioning the fact that some fans are already rooting for A.T.O.M. and White Canary to hook up. Darvill and Routh drew laughs as they clung to each other and Klemmer joked that, “weird things happen between people on a time traveling space ship.” “There’s a no clothes policy on the ship,” Darvill added.
What the hell is this show about?
Since the audience didn’t get to see much new footage, it’s still unclear exactly what the show will be. However, Klemmer did say that it is, “fully insane.” “Twentieth century history is the backdrop,” he said of the time traveling. “’70s, ’50s, Cold War, maybe dinosaurs. Who knows?” He also revealed more about the show’s Big Bad, saying, “The way we’ve imagined Vandal Savage is that he’s a shadowy immortal figure.” Though the character has been meddling in major historical events for a long time (Klemmer likened him to the Devil in the song “Sympathy for the Devil”), he’s never gotten mortal attention.
