Arrowverse Crossover: Quantico‘s Russell Tovey Cast as Gay Superhero
QUANTICO, ABC
Russell Tovey (Looking) has joined the cast for Season 2 as Harry Doyle — "a cross between Thomas Crown and a grown-up Arftul Dodger."
Where there’s a will, there’s… The Ray: Quantico and Looking vet Russell Tovey has been tapped to play gay superhero The Ray in The CW‘s four-part Arrow-verse crossover, TVLine has learned. What’s more, Tovey will also voice the role of The Ray in CW Seed’s forthcoming animated series Freedom Fighters: The Ray.
The official character description for The Ray is as follows:
Raymond “Ray” Terrill was a reporter who discovered a group of government scientists working on a secret project to turn light into a weapon of mass destruction. But before he could report on his findings, the project head exposed Ray to a “genetic light bomb.” The bomb failed to kill him and instead gifted Ray with light-based powers. With these abilities, Ray realized he could go beyond reporting on injustice — he could take action to help stop it. Calling himself The Ray, he was recruited by Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters to fight violence and oppression wherever it exists.
The Ray first appeared in a 1973 issue of Justice League of America; the animated series’ Ray will be closer to the version of the character in DC’s Multiversity series, which updated the Freedom Fighters to look more like current-day Americans. Freedom Fighters: The Ray will debut on The CW’s digital channel in 2017.
Last year, CW boss Mark Pedowitz hinted that The Ray would eventually show up in one of The CW’s live-action Arrow-verse shows — much like Megalyn E.K.’s Vixen on Arrow.
This year’s four-part crossover will air across two nights Monday, November 27 and Tuesday, November 28 on The CW. For this crossover event, Arrow will air on a special night Monday at 9/8c following Supergirl, while the other DC shows will remain in their regularly scheduled time periods.
My inner DW fan is ecstatic!! *squees quietly to prevent a coughing fit*
This years four part crossover is based on Crisis on Infinite Earth’s oh please if all the universes merge into one I will be a happy fan boy
Not quite. Prior to that specific crossover, there used to be annual “Crisis On…” crossovers between the JLA of Earth 1 and JSA of Earth 2. That’s from where this particular plot point takes its inspiration.
Aren’t we supposed to be past identity of people’s private lives? This comes off as pandering and gimmicky. Just like what happened with Supergirl.
Pandering? Gimmick? The character in the comics is Gay. That’s just part of him. They’ve not forced the character to be gay in the show, in the COMICS he is HOMOSEXUAL. That’s not pandering, that’s sticking to the source material.
The Ray has been around since the 70s. The only version that’s gay is the one that debuted recently. One version of the character, out of several, being gay for a few months does make it a bit of a stretch to proclaim him “gay superhero” when the vast majority of people who know The Ray likely have no clue that this one single version is homosexual. It also doesn’t seem like his sexual orientation will have much to do with the show so I don’t understand why TV Line felt the need to just shove that in the headline outside of clickbaiting.
Aren’t all superhero stories just gay allegories though? I mean they all have this secret identity that they can’t reveal, but they are the happiest when they are the superhero, not the secret identity. Yet, because of a society that can be dangerous to people who are different they need to remain hidden from most people in order to keep themselves and those around them safe.
I can kind of see where Super is coming from. There has been issues in the past where characters are defined by their sexuality as opposed to who they were. I’ve seen shows in the past when they cast a characters as a “gay doctor” and it gives off the impression that they are going to be defined by their sexuality (the example I can think of, they were). It’s good that they are sticking to the source material, but at the same time, we don’t need to know he’s gay, we will know that from researching the character or just watching the show. In this case though because he’s an important character, it’s highly unlikely he’s going to be defined by his sexuality. But I do have an issue with LGBT character being seemingly defined by their sexuality when announced. You never get “This person is playing….a straight superhero” – I might be making a different point to Super.
You realize the site is run by a gay man, don’t you?
I’m not talking about this site in particular. I’m talking about the media in general.
How’s that different from Barry or Oliver’s stories often revolving around their love interests?
Do you also recomment that they hide straight characters are straight?
What she means is that it shouldn’t say GAY SUPERHERO just Superhero who, as you see the show, just happens to be gay.
lmfao are you kidding, the Flash has like 6 straight couples in it, you can’t get five minutes without one of them making out. Having one gay character, is not a big deal. Especially since most characters in the Arrowverse are straight, and lesbians take over the show anyway.. we’ve had gay male characters, but no one’s ever made out except for straight people and lesbians… lesbians definitely get way more limelight.
very cool one of my favorite actors playing one of my favorite super heros
He’ll always be George from Being Human to me.
Agreed. He was awesome in that role. I miss Being Human…… :-(
He’s also the latest Whovian to become part of the Arrow-verse, and Russell is one of my favorite actors as well.
Me, too! Loved that show SO much. I try to tell new fans of Aidan Turner (Poldark, Hobbit) that he was basically discovered while playing reformed vampire John Mitchell on Being Human, and I just get a blank stare. It can also be said that Being Human (airing on BBC America) introduced U.S. audiences to Russell Tovey. Anyway, I’m with you!
Guys, do you realize how important this is? He is going to be the first gay superhero on TV & movies alone! (Unless you count the subtle queer characters on X-Men 3). Yes for representation!
Unless you count Sara Lance. Or Nyssa al Ghul. Or Mr. Terrific. All from the same universe, btw.
Well, Sara and Nyssa are technically lesbians (or bisexuals, I didn’t watch Arrow past season 3 so I don’t know the specifics). I was talking about a gay man.
I don’t know who Mr. Terrific is. Sorry for the slip.
Guess you forgot about all of the other LGBT superheroes on the CW. Terrific would like a word.
To be fair, none of them were cute white men, so…
LOVED him in BBC’s Being Human. Would watch him in anything.
Are gay characters all this guy knows how to do? I mean it’s kind of sad how he is purposefully allowing himself to be typecast
He has played many straight characters too. George on Being Human, Steve on Him & Her, James on Banished are just a few that come to mind. I recommend you check out more of his work rather than you typecasting him based on a few roles.
If a straight actor has only played straight characters are they allowing themselves to be typecast?
This comment is so irresponsible. How about Tovey sees the value in representing people like him for those who don’t see that in TV often. Do you say the same thing about straight actors?
Ray Terrill first appeared in The Ray comic book in 1992. His father Lanford “Happy” Terrill debuted in 1940; Happy’s first Bronze Age appearance (not reprints) was in Justice League of America #107 as a member of the Freedom Fighters on Earth-X.
Thanks. I was gonna track all that down.
Glad I scrolled the comments before making this same comment!
I apologize but why now everything has to include gays in straight tv shows? I tolerate gays but ther is a space for everything. Now a gay has to be included in shows in order not “tio discriminate” the community! Plizz!!!! Nothing of that was in the past. Soon if not already, the channel for kids Nicklodeon will include a gay show because it is part of today issue. Oh my!!
Everything in due space
So you want to segregate the LGBT community from straight people? Also what makes a “straight TV show”? Any show that doesn’t have sexuality as a major theme? There is no straight TV show. I’ve never seen a show that is all about how straight a character is.
I’m hoping Nika is simply a troll writing a dumb negative comment to make people react. It would be quite scary, if Nika actually believes what they wrote.
I’m with you. I remember when characters were all men and woman were only supporting roles, then the floodgates opened and we got female leads (unmarried ones no less) … then black people started showing up on screen instead of being background characters (I knew the Cosby show wasn’t a one off) … now gay people are being represented. If only tv reflected back my singular all white/heterosexual worldview, no matter how unrealistic, instead of reflecting everyone in this country.
If it doesn’t stop soon then everyone who watches tv gonna see themselves represented, and I’ll eventually realise I’m not the centre of the universe and I dont think I can handle that.
Hahaha, sarcasm is sometimes difficult to notice on the internet but this went on beautifully.
Wonderful.
There are in fact LGBT characters on nickelodeon and Disney.
Got to pander to those in the LGBT community.
Given it’s a show run by a gay man, it’s not really a “straight show” is it?
The DCTV universe has literally already had several gay characters. You’re either oblivious or you’re commenting on a show you don’t even watch. If its the former, you won’t even notice this ones gay, if its the latter then please shut up.
yes exactly. all 4 of the DC shows on CW has gay or bi characters. Like you wrote Nika is either too dumb to have noticed or is a troll.
Good casting to play The Ray in crossover episodes. Looking forward to see him on DC shows and hear his voice on the animated show premiering on CW Seed!
This is great! I love Russel Tovey! We also need more prominent gay male characters in the Arrow universe. Straight characters make out all the time, and lesbians are everywhere.. but gay males have very small appearances in the universe and we’ve yet to have a gay male kiss. It’s so weird because the creators are gay.
I guess it has to do with the fact that two women kissing is still less shocking than two men kissing. Remember that in our society dominated by straight white males two women kissing is considered “hot” but two men is considered “gross”.
Both of those are gross.
No thanks. There’s enough LGBT representation as it is in the DCTV universe. Don’t need any more of that.
Another gay character on DC??? I hope it is only for a few episodes. I do not see why superheroes should be gay on TV unless it was known that the character was gay when he/she first debuted. All characters have already been established, why make them gay?? It is like making Steve Rogers gay all of a sudden, just for a movie or show. His beloved Carter died, so let’s make him gay to modernize. We have enough non-comic shows that have gay people. I know it is a modernization thing, but if it is not broke, don’t fix it.