Category Archives: Media

Flash TV Show Cast Update: Tom Cavanagh

Tom CavanaghDeadline reports that Tom Cavanaugh (Ed) has been cast as Harrison Wells in the Flash TV show pilot. Wells is an original character*, described as…

a rock star in the world of physics and the mind and money behind Central City’s S.T.A.R. Labs Particle Accelerator. He becomes a pariah after the lab’s explosion, but he charts his path to redemption when he discovers that his failed experiment had the unintended consequence of creating the world’s fastest man.

Also making the rounds, Greg Berlanti talked to Digital Spy about the series, how it has a more sci-fi tone than Arrow, and how Barry and Ollie differ in terms of optimism…and hints a backup plan to keep Barry in the universe even if the series doesn’t get picked up.

There’s only one high-profile role left to cast before the pilot goes into production in March: Hartley Rathaway, known to comics readers as the Pied Piper.

*As far as I know, anyway. He could be from another DC series, though no one I’ve talked to recognizes the name.

More FLASH TV Casting: VIBE (Updated) – Also: Piper Confirmed

Carlos ValdesYes, you read that correctly. Hot on the heels of the news that Candice Patton will play Iris West in the upcoming Flash TV pilot, Deadline announces that Carlos Valdes will play Cisco Ramon, “a mechanical engineering genius and the youngest member of the team of scientists at STAR Labs” (maybe working with Caitlin Snow?) — or, as New 52 comic book readers know him, Vibe. TVLine notes that he is currently performing in the Broadway play, Once.

This brings the known cast up to six: Valdes and Patton join Grant Gustin as Barry Allen, Jesse L. Martin as Detective West, Rick Cosnet as Detective Eddie Thawne (probably the Reverse Flash in disguise), and Danielle Panabaker as scientist Caitlin Snow (probably the future Killer Frost).

Update: THR has more info on the character:

Valdes will play the series regular role of Cisco Ramon, a mechanical engineering genius and the youngest member of the team of scientists at STAR Labs. Born into a lower-income family, Cisco’s brains and talent helped him reach his potential. He is loyal and eager and provides the comic relief in contrast to his stiff co-workers. Best part: He is as much of a comic book fanboy as Barry.

THR also confirms that Hartley Rathaway, aka the Pied Piper, will appear as a regular character on the show. He and Harrison Wells (not a character from the comics as far as I can recall, but STAR Labs’ CEO) are the last two “regular roles” remaining to be cast.

Candice Patton cast as IRIS WEST in Flash TV Pilot

Candice PattonDeadline reports that Candice Patton has been cast in the key role of Iris West in the Flash TV show pilot. In the comics, reporter Iris West was Barry Allen’s girlfriend, then wife throughout the Silver Age of comics. She’ll begin the TV show as Barry’s “fast-talking, quick-witted best friend.”

Patton joins Grant Gustin as Barry Allen, Jesse L. Martin as her father Detective West, Rick Cosnet as Detective Eddie Thawne (probably the Reverse Flash in disguise), and Danielle Panabaker as scientist Caitlin Snow (probably the future Killer Frost).

Quicksilver Revealed – X-Men: Days of Future Past

Empire Magazine is unveiling 25 covers from from X-Men: Days of Future Past today, each featuring a different character. This includes the look for Evan Peters as Quicksilver, or, as The Beat calls it, the 90s club kid version of the character. The movie opens in May.

Another version of Quicksilver will also appear in The Avengers: Age of Ultron, played by Aaron Johnson, the first character to appear in both Fox’s X-Men films and the Marvel cinematic universe, due to an overlap in the film rights between the Avengers and X-Men.

Empire Magazine: Quicksilver in X-Men: Days of Future Past

More FLASH TV Casting: Reverse Flash and Killer Frost?

Deadline reports that Rick Cosnett and Danielle Panabaker have been cast in the roles of Detective Eddie Thawne and scientist Caitlin Snow in the Flash TV series pilot.

Rick Cosnett Danielle Panabaker

Det. Eddie Thawne is described as “a recent transfer to the Central City Police Department, whose past is a mystery and who harbors a dark secret.” It’s a safe bet that “Eddie” is an alias for Eobard Thawne, a.k.a. the Reverse Flash — especially since Barry Allen’s appearance on Arrow has already hinted at the villainous speedster’s role in Nora Allen’s murder.

Caitlin Snow is “a highly intelligent bioengineering expert who lost her fiancé during an explosion at S.T.A.R. Labs.” As Flash TV News points out, Caitlin Snow is the name of the current (New 52) incarnation of Killer Frost. That’s an odd choice, given that the Flash has his own highly prominent cold-based villain in Captain Cold — a favorite of DC’s Chief Creative Officer, Geoff Johns, who had a hand in the story.

It seems likely that one or both will be set up as part of the supporting cast now, to be transformed/revealed as supervillains later in the season. Come to think of it, I wouldn’t be surprised if Dr. Snow gets worked into Captain Cold’s origin. After all, he was originally a petty criminal who broke into a science lab to power up his weapon. There’s no reason it can’t be her lab. (Unless the people writing the show look up “cyclotron” and realize it’s a kind of particle accelerator.)

Incidentally, I wish Deadline and THR would get a new description for the pilot instead of repeatedly copying and pasting the summary of Barry’s part in “The Scientist.”

JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time Review

1390331235936b I had the opportunity to watch the JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time animated film the other night. It’s a straight-to-video release directed by Giancarlo Volpe (best known in DC fandom for Green Lantern: the Animated Series), and is aimed at a younger audience than such films as The Flashpoint Paradox. But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, considering the extreme violence in some of DC’s major animated releases.

Overall, I rather enjoyed Trapped in Time, which was surprisingly fun. There were some plot points glossed over and a bit of kid-oriented humour which didn’t appeal to me, but I’m not the primary audience. And frankly it’s a good thing to produce series (whether animated programs or comic books) that are more suited to children — in the era of a shrinking industry, comics could use some new fans.

Slight spoilers after the cut.

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