The CW’s Arrow has had a very good track record of introducing established DC characters like The Flash, The Atom, and Deathstroke to a larger audience. But the well may be running a little dry in the upcoming fifth season.
Via a report from Entertainment Weekly, Arrow has cast Rick Gonzalez as Wild Dog. Even hardcore comic book fans are probably wondering who the hell Wild Dog is. The character was created in 1987 by Max Allan Collins and Terry Beatty, and Wild Dog even starred in an Action Comics serial before fading into obscurity for the better part of three decades.
In the DC Universe, Wild Dog was Jack Wheeler, a former Marine who turned vigilante after the death of his girlfriend.That’s the problem with Wild Dog, he’s really not all that different from any other comic book antihero. He’s not distinct, and But his biggest sin may have been that pathetic costume he wore in the ’80s.
Related: Stephen Amell Talks About Bringing ‘Arrow’ and ‘Supergirl’ Together
Meanwhile, Deadline is reporting that Nick Zano has been cast in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow as Dr. Nate Heywood, the grandson of the Golden Age superhero known as Commander Steel. Within the DCU, Heywood followed his grandfather’s footsteps and joined the Justice Society of America after adopting the name Citizen Steel. Like Wild Dog, Citizen Steel doesn’t have a very high profile among comic book fans.
Compared to the previous introductions of Firestorm, Vixen Hawkgirl, and Hawkman, it feels like The CW isn’t getting the best superhero picks this season. Or perhaps DC is simply getting more strict about which characters can be used.
What do you think about the latest additions to The CW’s superhero universe? Let us know in the comment section below!
