The Flash Season 8 has revealed the first images of Tony Curran as Despero, the DC Comics villain at the heart of its five-part "Armageddon" crossover event.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, The Flash showrunner Eric Wallace explained that these photos come from "a very intense moment" in Despero's relationship with the Scarlet Speedster. "You'll see throughout the episodes how Despero tests Flash in various ways," he added. "This is one of those moments. That's what makes it so pivotal. I think the audience is going to learn something new about Despero that they never knew, because we do have our own take on the [DC] mythology for the character."
Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Mike Sekowsky, Despero is a telepathic alien from the planet Kalanor who first appeared in 1960's Justice League of America #1. The Flash's version of the character faces "a deadly mission on Earth, one whose outcome will decide the fate of humankind and put him on a collision course with Team Flash."
"I wanted to put a truly classic DC villain in this five part event that I knew fans would get excited about," Wallace noted. "Also, and I can't say too much without revealing too much of the story, there's a certain element to the story itself that involves the powerset of Despero, [which] makes him the perfect fit for the story."
Curran is known to many for playing Vincent van Gogh on Doctor Who, although he's also tackled recurring roles on Ray Donovan and Your Honor, as well as voicing Commander Throk and other characters on Voltron: Legendary Defender. According to Wallace, the actor's background proved useful when it came to showcasing Despero's "familiar" powers from the comic books without losing sight of his pathos. "That's where Tony's experience in other sci-fi genre shows really came into the play, because he immediately understood. [He said,] 'I love the Shakespearean bigness of it, but I also understand he needs to be relatable to the audience on a very grounded level.'"
Wallace also cautioned against assuming The Flash's Despero won't be comic-accurate in terms of his appearance, based on these photos. "Be careful what you see. [Laughs] Your eyes can sometimes deceive you."
The Flash Season 8's "Armageddon" event premieres Nov. 16 on The CW.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
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