Last season, "Arrow" wrapped up quite a few plot threads. The threat that was Deathstroke has been more or less neutered, and now Starling City could use a few new characters to take the place of those defeated last season.
Luckily, the series just added a big one. According to TVLine, Brandon Routh has just joined the third season of "Arrow" in a recurring role as Ray Palmer. TVLine describes Palmer as "an unrivaled scientist and inventor, who will play an unexpected role in Oliver's and Felicity's lives as the new Queen Consolidated owner and whose intentions with the company's Applied Sciences division are a mystery."
This is the same description as a character the CW was looking to cast as of last week. However, the rumors at the time pointed to that character being the superhero Blue Beetle. Now, we know that's not the case.
Comic book fans will certainly recognize Palmer as the classic DC superhero, The Atom, a man capable of shrinking himself down to the size of a subatomic particle. There's no word yet on how "Arrow" will simulate his powers with visual effects, but given the work that's gone into creating The Flash's powers on "Arrow" spin-off "The Flash," CW will come up with something unique.
Routh, of course, played Superman in the 2006 film "Superman Returns." The film was met with a middling response, and was eventually given a reboot into the current "Man of Steel."
This announcement comes hot on the heels of another piece of "Arrow" casting news. TVLine has another group of actors and actresses that will be joining the series, and the various super-characters they'll be portraying. Karl Yune will be playing Maseo Yamashiro, a mentor and teacher to Oliver Queen/The Arrow, who will appear in flashbacks.
Devon Aoki, meanwhile, will be playing the legendary Japanese warrior Katana. Actor Peter Stormare will join the series as the villainous Count Vertigo.
The third season of "Arrow" will premiere on October 8, 2014, the day after the premiere of "The Flash" pilot.
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