Gay Superhero Show a Go at CW Seed, Arrow-verse Integration Eyed
He’s here. He’s superhuman. Get used to it.
The Ray, a gay DC Comics superhero, will be the lead character of CW Seed’s animated Freedom Fighters: The Ray, the network announced Thursday.
The series will debut on The CW’s digital channel in 2017 and, network boss Mark Pedowitz told reporters at the Television Critics Association summer press tour, likely will eventually result in The Ray showing up in one of The CW’s live-action Arrow-verse shows — much like Megalyn E.K.’s Vixen on Arrow.
“Without question,” Pedowitz said when asked about the future appearance of a live-action version of The Ray. “That is the way we are intending to build these things out.” (The role of The Ray has yet to be cast.)
Freedom Fighters: The Ray will be executive-produced by Greg Berlanti (Supergirl, The Flash, Arrow) and Marc Guggenheim (Arrow, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow).
Per the network’s release:
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 character 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.
I’ve always like the visual design of the character, and powers-wise, he’s certainly on a par with Flash in terms of wielding a raw elemental force of the universe, with theoretically unlimited potential.
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I appreciate that the blurb doesn’t go out of its way to emphasize the character’s gayness. Unlike, say, Gotham’s “gay cop”.
Comic nerd nitpick
The character first appeared in a 1940 issue of Smash Comics. His 1973 appearance was the first time he appeared in a DC comic since they bought the rights to the character when the original publisher (Quality Comics) went out of business.
How long has he been gay? I’m pretty sure I had one of his comics in the 90s and he wasn’t gay. New guy under the helmet, maybe, or was he flying around space one day and suddenly discovered he was a gay man?
Exciting news there will be another animated DC series on CW Seed! It would be great to see the character to appear on any of DC shows on The CW like Vixen on Arrow. Can’t wait to see the show next year!
I dont like this, there is only one Ray and thats Ray Palmer
am i the only one that thinks he looks a little too much like the guardian in this?
well it is ow the summer of 2017 when is this show freedom fighters going to air or was it canceled before it even started