The DC Comics Television Universe has been gaining more and more momentum with its current run of successful series on The CW network, which includes Arrow and The Flash for the moment. Following these two titans, The CW has announced that a new spinoff series, entitled DC's Legends of Tomorrow, will air in 2016 which will follow the time-traveling adventures of several heroes and villains, both those previously seen on screen in Arrow and The Flash and those new to audiences. Also slated for release this fall is DC’s Supergirl on CBS, which hails from Arrow/The Flash/Legends of Tomorrow creators/executive producers Andrew Kreisberg and Greg Berlanti (though Ali Adler will serve as showrunner). While a crossover between the Supergirl-verse and the CW Network’s established world is still up in the air, producers haven’t ruled it out completely.

But who are these new heroes and villains? Where do they fit in to the shows they're joining, and to the broader story overall? I'll break down each casting announcement along with a bit of background on each of their comic book characters below in the following list of the characters who have been announced for the upcoming seasons of these aforementioned series.

Wally West

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Image via DC Comics

Character Name: Wally West a.k.a. Kid Flash, a.k.a. The Flash

Will Be Played By: Keiynan Lonsdale (Insurgent)

Comic Debut: The Flash #110

Will Be Joining: The Flash

Background: For quite a long time, Wally West WAS the Flash. Starting off originally as the kid sidekick to Barry Allen, appropriately named Kid Flash, Wally gained the same powers as Barry in the exact same fashion (convenient isn’t it?). For awhile, the pair fought evil until Wally found himself with the DC supergroup the Teen Titans and spent less time with Barry. During the big DC kerfuffle Crisis on Infinite Earths, Barry Allen died and was replaced by Wally as the one and only Flash. For decades, Wally West was the Flash who attempted to honor Barry’s memory while trying to not live under his shadow. It was only until recent years that Barry re-emerged and took back the mantle of the Flash while Wally took more of a background role. When DC Comics rebooted itself with the “New 52” run, Wally West was changed from a pale-faced ginger to a biracial teenager who seems to be once again on the path of becoming Barry Allen’s sidekick, even getting his own new Flash costume.

What It Means for the Show: Wally will certainly bring a younger feel to the second season of arguably the CW’s best show. He also has a huge fanbase that has been clamoring for him to make an appearance from the get go. While it’s pretty easy to assume that Wally will be related to Iris and Joe, it’s yet to be seen if he’ll be donning the lightning bolts this season to act as the Flash’s sidekick.

Hawkman

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Image via DC Comics

Character Name: Carter Hall a.k.a. Hawkman

Will Be Played By: Falk Hentschel (Transcendence)

Comic Debut: Flash Comics #1

Will Be Joining: Arrow/Flash crossover, then Legends of Tomorrow

Background: Hawkman/Carter Hall has had a LOT of origins, to say the least. He’s been an alien space cop, an archeologist who discovers alien tech wings, a reincarnation of an Egyptian Hawkgod, etc etc. While we don’t know a lot about which version of the character will be appearing on the CW, the producers seem to be leaning toward a combination of archeologist and Egyptian Hawkgod, rather than the alien space cop angle, as Carter will be “accessing his powers through the Hawkgod, Horus”. His reincarnations were usually bittersweet, as he and Hawkgirl in the comics would meet a horrible fate once they discovered their love for one another. Hawkman, as of late, has been something of a barbarian, using his wings and giant mace to break the bones and shed the blood of any villains who get in his way. Should be an interesting contrast to the other characters currently residing in the DCU.

What This Means for the DCU: Hawkman has never quite been a lynchpin of the DC Universe. He’s been a member of the Justice League and the Justice Society, but never quite gained the notoriety of the “Big Seven”. Carter Hall has, however, fostered fantastic relationships with many of the heroes of the day, including a rivalry with Oliver Queen which will hopefully make an appearance here. Of course, Hawkgirl has already been announced as a major player in Legends of Tomorrow so it’s pretty much a guarantee that their story of star-crossed lovers will be played up in the future.

Vandal Savage

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Image via DC Comics

Character Name: Vandal Savage

Will Be Played By: Casper Crump (The Killing)

Comic Debut: Green Lantern #10

Will Be Joining: DC's Legends of Tomorrow

Background: Vandal Savage is an immortal who has existed since the days of the caveman because, well, he was a caveman! When a meteor hit the earth during the stone age, Savage investigated and was granted immortality, growing his intellect and his wealth over the centuries. Vandal doesn’t have any super strength or speed, but he is ruthless and can handle himself in a fight considering he’s had thousands of years of experience doing just that. The ruthless immortal is one of those comic villains who doesn’t necessarily fall under a single hero’s rogues gallery, but this makes the character of Vandal Savage work all the better as he has his hands in so many pots that he’s constantly finding himself at odds with numerous DC folks.

What It Means for the Show: Vandal Savage is the perfect villain for Legends of Tomorrow since, due to his immortality, wherever the gang travels in time, he’ll be there! Savage works as an almost Kingpin-like figure, but on a much more global scale, running his organizations and crime rings with an iron fist. While he may not be going toe to toe with the heroes with flashy super powers, he’s a good behind the scenes sort of villain. Considering the fact that he can’t die, it’s safe to say that we may see him continue to be a thorn in the side of the DCU moving forward past Legends.

Mr. Terrific

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Image via DC Comics

Character Name: Michael Holt a.k.a. Mr. Terrific

Will Be Played By: Echo Kellum (Ben and Kate)

Comic Debut: Sensation Comics #1

Will Be Joining: Arrow

Background: Michael Holt is one of the smartest men in the DC Universe, being somewhat similar to Bruce Wayne and Ted Kord, a.k.a. the Blue Beetle, insomuch as he’s a billionaire who is constantly creating new inventions for the world, and for himself for his crime fighting activities. Holt is a fighter and master technician, but his big claim to fame in the powers department is the T-Spheres that follow him into battle. Think of them like the orbs from the Phantasm flicks, only less stabby, allowing Holt to perform a lot of technological feats that would otherwise be impossible. He officially becomes a superhero after an accident takes his wife and child and he encounters the supernatural hero known as the Spectre, who points him in the right direction.

What It Means for the Show: Producers have gone on record that the Mr. Terrific of Arrow will be a tad different from the comic book interpretation. Rather than being “Michael”, he’ll be “Curtis Hall” and will be a friend of one of the show’s stalwart characters, Felicity. Curtis will also be gay, marking him as the first openly homosexual character appearing in the DC television universe. [Editor's note: As some commenters have rightly pointed out, there have been a few openly gay characters on The Flash, namely Captain David Singh and his fiance, and the Pied Piper.]

Anarky

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Image via DC Comics

Character Name: Lonnie Machin a.k.a. Anarky

Will Be Played By: Alexander Calvert (Lost Boys: The Tribe)

Comic Debut: Detective Comics #608

Will Be Joining: Arrow

Background: Anarky is first and foremost a Batman villain, but I doubt we’ll be seeing an upcoming movie featuring this child prodigy turned villain any time soon, so his use in Arrow is certainly fair game. Appearing most recently to the public at large in the Batman: Arkham Origins video game, Anarky is somewhat original in the fact that he’s much younger than he appears, usually being portrayed as a younger teenager, coming not from billionaire roots, but rather from a seemingly normal middle-income family. Also unlike so many heroes, he has no personal tragedies to speak of that egg him on in his nightly endeavors. Instead he simply decided that wearing a crazy red costume with a gold face plate was the right thing to do with his time. While usually at odds with heroes, Anarky is actually something of an anti-hero, even getting his own short-lived comic book series in the 90’s. He doesn’t have any powers per se, like others in this list, and he’s not exactly the greatest fighter, but his methods make him pretty dangerous in how far he’s willing to go to bring about his namesake.

What It Means for the Show: Considering Anarky’s background, and the fact that in the comics he’s come to blows with Oliver Queen before, it’s safe to say that he’ll act as a thorn in the side of the DC heroes. Anarky would be an interesting foil to Oliver Queen considering their differing backstories and goals. To be fair, Anarky isn’t exactly the most interesting of characters out there, but he does have a unique design and should act as a nice bump in the road for the Arrow.

Lucy Lane

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Image via DC Comics

Character Name: Lucy Lane a.k.a. Superwoman

Will Be Played By: Jenna Dewan-Tatum (Step Up)

Comic Debut: Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #36

Will Be Joining: Supergirl

Background: Lucy Lane is the younger sister of Superman mainstay Lois Lane. Feeling neglected by her parents and too overshadowed by Lois, Lucy joins the army, attempting to follow in her father’s footsteps. It's not until later in her life that she agrees to wear a super suit, one that was created by the U.S. government, which houses mystical abilities. While wearing the suit, it inexplicably transforms her into an actual Kryptonian with powers on the same scale as Superman’s. Acting as a weapon for the U.S. Government, she eventually comes to blows with Supergirl and unfortunately meets her end.

What It Means for the Show: Lucy will be a supporting member of the Supergirl stable, while also being an ex-girlfriend to the show’s Jimmy Olsen, harkening back to her origin. Whether or not we’ll see her slap on a super suit herself is yet to be seen, but considering how focused on superpowers the show has shown itself to be through its trailer and premiere episode, I would think it would be a safe bet in the future.

Reactron

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Image via DC Comics

Character Name: Benjamin Krull a.k.a Reactron

Will Be Played By: Chris Browning (Sons of Anarchy)

Comic Debut: Daring New Adventures of Supergirl #8

Will Be Joining: Supergirl

Background: This is the first comic book character in some time I’ve actually had to do research on! Reactron is a villain in the DCU who is somewhat similar to Superman’s Metallo, mostly in the fact that he has a heart made of Kryptonite. Rather than the good old green chunk, however, Reactron has a heart of gold that allows him to take away Kryptonians’ powers for 15 seconds once they’ve been exposed to it. Doesn’t seem like a whole lot of time but hey, you work with what you got! Originally an army sergeant in the Vietnam War, Krull went a little nuts and proceeded to kill everyone in a Vietnamese town, awakening the meta-human abilities in one of the children there. The kid attempts to murder Krull but instead turns him into the villain we know today.

What It Means for the Show: Reactron may not be the main villain that troubles Supergirl in her upcoming series, but it’s nice to see a villain from her own roster appearing in the show rather than one taken from another hero. Normally, with heroes that are “spin-offs” of others, it’s difficult to give them their own rogues’ gallery so it’s good to see that the CBS show is going to try incorporate some of those.

Jay Garrick

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Image via DC Comics

Character Name: Jay Garrick a.k.a. The Flash

Will Be Played By: Teddy Sears (Masters of Sex)

Comic Debut: Flash Comics #1

Will Be Joining: The Flash

Background: Jay Garrick originally was a hero in the time of World War II who gained his powers by inhaling heavy water vapors (because when in Rome, I guess). While his powers are nearly identical to Barry’s, he doesn’t live on the same world, rather he lives on the appropriately named “Earth 2”. Though at some points in comic history, he was part of the main timeline, we’ve since gone back to his origin as being that of an alternate world, which will be followed by the upcoming season of The Flash. Garrick used his powers during World War II, fighting crime for the U.S. both domestically and internationally, even helping to form the Justice Society (his world’s premiere super team).

What It Means for the Show: Following the season finale of The Flash, Barry will apparently be exploring some alternate realities, allowing for the entry of Jay Garrick into the series. The producers have stated that Jay will be filling the role - one which Harrison Wells will no longer be occupying - of mentor (to a degree) to Barry Allen. It should be a change of pace for Barry to have someone he can actually trust showing him the ropes of super heroics in season 2.

Baron Blitzkrieg

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Image via DC Comics

Character Name: Reiter a.k.a. Baron Blitzkrieg

Will Be Played By: Jimmy Akingbola (The Royal)

Comic Debut: World’s Finest Comics #246

Will Be Joining: Arrow

Background: In a similar vein as Marvel’s Red Skull and Baron Zemo, Baron Blitzkrieg is a Nazi who gained superpowers during World War II. Fighting the heroes of that time, he wears a yellow spandex suit to hide his deformed face which he received from an escaping child in a Nazi concentration camp. Science, however, stepped in as Nazi scientists experimented on him to give him superhuman strength, invulnerability, flight, and eye beams. While not particularly a Green Arrow villain, Blitzkrieg has mostly been a “D-List” villain, appearing once in a blue moon throughout DC Comics’ history.

What It Means for the Show: This one’s a noodle-scratcher to be sure. While the main villain of Arrow’s fourth season seems to be Damien Darhk, Blitzkrieg could act as a crony for him or yet another roadblock to Oliver Queen in a similar vein as Anarky.