Long running TV series ‘Arrow’ will feature its first openly gay black superhero this year in the form of Mr. Terrific, in a first for network television.
The character will be played by Echo Kellum, with this version of the crime-fighter being a dramatic reinvention for the superhero.
In the comics, Mr. Terrific is actually Michael Holt, a wealthy Olympic decathlon champion who turns to crime-fighting after the death of his wife and unborn child.
However, the TV version of the character will be called Curtis Holt, a tech-savvy inventor who works at Palmer Technologies, and Kellum will team up with the existing members of the Arrow cast.
Executive producer Marc Guggenheim said:
We’re often asked when we’re going to add another LGBT character to the show and our version of Mr Terrific happens to be gay for anyone that cares about that kind of stuff.
Arrow, which follows DC Comic’s Green Arrow, and its spin-off ‘The Flash’ have already featured a number of gay heroes and villains, such as David Singh and the Pied Piper, as well as openly bisexual character Black Canary.
The fourth season of Arrow premieres in October and we wonder if the inclusive thinking of the TV show might encourage film-makers to bring an openly gay superhero to the big screen soon?
