DC Introduces TV's First Openly Gay, Black Superhero

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That’s right superhero fans – the first black, gay superhero is coming to your TV screens in ‘Arrow’.

 

In the fourth season of DC’s Arrow, Mr Terrific joins the series and will be rewritten as a gay man. He is set to be portrayed by actor/comedian, Echo Kellum.

In DC-lore, the name of Mr Terrific was held by two characters. First, super-genius and self-made millionaire, Terry Sloane in 1942. The moniker was then taken up by Michael Holt in 1997. Holt is also is ‘the third smartest man on the planet’, an Olympic gold medalist and holds five blackbelts. Considering the super-campy 1942 version of Mr Terrific, it may not fit with the dark, realistic Arrow – we’re betting that the TV persona will be more like his 1997 edgier revamp.

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The current version of Mister Terrific, beside the original super-camp 1940s version.

Speaking at San Diego Comic Con last week, Arrow 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 Mister Terrific happens to be gay for anyone that cares about that kind of stuff.

In the comics, Holt joined the Justice Society of America and took the name Mr Terrific following the death of his pregnant wife. However, it’s yet to be revealed how this will be rewritten to fit with is TV persona’s sexual orientation. What we do know, is that his name will now be Curtis Holt and he will be younger than the original comic book character. 

This isn’t the first LGBT character on the show – in 2014, super-heroine Black Canary (aka Sara Lance) came out as bi and shared an on-screen kiss with Nyssa, the daughter of super-villian Ras al Ghul.

 


READ: OUR TOP 5 QUEER SUPERHEROES

 

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