For years, Stephen Amell was best known to TV audiences for wearing comic book-inspired costumes on The CW's Arrow, and though that gig did require him to don tights on a regular basis, he's going for a completely different aesthetic for his new show Heels. In it, Amell and Vikings vet Alexander Ludwig portray brothers who take control of an independent wrestling promotion after their father dies. And in Heels' first official images, both actors look perfectly on point making their way to the squared circle, though Ludwig's masterfully sparkly pants win the Internet for today.
If these are the kind of visuals that fans can expect to see from Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig on Heels – and what other kind would there be for a show focusing on small-town wrestling events? – then it's a must-watch for reasons that have nothing to do with the already interesting plot. Check out the new shots below, as shared by Heels' Twitter account, and try not to be jealous of Ludwig's supa-fancy pants.
I know what you're thinking: why doesn't Heels already have a full website with a branded shop where everyday citizens like us can order the same pants that Ludwig wears as his character Ace Spade? Apparently I also need to change my name to something a lot more amazing than Nick Venable to justify wearing those pants, such as Nick...Knife...bolt. Tricky Nicky Knifebolt. It's a work in progress.
For as much as I'm harping on the the sparkle magic covering Alexander Ludwig's legs, there is obviously a whole lot more to gnaw on in the two images above. To stick with the sheen-chested Ludwig at the moment, I am also all about that hair, which Stephen Amell could only dream of having. I think if someone did scientific research on it, the part to his left would exhibit perfect curvature. That exists, right? The pants told me to say it. The pants are my captain now.
To shift our sights to Stephen Amell, he's looking rightfully rugged as the elder brother Jack Spade, and his costume is much more representative of the family name. He's got smaller "spade" patches on the front of his vest, a big one on the back (complete with skull imagery and his name), at least one on his knee sleeves, and a big one on the back of his trunks. It would have probably been too much to have it right in the crotch area, since that would have it competing with Ludwig's pants for "most stare-at-able bottoms."
Considering how hyped up I already am for this show after only seeing two pictures – and not only because of bedazzled pants – I cannot wait until Starz unleashes a full trailer on potential audiences. Stephen Amell fans already know the actor has already done his wrestling homework as part of the WWE for several events some years back, though he couldn't continue down that path due to the threat of injury while working on Arrow. But after trading Oliver Queen's suits for Jack Spade's red undies, he's been able to embrace his sports-entertainment interests in earnest, and he's also been good about giving fans quick peeks at how enjoyably rough the training and filming have been.
Heels does not yet have a premiere date set on Starz, so we'll just have to bide our time by trying to design a floor pattern for my house that looks exactly like Alexander Ludwig's pants.
