Reverse-Flash may have been The Flash Season 1’s main antagonist, but Leonard Snart, a.k.a. Captain Cold, also made the Scarlet Speedster’s life hell. As if beating Barry in his debut episode wasn’t bad enough, he continued his crime spree in late episodes with his flame-obsessed partner Mick Rory, a.k.a. Heat Wave, and his ambitious sister Lisa, a.k.a. Golden Glider. Captain Cold and Heat Wave will be principal characters on Legends of Tomorrow, but before they head to the 2016 series, fans are going to learn on The Flash that the Snarts inherited their villainous ways from their father, to be played by character actor Michael Ironside.
Ironside will be playing Leonard and Lisa’s dad Lewis Snart in Season 2’s third episode “Family of Rogues.” He is described by THR as a “cold-blooded, ruthless career criminal,” and after being released from prison, he will return to Central City to initiate a plan that will put his children in harm’s way. Wentworth Miller and Peyton List will also be reprising their roles as Leonard and Lisa, respectively. Lewis was mentioned in Cold’s debut episode “Going Rogue” as a corrupt cop who abused his kids until he was arrested.
Although Captain Cold’s father was also abusive towards him in the comics, the character has barely been explored on the printed page, so The Flash will have free reign with Ironside’s interpretation. Lewis already sounds a horrible piece of work, so let’s just hope he doesn’t obtain an unusual gun like the ones his kids have. As far as Lewis’ children go, their last major appearance was in Season 1’s penultimate episode “Rogue Air,” when they agreed to help transport the S.T.A.R. Labs metahuman prisoners. Unfortunately for Team Flash, this was just a ruse for Cold to free the superpowered criminals and get them to owe him a favor, presumably by enlisting them into his group of Rogues at some point. Captain Cold also cameoed in the Season 1 finale while looking up at the vortex treating to destroy Central City.
Ironside is no stranger to DC Comics projects. In live action, he played Lois Lane’s father in three episodes of Smallville. In the world of animation, his most notable role was voicing Darkseid in Superman: The Animated Series, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. He also voiced the Dark Knight Returns Batman in the New Batman Adventures episode “Legends of the Dark Knight.” His most notable non-comic book projects include Top Gun, Total Recall, V, The Perfect Storm and Terminator Salvation.
The Flash will return with new episodes on Tuesday, October 6, on The CW.
