The DC Comics universe (well, the pre-New 52 one anyway) is a world that’s rooted in legacy. When certain heroes or villains have died or retired, others have taken up their mantle. The CW’s DC series Arrow and The Flash haven’t gotten to explore this kind of legacy yet, since most of these colorful characters haven’t been around long. However, while Oliver Queen’s is the only Green Arrow in the present day, when the spinoff Legends of Tomorrow airs next year, we’ll see another Emerald Archer make the jump to live action: Connor Hawke.
After it was reported that Legends of Tomorrow Episode 6 is casting an “African-American or biracial male” who would put on the uniform of a missing hero, Comicbook.com confirmed with Warner Bros that this will be Connor Hawke, the second Green Arrow and Oliver Queen’s son in the comics. Connor made his comics debut in 1994, and following his father’s temporary death, he became the new Green Arrow, an identity he continued to use even after Oliver’s resurrection. While the studio didn’t give away a ton of details about the character, the company did say that unlike the comics, Connor will not be the son of Oliver and Sandra Hawke in this continuity.
Like many hardcore Arrow fans, when Connor was confirmed to join, I immediately jumped to the child Oliver already has in this universe. For those who need a refresher, the flashbacks from the Season 2 episode “Seeing Red” showed that a year before Oliver was stranded on Lian Yu, he had an affair with a woman and accidentally got her pregnant. To keep all of this quiet, Oliver’s mother Moira paid the woman $2 million to pretend that she miscarried and to go back to Central City. This mystery woman reappeared during The Flash episode “Flash vs. Arrow,” a.k.a. the first part of the crossover between the two shows last year. Oliver ran into her at the Jitters coffee shop, and as he walked away, we saw her talking on the phone with her child, who was now approximately seven years old. With this new development, it looks like the unnamed child won’t be jumping into the world of crimefighting like his daddy.
Since Legends of Tomorrow is a time travel show, presumably Connor Hawke will be seen when the team travels at least several decades into the future. The report didn’t outright say that Connor will be the future Green Arrow, but this hero that he’s taking over for is said to have stood for “justice and hope,” and that fits with Oliver’s new goal to inspire people in Season 4. Just because Connor isn’t Oliver’s son in this universe doesn’t mean he can’t pick up the bow.
When the original casting was reported, it also mentioned that Connor’s Legends of Tomorrow episode will feature a physically massive character who is preparing to “pick up his father’s mantle and become a powerful villain,” so it’s possible that this will be an adversary that Connor must battle. It’s anyone’s guess who the mystery villain is (my guess is Deathstroke since Slade Wilson mentioned having a son named Joe), but if you have your own idea, make to sure to let us know in the comments section.
Legends of Tomorrow will premiere sometime in midseason 2016 on The CW.
