DC’s Legends of Tomorrow executive producer Phil Klemmer discusses Hawkman’s status and the tone of the show.
In an interview from the Television Critics Association press tour, Klemmer confirmed that every episode of Legends of Tomorrow will have every main character in it, which is impressive considering the rather large line up.
Klemmer says, “When you realize that you could basically have an entire episode of people arguing about what they’re going to get for lunch, and once you get to a scene, you could live there forever because you’d hear their voices so distinctly, and their character dynamics and conflicts…
“I’ve never had a show like this where every script comes in at 80 pages…it’s just, the amount of story that we can cover is limited by the amount of characters…you want to hear everybody’s take on everything, which is truly a joy.”
That packed line up has expanded since the initial announcement of the series as well, as Klemmer also confirmed that Hawkman, who will be played by Falk Hentschel and first appear in the Arrow/Flash crossover, will be a series regular.
As for how Hawkman will impact Hawkgirl’s character, Klemmer says, “[T]he way we’ve imagined them is that they’ve obviously been reincarnated through the ages together, but the fact that he remembers their previous lives and she doesn’t…it gives them very much like a Bogie & Bacall sort of [relationship].”
He adds, “They’re constantly fighting, and the fact that they’re destined to be in love is something that seems impossible to her. That’s the kind of sentimentality that we really strive to avoid on this show. The fact that they’re going to be together someday, we try desperately at every moment to disprove that, this is going to be the one time that they decide to, like, shoot each other in the face.”
On the subjects of romance in Legends, Klemmer says, “I mean, there’ll be more sex than romance, but eventually, there’s the possibility of romance. It’s not a sentimental show; I mean, the fact that we are traveling through time and people are doing something as emotionally fraught as getting to examine their own past… the way that you leaven that is with humor and irony and irreverence.
“So, it definitely isn’t a romantic show…which isn’t to say that it can’t be earnest at moments, but I think it’s going to be a good bit funnier and filled with irreverence…it’s wry, and it’s adult. That’s how you leaven something like time travel.”
Legends of Tomorrow will premiere at mid-season on The CW.