Yahoo Movies Superman & Lois boss teases David Ramsey's turns as director and Arrow 's Diggle
David Ramsey is bringing his Arrowverse expertise to Superman & Lois very soon.
The actor is slated to appear as his Arrow character, John Diggle, and direct several episodes across the CW's shared superhero universe this season. His first stop (or at least the one that's airing first) is the May 25 episode of Superman & Lois, which he helmed but doesn't appear in. Titled "Man of Steel," the hour explores "Luthor's [Wolé Parks] backstory quite a bit," Superman & Lois showrunner Todd Helbing revealed during EW's Around the Table with the freshman drama's cast.
Parks added: "We've been [seeing] little pieces of him here and there, little things about him. And I think episode 7 is where you get a real big dive into him and you understand where he's coming from… I'm excited for the fans to see it just because I was excited when I got to read it."
In a second interview conducted after the roundtable, Helbing discussed why he thought Ramsey was the right choice for that pivotal episode. "The stuff he [directed] on Arrow was fantastic," he said. "Just getting into the Luthor character and the backstory, and really getting into his motivations and why he's doing what he is, I think David, having played John Diggle, could just bring his expertise [from] the Arrowverse on how to tell those stories. So I thought he would be a perfect fit for it."
Dean Buscher/The CW; Bettina Strauss/The CW David Ramsey on 'Arrow' and Tyler Hoechlin on 'Superman & Lois'
In terms of his appearance as Diggle, that comes later in Superman & Lois' season. The last time we saw Diggle, he was getting ready to move his family to Metropolis when he found a bright green object at the site of meteor crash, which was a nod to the prevailing fan theory he was destined to become Green Lantern John Stewart. As of right now, it's unclear if that will play into Diggle's Superman & Lois visit.
"[Our episode] gets into the mentality of where he is in his life based on everything that happened to him over the last [several] years," Helbing said in that second interview.
As previously reported, Ramsey will reprise the role of Diggle on Supergirl, The Flash, and Batwoman, and he has a mysterious role on DC's Legends of Tomorrow. According to Helbing, Ramsey's onscreen return was initially conceived as a multi-episode arc across the shows. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic squashed those plans.
"There was like a five-episode story," Helbing said. "It was pretty cool. And then because of availability and shutdowns and delays, it was impossible to make it make sense [across the shows]. There's still a through-line, but it's not as A-to-B-to-C [as planned]. Ours is kind of a little bit more of a one-off, but thematically it still plays."
We know that Diggle appears in the 12th episode of Supergirl's final season, which was co-written by star Azie Tesfai (who plays Kelly Olsen) and co-producer J. Holtham. That hour will address racial inequality and mark Kelly's debut as the shield-wielding vigilante Guardian. It remains to be seen how Diggle figures into the other shows.
Superman & Lois returns Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on the CW.
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