Dominic Purcell’s departure from The CW’s Legends of Tomorrow was announced in a somewhat strange way last month, with the actor blasting Warner Bros. before backtracking and claiming that his comments were a prank. Still, we know that Purcell will be leaving the series after the current sixth season but may return occasionally as a guest star.
Showrunner Phil Klemmer has now added his thoughts to the news, and seems to be backing up the most recent stories. Speaking to TVLine, he had this to say about the issue:
“I think [Dominic} summed it up pretty well — not with his first post, but with his later posts…”I think everybody just needs a break from the show, myself included, and even when people leave the Waverider, there’s always a seat open for people to come back. I’m looking forward to having him on the show next season.”
A more diplomatic perspective, then, in keeping with Purcell stepping back from his initial inflammatory remarks, which appeared to suggest he was burning his bridge with the Legends studio. It’s also worth noting that exhaustion with the character may be one of the factors driving the change, with the man behind Mick Rory having been part of the Arrowverse for a large chunk of the previous ten years.
In any case, we’ll be receiving at least one further run of Legends after 2021, with the show remaining a highlight in The CW’s collection of DC productions. The new batch of episodes have thrown aliens into the fray as well and promise to keep on providing fans with a mix of humor, action and pathos. Never one to shy away from putting their own spin on a trend, the Legends will also be getting a Baby Yoda-inspired outing.
More generally, the loss of Dominic Purcell as a series regular might open the door to additional recurring or main cast members, with Lisseth Chavez’s Esperanza “Spooner” Cruz joining this season to add to a diverse batch of characters. It’s a tricky time right now for the Arrowverse, from patchy ratings to the reported desire to increase budgets to compete with other superhero franchises, so let’s hope that Legends of Tomorrow can avoid any subsequent behind-the-scenes drama, even if it was likely fabricated for a joke.
