Though Brandon Routh originally debuted as Ray Palmer AKA the Atom during Arrow‘s third season, he’s more commonly known as a series regular on Legends of Tomorrow, having been a part of the sister show since its first episode. Regardless, the Arrowverse continues showcasing its sense of interconnectivity by teasing what his future may hold over on The Flash.
As you may know by now, last night’s season premiere, “Nora,” laid the groundwork for the next five years of DC TV programming, as XS revealed to her father that he never returns after vanishing in the Crisis of 2024 via a newspaper from 25 years afterward. And in that publication, author Iris West-Allen mentions a variety of heroes – including the Atom, who was apparently “thought lost in time.”
If that weren’t enough, when Barry finds himself in need of a new costume, Nora gives him a ring from which some new duds emerge. Naturally, Cisco thinks it’s one of his creations at first, but Nora clarifies by revealing that Ryan Choi was to thank for the innovation.
For those unfamiliar, Choi was another hero to have taken up the mantle of the Atom in comics and animation, so it’s very possible he could find his way to the Arrowverse at some point within the next few years. If that’s the case, then Routh would have someone to tag in if he ever wishes to move on to other projects, with his character of Ray Palmer perhaps getting “lost in time.”
Then again, Ray’s been known to get lost in the Microverse as well in the comics, so that’s another way the torch could be passed. But no matter how you slice it, the chance of Greg Berlanti and his colleagues running out of stories to tell seems pretty slim.
The Flash airs on Tuesday nights on The CW.
