The recent season 6 finale of Legends of Tomorrow saw yet another original member of the Waverider crew fly the roost. Former The Flash guest star Dominic Purcell had been playing Mick Rory/Heatwave on the time-travelling show since its humble, less-quirky beginnings in season 1, but the Australian star has now exited the series as a regular. In episode 6×15 “The Fungus Amongus”, Mick decided to head off into space with alien partner Kayla and their babies.
While fans are sad about Purcell leaving Legends, the Waverider has always had a revolving door, with many regulars coming and going over the years. For this reason, showrunner Keto Shimizu was quick to reassure viewers that there won’t be a Mick-sized “void” in season 7 as his absence will allow new characters and dynamics the room to expand and “enhance” the show in their own way. Here’s the full comments the EP gave while speaking to SyFy Wire.
“I mean, I think sort of as with any exit – and we’ve had many, you know, of people from this show – you think maybe initially that there would be a big void there,” Shimizu said. “That suddenly there would be, you know, it would feel like a loss. And we miss that character a lot. I mean, he was great and so beloved for us to write and for Dominic’s portrayal. Like, we absolutely loved it.”
She added, “With all the departures that we’ve had on this show, the show moves on and grows from that loss, and new characters come in to sort of fill that space, and new dynamics are formed that kind of complement what was there before – but also, I think, ultimately enhance it. So I do think that, we miss him. We loved that character very much. But I think, as with all the losses our show has experienced, we move on.”
Purcell’s exit means that Caity Lotz’s Sara Lance is now the only OG Legend still remaining with the series. Excepting Amy Pemberton’s Gideon, that is. And she’ll be getting her moment in the spotlight in the show’s upcoming 100th episode, which will see the Waverider’s onboard AI reflect on the Legends’ adventures over the years, as well as bringing back at least one long-gone fan favorite.
As revealed last week, Wentworth Miller is returning as Heatwave’s old best bud, Captain Cold. Purcell has previously indicated he’s open to guest spots on the show, so can we expect him to reunite with Miller in this special installment? Or is that just wishful thinking?
Though season 6 only concluded last month, season 7 is already here. Don’t miss the Legends of Tomorrow season premiere on The CW this Wednesday, October 13th. The 100th episode, as directed by Lotz herself, airs in just a couple of weeks on October 20th.
