Though the inclusion of the Spectre in the upcoming “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event should’ve been obvious to all, it’s not something I’d really thought much about until this week. After all, one can’t be too sure of which DC Comics characters The CW will gain license to, but now we know we’ll be given yet another nod to the rich source material.
Earlier this week, Arrow star Stephen Amell dropped a cryptic Tweet causing some to speculate that he would indeed wind up playing the Spectre himself. As it turns out, we didn’t need to wait very long at all for the matter to be cleared up, for another actor has landed the gig.
To be more specific, Stephen Lobo (Supernatural, Continuum) has been cast as Jim Corrigan, one of several identities of the Spectre in comic book lore. Executive producer Marc Guggenheim didn’t waste much time in offering his two cents, saying the following:
“Fans of the Crisis on Infinite Earths comic know the Spectre plays a pivotal role. We’re thrilled Stephen is our Jim Corrigan.”
What’s actually kind of funny about this situation is that Corrigan should by all means already exist somewhere within the Arrowverse. With John Constantine being folded into continuity, it’s worth mentioning how his own series boasted its own pre-Spectre version of Corrigan, then played by Emmett J. Scanlan. But in the time since that aired, said actor has gone on to play Lobo on Krypton, so maybe that’s why they didn’t get him.
Aside from Jim Corrigan, some of the more notable guys to have become the supernatural avenger on the printed page have been Crispus Allen and, believe it or not, Hal Jordan. But to me, at least, Corrigan is the most identifiable and iconic version of the character, so I’m glad that’s who Guggenheim and company settled upon.
“Crisis on Infinite Earths” kicks off with Supergirl on Sunday, December 8th on The CW.
