Russell Tovey to play gay DC superhero The Ray
The Him & Her actor will join Supergirl, Arrow and The Flash as a light-bending superhuman
Being Human star Russell Tovey will soon be beaming down into the DC universe as The Ray. The superhero – who wields the power to manipulate light – is an openly gay character soon to feature in CW’s upcoming ‘Arrowverse’ crossover, titled Crisis on Earth-X.As well as joining Supergirl, Arrow, The Flash and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow for the special story, Tovey will also lend his voice to upcoming animated series Freedom Fighters: The Ray.
As well as joining Supergirl, Arrow, The Flash and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow for the special story, Tovey will also lend his voice to upcoming solo animated series Freedom Fighters: The Ray.
In the comics, Tovey’s character – Raymond “Ray” Terrill, to give him his full name – starts off life as an ambitious reporter. However, he soon transforms into a crime-fighter after exposed to a genetic bomb, giving him the power to absorb light as energy and create illusions by manipulating light rays.
The decision to make The Ray openly gay marks another win for LGBTQ representation in superhero TV shows. Other LGBTQ characters in the DC universe include Sara Lance (Caity Lotz) on Legends of Tomorrow, Central City PD Captain David Singh (Patrick Sabongui) on The Flash, and Alex Danvers (Chyler Leigh) on Supergirl.
Tovey will first appear in the DC TV universe crossover later this year, with a four-part story playing out in episodes of Arrow and Supergirl in late November on CW. With the shows airing on Amazon UK and Sky, respectively, it’s not yet clear when UK audiences will be able to see Tovey in action.
