Warner Bros. TV Panel: DC’S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW, SUPERGIRL, BLINDSPOT, PERSON OF INTEREST, AND GOTHAM [NYCC 2015]

Warner Bros. TV Takeover Panel Featuring DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, Blindspot, Person of Interest, and Gotham at NYCC 2015. Warner Bros. had a whole television line-up at the Empire Stage during New York Comic Con as they bring in some exclusive footage from DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Blindspot, Person of Interest, and Gotham as well as a pilot screening of Supergirl.

Kicking things off, Warner Bros. TV showed a sizzle reel of both Arrow and The Flash before going into high gear with some new footage from Legends of Tomorrow. The panel began with the introduction to some of the cast including Arthur Davill, Brandon Routh, Ciara Renee, and executive producer Phil Klemmer. The cast discussed about their characters on the show and what to expect when viewers get to know each member of the team. Klemmer gave some insight into some of the team member’s personalities: Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller) is calculating and confident, Heatwave (Dominic Purcell) is psychotic but loyal, Dr. Stein (Victor Garber) is arrogant and intelligent, Jefferson ‘Jax’ Jackson/Firestorm (Franz Drameh) is skeptical and rash, and White Canary (Caity Lotz) is lethal and haunted. Each of the cast members was also asked about who they get along with and who they can’t stand. Arthur gave a diplomatic answer saying it could go either way. Brandon said his character gets along with Hawkgirl (Ciara Renee) and White Canary while he has a bit of a rivalry with Cold and Stein. Ciara mentioned her relationship to Hawkman (Falk Hentschel) as being complicated despite their long shared history. Klemmer commented that the series would be in a serialized format as the team goes to different time periods in every episode to stop Vandal Savage (Casper Crump) from changing history. However, Klemmer also added that the team would also have to fix what they screw up in the timeline. The EP went on to say that the show will be insane in regards to the action.

The panel opened up for Q&A where an audience member asked Brandon Routh if he sees similarities between The Atom and his former role as Superman. The actor replied by saying that these two characters similarly are trying to figure things out as superheroes. Phil Klemmer answered a question on giving back stories to the characters saying that it hasn’t been fleshed out yet but it would give a unique opportunity for the cast to go deep into their roles. As far as relationships go, Phil said that weird things might happen on the time ship with these characters. Finally, Arthur was asked on whether there would be similarities between his character Rip Hunter and Doctor Who, in which he said there wasn’t any besides the accent and that they were both time travelers.

The next show that was featured in the panel was Supergirl, which treated fans to a pilot screening before opening up for a discussion with the cast. Audiences were introduced to actors Mehcad Brooks, Peter Facinelli, and executive producer Ali Adler. Ali Adler talked about the process of adapting the DC character to television saying that half of the writers were female and liked that she and the writing staff got a chance to develop Supergirl into a strong female hero. She also said that Mehcad was the definitive choice to play Olsen when they casted him for the part. Mehcad said that he hopes to stay true to playing Jimmy Olsen and commented on a possible attraction between Olsen and Kara (Melissa Benoist) but fans would have to wait and watch. Peter talked about playing Maxwell Lord, a tech mogul who wants to save the world his way but doesn’t like aliens. However, Peter said that Maxwell happens to be fascinated by Supergirl after seeing her heroic deeds. Despite a female lead, Adler explained that the show has action among other things that suits everyone. Adler even added that Supergirl takes its inspiration from Buffy and Alias when it came to portraying a strong female character. Even though Superman is mentioned in the series, Adler pointed out that it’s still Supergirl’s show. Regarding villains, Adler told fans that they would see villains like Reactron, Livewire, and Red Tornado in the series as well as Toyman, who has a connection with Winn Schott (Jeremy Jordan). With the villains, Adler hopes to find balance with the characters so viewers can get to know them. Adler also mentioned the appearance of Lucy Lane (Jenna Dewan-Tatum) who may complicate the relationship between Jimmy and Kara. Both men gave a question to Adler regarding their characters with the EP saying that both of their characters will evolve with the show. Ali says that Kara will struggle to find balance between her career and being a hero.

The panel ended with a Q&A, in which Ali Adler responded to a fan about a possible crossover with Arrow and The Flash in which she said that she hopes it can happen in the near future. The EP also commented about the sisterly bond between Alex Danvers (Chyler Leigh) and Kara saying that they are strong together and support one another. Finally, Adler said that she hopes to see the show successful on its own like the DC TV and film universe.

The panel’s next showcase was the NBC hit series Blindspot. A sizzle reel was shown highlighting the show’s first three episodes. The panel brought in creator Martin Gero along with stars Ashley Johnson, Audrey Esparza, Rob Brown, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, and Sullivan Stapleton. Martin started the panel talking about the full-season pickup saying that there would be a cliffhanger by the 10^th episode and then start again early next year. He also mentioned that Jane would still be called Jane since her original self Taylor Shaw is still a person she doesn’t recognize yet. Martin says that the cast doesn’t know what happens next and wants to keep the mystery that way before filming and would rather know more on their characters. Martin pointed out that each of the episode’s titles have a coded message that’s shown after all 10 episodes air with a new puzzle to come in the next half.

Ashley confirmed everyone that her character Patterson does have a boyfriend and hopes that everyone will be able to see more of her as the season continues. Audrey also hoped for the same with her character Tasha’s social life. Rob says that Edgar Reade has trust issues with Jane but is willing to let her prove herself to him. He has also read the 10^th episode and is just as excited as everyone to see what happens. Marianne thinks her FBI boss character is doing things for the greater good even though she has done some things that may compromise her job. She says that things will get interesting when we learn that we she has done may impact the group. Main lead Sullivan discussed the recent revelation on Jane’s past and says fans will see some exciting stuff coming when he learns more about Jane.

At the Q&A, the creator and cast answered some questions from fans about what’s coming next for the show. Sullivan compared his action scenes from Blindspot with his other show Strike Back saying that he found it tough doing in for cable than in network television. A fan gave a question to the cast asking if they have a connection with their character. Sullivan first answered saying that him and Kurt are both focused on their work but Kurt seems more serious than he is in real life. Marianne also connects with her character Bethany because they are both clever and approaches in what she does. Ashley says she feels a connection with Patterson because they both love their work and are a little nerdy at times. Martin spoke about how crazy and amazing it was filming in New York and said the show would also be going out of the city like in episode 7, which takes place in Michigan with a possibility to go to international locales.

The next panel that went up was Person of Interest, which showed a sneak preview of the fifth season. Joining at the table was EPs Greg Plageman, Chris Fisher, and Margot Lulick along with actors Jim Caviezel, Michael Emerson, Kevin Chapman, Sarah Shahi, and Amy Acker. The cast talked about what’s going to happen when season five starts, with the writers saying that the show would pick up after the season finale and will focus on bringing back the Machine with no fillers in between. The fifth season will also bring on more flashbacks between Finch (Michael Emerson) and the Machine. Each of the writers said that the season premiere was the best premiere episode that they worked on, hoping that fans will feel the same once they see it. Michael says that we would find Finch in a bad place after what happened to the Machine last season but it will be John Reese (Jim Caviezel) who keeps the team together. Regarding Fusco (Kevin Chapman), Kevin said that he would be going rogue with the team as they find answers. Kevin added that he would be travelling to dangerous waters but it will be fun for him. After a long absent with Sameen Shaw (Sarah Shahi), Sarah commented that she would be coming back in a dynamic way and would get a standalone episode. In regards to the relationship between Shaw and Root (Amy Acker), both women assured fans and the LGBT community that they wouldn’t be disappointed with where their relationship goes. However, the cast mentioned that not everyone would trust Shaw right away since Samaritan took her.

The floor opened up for Q&A from the audience as the cast answered questions about the fifth season and their characters. Jim answered a question from a fan saying that John Reese would find love somewhere in episode 7, but it will be short-lived because of the work he’s doing. Michael touched upon Finch’s physical injury saying it was difficult to make it convincing for viewers and saw the psychological ramifications of what it has done to the character. The panel ended with the cast discussing how the show relates to the technology being introduced recently.

The final part of the panel brought in the Fox series Gotham, starting with a sizzle reel of the second season and a clip from Monday’s episode featuring the introduction of Captain Nathaniel Barnes (Michael Chiklis). The panel introduced executive producer John Stevens with cast members Ben McKenzie, Chiklis, Cory Michael Smith, Erin Richards, Robin Lord Taylor, Jessica Lucas, and James Frain. Stevens started things off talking about how Gotham was developed into focusing on how the villains came to be. Ben discussed his role as James Gordon, saying how he has evolved as a cop and his task in cleaning up Gotham City but knows that he’s going nowhere good because of the stuff he’s done. Michael touched base on his character, who is a strong leader and becomes a mentor to the young Gordon as they work together to stop corruption. Regarding the killing spree on the show, Stevens said he wanted to show how dangerous Gotham City can be and hopes to give some surprises to fans on the development of these characters. Erin was asked about Barbara’s sudden transformation into a villain and said that she had problems early on and in came out later on and embraced it. Robin touched on Penguin’s journey as the crime lord of Gotham City and says it will be a challenge to stay on top as he crosses paths with other villains. The big announcement Robin made was that actor Paul Reubens would be playing his father in the series. Cory said he liked the groundwork for how Edward Nygma is already going gnarly and bad as he changes into the future Riddler. We also got to know a bit about the new villains of the story, brother-sister duo Theo and Tabitha Galavan. Jessica and James both described their experience working with the cast as welcoming. Jessica Lucas described Tabitha as soulless and sadistic, but soon goes soft for her protégé Barbara. James also talked about his character Theo saying that he’s acting as the guardian angel for the city and hopes to take back what his family lost. James even said that he liked how the show would be like a movie every week because of the sets and the performances.

The show opened up to Q&A as fans gave questions to the cast on Gotham and it’s characters. A fan asked if there was a chance for Gordon and Barbara to get back together, in which Ben answered that there was still a repulsive attraction between the two so it’s possible they may get back together. The cast answered a question on where they would like to see their characters in a few years. Ben and Chiklis said that their characters would soon butt heads once they go after Penguin. Finally, Stevens told fans that we haven’t seen the last of The Joker this season as small tidbits will give more background into his story.

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