The Flash Season 5 May Introduce Another Classic Comics Villain
Played by American Pie actor Chris Klein, DC villain Cicada was announced last month as the primary antagonist of the upcoming fifth season of The Flash, he’ll hardly be the only foe menacing Central City. In fact, The CW drama appears to be reaching back deep into comic book history to expand Barry Allen’s rogues gallery.
According to That Hashtag Show, the series is searching for an actor to play Rag Doll, an identity used by a Golden Age foe of the original Flash and, more recently, by the villain’s son.
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The casting call describes the character as an emotionally damaged criminal with the ability to “bend out of shape and fit his whole body into small spaces.” Producers are specifically looking for performances who can contort their bodies in disturbing ways. The website contends it appears as if Rag Doll will appear in just one episode, at least for now.
Introduced in 1942 in Flash Comics #36, Peter Merkel was born “triple-jointed,” leading him to find employment as a carnival performer. When times turned tough, Merkel turned to crime, beginning with a department-store robbery in which he disguised himself as a rag doll. In the modern era, Peter Merkel Jr. adopted his father’s alter ego, presenting a darker version of Rag Doll who served as a member of Secret Six.
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Returning Tuesday, Oct. 9, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW, The Flash stars Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Carlos Valdes, Danielle Panabaker, Tom Cavanaugh, Jesse L. Martin, Danielle Nicolet, Hartley Sawyer and Jessica Parker Kennedy.