Casting is officially underway for The CW’s potential Gotham Knights TV show. According to Variety, the producers have chosen Fallon Smythe and Tyler DiChiara to play lead roles in the series’ pilot.
Smythe will portray Harper Row, a “blue-haired bisexual” who also happens to be a gifted engineer. Harper’s breakdown describes her as “streetwise, acerbic and often underestimated.” And while her tech skills enable her to fix just about anything, she primarily wants to fix the “broken lives” of her and her brother, Cullen (played by DiChiara), spent years hiding his transgender identity from an abusive parent. But now, he’s “tired of being polite and agreeable” and “ready to fight his own battles.”
Both of these characters were introduced during Scott Snyder’s Batman run at the outset of DC’s “New 52” relaunch. Harper eventually donned her own superhero persona as Bluebird. However, Gotham Knights is making a few tweaks to Cullen’s backstory. In the comics, he was a male teen who was regularly bullied at school for being gay. Luckily, Harper was usually there to defend him.
Gotham Knights picks up in the aftermath of Batman’s murder, and Bruce Wayne’s “rebellious adopted son” is the prime suspect. In an effort to clear his name, the Dark Knight’s offspring teams up with the children of his father’s rogues gallery, paving the way for them to become Gotham’s new saviors as the city descends further into darkness.
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Smythe made her acting debut in the 2014 the web series S.H.R.I.E.K. before finding roles on other shows like Lost in the West and Grown-ish. DiChiara is also a relative newcomer to the industry. He made his first onscreen appearance in 2019’s Relish and can also be seen in this year’s The Virgin of Highland Park.
Gotham Knights comes from the writing team of Natalie Abrams, James Stoteraux, and Chad Fiveash, all of whom previously wrote for The CW’s Batwoman. However, this new project isn’t a spinoff of that series. Stoteraux and Fiveash will executive produce the pilot with Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, David Madden, and Danny Cannon, the latter of whom is also directing the episode. Abrams will serve as a co-executive producer.
How do you feel about these new additions to Gotham Knights’ cast? Let us know in the comment section below!
Photo Credits: Michael Tullberg/Getty Images
Recommended Reading: Batman Incorporated
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