Berlanti Productions recently cast a new ally for Barry Allen on The Flash. Hartley Sawyer will appear as recurring character Ralph Dibney / Elongated Man. As the hero callsign implies, Mr Sawyer’s character will have the superpower of stretching his body into any shape. Unlike Plastic Man, Elongated Man doesn’t actually turn into things, though he does sometimes play as comic relief. In modern era comics, Elongated Man has been written as a private detective, with a superior deductive mind, who travels the US with his wife in search of strange cases. In The Flash Season 4, Mr Sawyer will apply Ralph Dibney’s detective skills to aid Team Flash in solving one of Central City’s greatest mysteries.
Mr Sawyer’s IMdB page shows much work in B-grade sci-fi and comedies. Mr Sawyer currently appears in two web series: Saving the Human Race on The CW Seed and also Miss 2059. His prior work includes nine episodes of Caper, 3 episodes of GCB and 10 episodes of Glory Daze. Mr Sawyer’s comedy work may suggest that Elongated Man could be comic relief, but we’ll reserve judgment to see what The Flash’s writers room actually develops for him.
Ralph Dibney / Elongated Man first appeared in the Silver Age DC Comics in The Flash, Vol 1, No. 112, in 1960. DC Comics Editor Julius Schwartz asked writer John Broome and artist Carmine Infantino to develop a new supporting character for The Flash. Thus, Mr Broome and Mr Infantino created Elongated Man with stretchy powers. In the Silver Age, Ralph went on to make his fortune in show business. Later, Ralph became a detective who actually solved mysteries instead of merely chasing villains.
The Flash returns to the broadcast airwaves of The CW network in October 2017. So, make sure to check your local listings for dates and times, or just set your DVR. And check back with us here at TVoverMind, for ongoing coverage of developments and spoilers for all your favorite shows.
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