Photo credit: Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com

‘Percy Jackson’ star Dylan Neal has been added to the cast of The CW’s ‘Arrow’ as Dr. Anthony Ivo.  As DC readers should know, Dr. Ivo is one of the most persistent villains of the Justice League and constructed the nearly unstoppable android Amazo.  He was also responsible for the death of League member Vibe and essentially that of fellow member Steel.  (He didn’t quite seal the deal, but Despero finished him off later.)

The addition of this “mad scientist” character could have long-term ramifications, especially considering that super-powered JL member The Flash is debuting this season, breaking the “no powers” rule the show had in place for its first season.  Neal is set to star in a four-episode arc with the possibility to return in the future.  Will he be bringing his powerful android along with him?

Here is a description of the character’s role on the show:

“Appearing in Oliver (Stephen Amell)’s island flashbacks, ‘Arrow”s incarnation of Dr. Anthony Ivo will emerge as a brutal but ruthless scientist who will stop at nothing to unearth a breakthrough that dates back to the latter days of World War II. Neal’s Ivo will appear in a four-episode arc beginning with episode 5, “League of Assassins,” with the potential to recur in later installments.”

Mister Neal is considerably more handsome than the comic book iteration of Anthony Ivo.  Will the show stray for the character’s physical deformity or will Neal take on prosthetics to simulate the character’s comic look?

Many people have speculated about ‘Arrow’ possibly opening the door to a wider DC Universe on TV.  The Flash’s appearances on the show are intended as a “backdoor pilot” for his own series.  The CW is possibly still working on its ‘Amazon’ pilot, featuring a pre-Wonder Woman Princess Diana, although at last report, it had stalled.  In addition, Teryl Rothery will portray Jean Loring in the upcoming season, a character traditionally associated with fellow Justice League member The Atom.  There will even be a fleeting reference to Metamorpho, the Element Man.

Are there any limits?  Well, probably.  With Superman and Batman headed to the big screen, it’s probably unlikely that they will pop up in the ‘Arrow’ universe.  And with Warner Brothers openly pushing for a Justice League movie, that may limit other characters’ television involvement.

At this point, it’s clear Warner Brothers has realized the cash cow they were sitting on with their DC Comics division.  With Batman returning to the big screen and even rumors of Wonder Woman joining him and Superman, and all these new additions to the ‘Arrow’ universe, it sort of feels like all bets are off.

What do you think?  Who would you like to see added to the ‘Arrow’ world?  Would Green Lantern be pushing things?  Batman is probably out, but what about Nightwing?  Comment below!

Source ScreenCrush