One half of the Nuclear Man, at least, will depart DC’s time-traveling adventure show at the end of its current third season.
It’s hard to imagine the Legends of Tomorrow crew without its resident professor, but that’s exactly what fans will have to get used to after season 3 is over.
Deadline reports that Victor Garber, who plays Martin Stein, is leaving the series when it wraps production on season 3. Garber is off to resume his Broadway career, starring in the revival of Hello, Dolly! alongside Bernadette Peters.
Garber has been a series regular since the beginning of Legends of Tomorrow, forming one half of Firestorm with Jefferson “Jax” Jackson, played by Franz Drameh. Garber’s departure could mean the end of the road for Drameh too, though that has yet to be revealed.
It’s also possible, given the nature of the superhero, that Drameh could soldier on as Firestorm with someone else as a partner. Stein originally became Firestorm with Ronnie Raymond on The Flash, meeting Jackson later when his life was jeopardized by Raymond’s death.
There is some precedent in the comics for a Raymond return, as he and Jason Rusch formed Firestorm in print for a time, and Jackson is considered by many as a kind of Arrowverse stand-in for Rusch. And while Raymond (played by Robbie Amell) is gone, a series like Legends of Tomorrow would have no problem plucking him from a different time if need be since time travel is baked into its gimmick.
Next: Legends of Tomorrow season 3 premiere recap: Welcome to Aruba-Con
Then again, cast turnover is the one constant on Legends of Tomorrow, which has always been intended to have a rotating group of characters. If this is indeed the end of the road for Firestorm, let’s hope the special effects budget is such that the Nuclear Man can strut his stiff visually until the end of season 3.
Oh, and find an excuse to have Garber sing again, if at all possible.