Over the years, you’ve probably seen a lot ofKirk Acevedo’s fine performances. From the necessary solo stint onLaw & Order(original recipe), to the standout seriesOzandBand of Brothers, to network and cable series likeFringeand12 Monkeys, Acevedo always makes his presence known in the best possible way. He’s about to get a share of the superhero spotlight now that The CW has cast him in Season 6 ofArrowin a recurring role.
EWreports that Acevedo will star as Ricardo Diaz, a DC Comics character who’s the latest iteration of writerDennis O’Neiland artistJim Berry’s 1974 creation, Richard Dragon. Originally starring in the comic “Kung Fu Master, Richard Dragon: Dragon’s Fists”, the character was later adapted for the DC Comics run of “Richard Dragon: Kung Fu Fighter.” You may have guessed by now that the character is a kung fu master of sorts, likely stemming from the popularity ofBruce Leein the early 70s and just as likely acting as DC’s counterpart to Marvel’s Iron Fist, who arrived the same year. While I fully expectArrowto put a twist on this character, Acevedo’s involvement is an interesting one.
Here’s how they describe Diaz:
“A hardened ex-con recently released from prison for crimes he didn’t commit, Ricardo Diaz is bent on taking over Star City’s criminal underworld. A master in hand to hand combat, honed by years of life on the street, Diaz has yet to meet a foe he can’t take down…”
This puts Diaz, and Acevedo by extension, in a familiar role of recurring villainous vigilante. We sawJosh Segarratake on a multi-faceted role last year to great effect, so here’s hoping that an actor of Acevedo’s caliber is given a chance to to show what he can do. He’ll be joined byDavid Nyklwho’s returning as Anatoly, withMichael Emersonin a role that’s yet to be confirmed, though it could be Cayden James, the leader of the hacktivist organization Helix who’s “20 times more dangerous than Snowden.“Katie Cassidywill be back as Earth-2 doppelgänger Black Siren, though which side she’ll fight for remains to be seen.
Arrowreturns Thursday, Octobter 12th at 9 pm ET on The CW. For more onArrow, be sure to get caught up on our recent coverage provided at the links below:
