DC TV News Bits: GOTHAM Adds Ra’s al Ghul, BLACK LIGHTNING’s Daughters Cast, FLASH/SUPERGIRL Musical Plot Details

Gotham has become known for incorporating as many pre-Batman versions of iconic Batman villains as possible. Over the course of three years, the Fox series has included countless characters who will one day take on the Dark Knight. So, it was only a matter of time before the Demon’s Head himself showed up.

It has been announced that Game of Thrones alum Alexander Siddig has been cast as Ra’s al Ghul on Gotham. This is a recurring role, and the character will first appear later this season. This version of Ra’s is connected to the Court of Owls, with Bruce Wayne discovering him as “…the enigmatic and powerful man pulling the strings. With his past shrouded in mystery, Ra’s al Ghul uses cunning and deception to lay waste to his foes. As the leader of an international criminal organization known as the League of Shadows, Ra’s al Ghul will prove himself to be Bruce’s most dangerous adversary yet.”

Of course, this won’t be the first television portrayal of Ra’s. Actor Matt Nable played the character in The CW’s Arrowverse, serving as the main antagonist of Arrow‘s third season. He also appeared on an episode of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow last year. As for other live action portrayals, Liam Neeson played Ra’s in The Dark Knight Trilogy.

Gotham will return with new episodes on April 24th. A fourth season renewal has yet to be announced.

Next, casting continues for The CW’s next DC pilot, Black Lightning. Cress Williams was recently cast as the titular hero, and now, his daughters have been cast. According to Deadline, actresses Nafessa Williams (Code Black) and China Anne McClain (House of Payne) as Anissa and Jennifer Pierce, respectively. These two are series regular roles.

Anissa is described as “…passionate and quick-witted, Jefferson’s twenty-something daughter [who] balances the demands of medical school with her job teaching part-time at her father’s school.” Meanwhile, the teenage Jennifer is “…an independent, outspoken scholar-athlete with a wild streak of her own.” In the comics, the two characters became the superheroes known as Thunder and Lightning.

Black Lightning will begin production later this month, and it will likely air next fall on The CW.

And finally, we have some plot details for The Flash/Supergirl musical crossover. Like the “Invasion!” crossover, the storyline will only play a small part on Supergirl, with the Flash telling the main story.

The CW (via FlashTVNews) has released a plot description for “Duet,” which will air on March 21st. The summary explains exactly how a musical is possible plot-wise, and it also teases Music Meister’s role. Check out the description below, and stay tuned for more as we have it.

DARREN CRISS (GLEE) GUEST STARS AS THE MUSIC MEISTER IN THE FLASH AND SUPERGIRL MUSICAL CROSSOVER – Barry (Grant Gustin) and team are surprised when Mon-El (guest star Chris Wood) and Hank Henshaw (guest star David Harewood) arrive on their Earth carrying a comatose Supergirl (guest star Melissa Benoist) who was whammied by the Music Meister (guest star Darren Criss). Unable to wake her up, they turn to Team Flash to save her. However, the Music Meister surprises The Flash and puts him in a similar coma, one that Team Flash can’t cure. Kara and Barry wake up without their powers in an alternate reality where life is like a musical and the only way to escape is by following the script, complete with singing and dancing, to the end. Dermott Downs directed the episode with story by Greg Berlanti & Andrew Kreisberg and teleplay by Aaron Helbing & Todd Helbing (#317). Original airdate 3/21/2017.