LEGENDS OF TOMORROW Casts Falk Hentschel as Hawkman

The Winged Warrior has arrived.

The Hollywood Reporter has word that the upcoming CW series Legends of Tomorrow has cast Falk Hentschel as Carter Hall, better known to DC Comics fans as the superhero Hawkman.  Hentschel will first appear in this year's crossover episodes of The CW's Arrow and The Flash before he continues the role in the midseason spinoff of both shows, Legends of Tomorrow.

Hawkman is described in the article as "the latest reincarnation of an Egyptian Prince who is fated to reincarnate throughout time along with his soulmate, Kendra Saunders (portrayed by Ciara Renee).  Like Kendra, Carter can access the powers of the Hawk God, Horus, transforming him into the winged warrior known as Hawkman."

Hentschel, 30, is a German actor perhaps best known as Marcus Scarlotti on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and as Arliss Fulton on Reckless.  He's also appeared in the films Transcendence and Knight and Day, and episodes of the television series Revenge, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, NCIS: Los Angeles, Journeyman, and Intelligence.

Created in 1940 by Gardner Fox and Dennis Neville, Hawkman first appeared in Flash Comics #1 as Carter Hall, an American archaeologist who was the reincarnation of the Ancient Egyptian Prince Khufu.  After touching the same Nth Metal dagger used to kill Khufu, Carter regained the memories of his former life and realized Anton Hastor is the reincarnation of his ancient foe, Hath-Set. When Hastor kidnapped Shiera Saunders (the reincarnation of Khufu's love Chay-Ara, who later became Hawkgirl), Hall used his newly-refound memories to craft a gravity-defying belt using Nth metal and a winged costume to become Hawkman.

The character was later reinvented by Fox and Joe Kubert in 1961's The Brave and the Bold #34 as Katar Hol, a police officer from the planet Thanagar.  Along with his wife Shayera, they used the anti-gravity ninth (also known as Nth) metal and their wings to fight criminals.  The pair were sent to earth in 1961 to capture the shape-shifting criminal Byth.  Following this mission, they chose to remain on Earth to work with authorities in the United States and learn human police methods.  The two adopted covers as a pair of museum curators, Carter and Shiera Hall, and took on the identities of the second Hawkman and the second Hawkgirl (later Hawkwoman).

Hentschel will be the second actor to portray Hawkman in live action, after Michael Shanks on the CW series Smallville.  The character has appeared in various animated projects, including The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure (voiced by Vic Perrin), the various Super Friends series (voiced by Jack Angel), Justice League Unlimited (voiced by James Remar), The Batman (voiced by Robert Patrick), Batman: Brave and the Bold (voiced by William Katt), and Young Justice (voiced once again by James Remar).

Legends of Tomorrow is expected to debut sometime in early 2016.