Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for The A List; Courtesy of CW
The DC Comics Western antihero will be played by Johnathon Schaech.
Legends of Tomorrow has found its Jonah Hex.
The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Johnathon Schaech has been cast in The CW's upcoming superhero team-up series as the Western antihero. The popular DC Comics character is slated to appear in the Old West-set episode 11, with the possibility to recur beyond that.
Here's the character description: A true legends of the Old West, a morally ambiguous gunslinger with a penchant for danger. Surprisingly, he knows a thing or two about time travel and the future, but is at home in the Wild West. He’s been battling outlaws and gangs for awhile now, and advises the team to be extra careful when they arrive in the small town of Salvation.
"Ever since we decided that Legends would involve time-travel, we were eager to do a story set in the Old West," executive producer Marc Guggenheim previously said about bringing Jonah Hex to Legends. "But if you’re going to do a story set in the DC Universe version of the Old West, you simply must include Jonah Hex in it. We’re thrilled about bringing another well known, beloved DC character to television."
The character of Jonah Hex was first created by writer John Albano and artist Tony DeZuniga. The infamous Civil War veteran became a bounty hunter after his face was badly branded and scarred, bearing "the mark of the demon." Although he's described as cynical and surly, he's bound by his own moral code to protect and avenge the innocent due to his own dark history of abuse at the hands of his father. He was actually inspired to become a bounty hunter after drunkenly killing his first criminal. Even though Jonah was drunk during the murder, the local deputy said it was the fastest draw he had ever seen, and so the legend of Jonah Hex, deadliest man alive, was born.
This is the first time that Jonah Hex will appear in the live-action DC television universe, but the character was previously brought to life in the 2010 Warner Bros. film Jonah Hex. Played by Josh Brolin, Jonah was given supernatural powers (the ability to raise the dead and force them to speak truthfully), but in most of the comics, he only possesses amazing fighting and shooting abilities through years of training and inherent talent.
Schaech is best known for his role in the 1996 film That Thing You Do, though he is no stranger to The CW having starred on its short-lived drama Star-Crossed. He also recently appeared on ABC's Quantico and History miniseries Texas Rising. He's repped by APA, MGMT Entertainment, RMS Productions and Hansen Jacobson.
Legends of Tomorrow premieres Thursday, Jan. 21 at 8 p.m. on The CW.
Legends of Tomorrow
