Ralph Dibny May Join The Flash In Its Fourth Season
by Erik Amaya
If there’s one DC Comics character conspicuously absent in The CW television universe, it’s Elongated Man Ralph Dibny. He’s been name-checked in an episode or two of The Flash, but it seems he may join the team in the upcoming season.
The Hashtag Show claims they received character breakdowns for the season’s villain, The Thinker, and a couple of other characters. The most interesting of the lot is Dibny, a favorite of mine since the Justice League Europe days. Here’s how the casting breakdown describes him:
Male, Mid to late 30s, Any Ethnicity. A Ryan Reynolds or Chris Pratt type. Ralph is able to drastically change the shape of his body, but is having a difficult time changing his ways. Will most likely be comedic relief for the season.MAJOR RECURRING GUEST STAR, COULD COME BACK IN SEASON 5
Honestly, if I had an agent, I would try out for this role. Created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, Dibny is a genius and a great detective. He also had one of the great comic book relationships with his wife Sue. The pair often went on “Nick and Nora Charles” mysteries; eventually becoming friends with Starman Jack Knight and assisting him in his greatest challenge. Never the stars of a long-running title, their presence was always a welcome one until Sue was murdered in Identity Crisis. To fix the damage, writer Mark Waid killed Ralph in an attempt to add a Topper feel to their Thin Man premise. Sadly, no one at DC picked up on Waid’s idea and the universe rebooted a couple of times since.
Should The Hashtag Show’s information prove true, Ralph could be a major injection of fun in The Flash, which found itself in grim places during the third year. He could bond with Cisco or remind Barry — when he returns — of earlier, light-hearted days. He could also meet Sue and have a sweet and funny romance as the season progresses. Or it could all be a bunch of hooey. I’ll keep an eye on this one as Ralph (and Sue) deserve the TV treatment. And, while I’m think about it, so does Jack Knight.
The Flash returns in the fall.