The Beloved Character Fans Hope Returns To Legends Of Tomorrow

"Legends of Tomorrow" is an oddball series. What was originally envisioned in 2016 as a crossover show between characters from both "Arrow" and "The Flash" quickly developed a wacky identity of its own, drawing on deeper parts of the DC Comics mythos and featuring a crew of heroes and villains who travel through time and space on a ship called the Waverider to prevent disasters. Following the rocky first season of the show, "Legends of Tomorrow" shook things up with the departure of some divisive characters and the introduction of several new ones. From this point, the series adopted a revolving door approach to its ensemble cast, with members coming and going as time went on.

While this take on the main cast has led to the introduction of some dearly beloved characters over the past seven seasons, it has also led to some fan-favorites leaving the show, much to the chagrin of viewers. Characters like the Time Master Rip Hunter, the Firestorm duo of Martin Stein and Jefferson Jackson, and the gruff villain-turned-Legend Mick Rory are all missed by fans. 

However, while there is no shortage of characters that viewers would like to see return full-time to the Waverider, there is one particular character, who once played a major part in the show, that fans are hoping will make a welcome return.

Even though "Legends of Tomorrow" has cycled through numerous characters, there used to be several cast members who had been there from the beginning — characters that felt untouchable. The eternally optimistic and good-natured Ray Palmer, as portrayed by Brandon Routh, was one of these mainstays. Thus, his departure, alongside his wife Nora (Courtney Ford) partway through Season 5, upset fans. Though nearly two years have passed since then, viewers are still calling for his return. On a recent Reddit poll asking which Legend fans would most like to see return, Ray won with 33 percent of the vote.

"I really miss Ray and Nora, they had a different dynamic than anyone else on the show," Reddit user u/Nevic1984 commented. "I found it surprising the writers couldn't think of anything more to do with them, that just sounded lazy to me."

It's possible that Routh could make a full-scale return to "Legends." He recently returned for its 100th episode as a virtual manifestation of Ray in the mind of the A.I. Gideon's human form. He also reprised his role as the actual Ray in the premiere episode of Season 5 of "The Flash." His appearance there left the door open for him to come back in the future, but for now, any such return to the world of the "Arrowverse" is currently unconfirmed. Still, even if Ray doesn't return to "Legends of Tomorrow" full-time, it certainly won't be due to a lack of fan support.