Mr. Terrific will be the first openly gay, black superhero on network television

In DC’s mainstream universe, Michael Holt is a genius gold-medal winning Olympic decathlete who fights crime under the guise of Mr. Terrific.

After being visited by the spirit of God’s vengeance, Holt dedicates his life to patrolling the skies of New Earth, using an arsenal of high-tech weapons and gadgets to give him the kind of powers that legitimized his tenure as chairman of the Justice Society of America.

In the past, Holt’s been written as a grieving widower who turns to a life of heroism following the sudden deaths of his older brother and pregnant wife. Arrow’s version of Holt will be younger, gay, and played by Echo Kellum.

“We’re often asked when we’re going to add another LGBT character to the show and our version of Mr. Terrific happens to be gay for anyone that cares about that kind of stuff,” Arrow showrunner Marc Guggenheim said at this year’s San Diego ComicCon.