Actor Seth Gabel has appeared in such films as The Da Vinci Code, Jonah Hex, and Take Me Home Tonight, as well as the short-lived series Dirty, Sexy, Money. But he is probably best know to fans as agent Lincoln Lee on Fox’s popular sci-fi series Fringe. 

However, the actor will soon be taking on the role of Green Arrow’s archenemy Count Vertigo on The CW series Arrow, which is based on the popular DC Comics archer. Not to mention that Gabel can be seen once again on the big screen in the new military based film Allegiance, which is currently available on VOD and opens in Los Angeles theaters on January 4th.

I recently had a chance to speak with Seth Gabel about Allegiance, as well as his upcoming role on Arrow, and possibly returning to Fringe for the series finale. The talented young actor discussed his new film, his character’s conflict, the research he did for the role, Arrow, his interpretation of Count Vertigo, looking at the comics for inspiration, his fight scenes with actor Stephen Amell, whether or not it will be a recurring role, and if he will in fact be returning to Fringe for the show's series finale on January 18th.

Opening in theaters on November 2nd is the new martial arts film from from rapper-turned-director RZA (Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai) entitled The Man with the Iron Fists. The film was co-written by RZA and producer Eli Roth (Hostel), while the project marks RZA's feature film directorial debut and is presented by his mentor Quentin Tarantino. In addition to RZA, the film also features an all-star cast that includes Oscar-winner Russell Crowe (Gladiator), Rick Yune (Die Another Day), Lucy Liu (Kill Bill Vol. 1), Jamie Chung (Sucker Punch), Dave Bautista (Untitled Chronicles of Riddick Sequel), Cung Le (Dragon Eyes), and Byron Mann (Catwomen). 

IAR's Managing Editor Jami Philbrick recently had a chance to sit down with actor Byron Mann in the IAR studios to talk about his work on The Man with Iron Fists, as well as his recurring role on the popular CW series Arrow, which is based on the DC Comics superhero Green Arrow. The talented actor discussed his new film, his unusual villain, RZA's vision as a director, and Eli Roth and Quentin Tarantino's influence on the production, as well as Arrow, his role on the show, whether he is a hero or a villain, and his involvement with popular DC character Deathstroke. 

Arrow has established itself as the heir to Smallville's mantle as the live-action representation of DC Comics on The CW, having just received a full-season order from the network. 

Some spoilery new images from later this season reveal the show's take on Deathstroke, the popular DC character who will menace Stephen Amell's Green Arrow.

So we won't be seeing DC Comics heroes or villains on the big screen until Man of Steel next year, but this month, the Green Arrow arrives on the small screen with the new CW series Arrow.  That means that, in addition to the archer played by Stephen Amell, we'll be seeing DC bad guys on a more or less weekly basis.  One such bad guy is Deadshot, and two new images provide a first look at Arrow's version of the deadly marksman.

Arrow, a new television series based on the exploits of the finest politically-active socialist archer in the DC Comics universe, is set start airing this October. 

In order to ensure that you, the audience, are a) aware of this and b) excited about this, the final poster for Arrow has been revealed.

Last month, a promotional clip from the network upfronts acted as a sort of teaser for Arrow, the live-action CW series that centers on Green Arrow, the DC Universe's finest archer and preeminent goateed socialist superhero.  That trailer gave a very Batman Begins feel to the series, showing Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen setting up his super base of super operations in an abandoned warehouse, where he then worked out and showed off his archery skills.  Today, an extended preview gives a much fuller idea of the series, while a poster sticks closely to one-sheet trends.

Smallville enjoyed a decade-long run as the face of DC Comics on television, and since it ended last season, Warner Bros. and The CW have evidently been looking for another DC property to take its place on the idiot box.  Just over two weeks ago, we learned about Arrow, a potential pilot that would make use of Green Arrow, the bow and arrow wielding protector of fictitious Star City created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp in 1941.  Well, it's going to pilot, and it has found a leading man, as Stephen Amell has been cast as Oliver Queen.

A few weeks ago we learned that The CW was on the verge of ordering a pilot for a potential series based on Green Arrow, the DC Comics hero created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp way back in 1941.  Last week, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the network ordered the pilot to a series that would be entitled Arrow, along with pilots for a Sex and the City prequel, and a contemporary Beauty and the Beast.  Though the character, Oliver Queen, played a major recurring role on the long-lived but recently closed-out DC series Smallville, actor Justin Hartley will not be returning, and a newly-revealed casting breakdown gives a good idea of this new Arrow, along with his supporting characters.

Over the last ten years and change, superheroes of every stripe have come to dominate the blockbuster movie landscape, yet for the most part, the vast plains of television have yet to be successfully colonized by spandex-sporting neon gods.  There have been plenty of kid-oriented animated series, but not so many live-action series.  There are currently several in development, meaning that the idiot box might just finally get its share of superheroics.  One potential show that might just become a reality is an in-development Green Arrow series based on the DC Comics character.

Marvel Studios second superhero film of the summer, Captain America: The First Avenger not only introduced the world to Steve Rogers and his heroic alter ego but it also gave us our first look at another fan-favorite group of heroes from “The House of Ideas” … the Howling Commandoes.

The Howling Commandoes first appeared in the comics as an elite special unit formed in World War II by Nick Fury and the team consisted of Corporal Timothy Aloysius Cadwallander “Dum Dum” Dugan, Private Gabriel Jones, Private Robert “Rebel” Ralston, Private Dino Manelli, Private Isadore “Izzy” Cohen, and Private Jonathan “Junior” Juniper. However, in the film the team closer resembled The Invaders, which was essentially a WWII era version of The Avengers that first appeared in the comics in 1969. Captain America, Bucky Barnes, and Montgomery Falsworth (better known as Union Jack) are all Invaders members who were included as Hollowing Commandoes in the film, while Dugan, Jones, Jim Morita, and Jacques Dernier were actual Howlers from the comics who rounded out the movie’s team.

One of the most beloved members of the Howling Commandoes by far is the bowler hat wearing Dum Dum Dugan, who was played by actor Neal McDonough (Minority Report) in Captain America: The First Avenger. In the comics, Dugan survived WWII and would eventually go on to become Nick Fury’s second in command at S.H.I.E.L.D. It should also be mentioned that McDonough is no stranger to playing superheroes having recently voiced DC Comics’ popular character Green Arrow in the 2010 animated short film, DC Showcase: Green Arrow. On Friday, I had a chance to speak with actor Neal McDonough about playing Dum Dum Dugan in Captain America: The First Avenger, which will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on October 25^th.

While talking about the film, McDonough said this about playing the role of Dum Dum Dugan. “It was a blast to play him and I still look forward to Cap 2, Nick Fury or any other films in the future.” This comment peaked my interest and I decided to follow up asking McDonough specifically about his involvement in those two upcoming projects. While we won’t be running my conversation with the actor about shooting Captain America: The First Avenger until closer to the films home media release, I wanted to let you know what he had to say about Captain America 2 and Nick Fury. I also took the opportunity to ask the actor about the recent announcement that he will be playing the villain in season 3 of the hit FX series Justified, as well as the possibility of reprising his role as Green Arrow in a live action feature film based on the emerald archer.