Their Time is Now

I've been tasked with assembling an elite team.

Of all the people who ever lived, I chose you eight.

Berlanti: The scope of "Legends of Tomorrow" is about as big as any I've ever worked on.

And you are?

Rip Hunter.

I'm from the future.

Narrator: It is a battle...

Hunter: I've seen Men of Steel die and Dark Knights fall.

Narrator: ...that spans the ages.

The biggest challenge that the team is gonna face is time itself.

Narrator: An immortal madman...

Hunter: Vandal Savage... an evil dictator blessed with immortality.

Narrator: ...versus a band of misfits.

[clangs]

Our team definitely has their work cut out for them.

Narrator: In a race through time...

Course plotted for 1975.

Narrator: ...to save the world.

Now, the minds behind an all-new adventure...

It's very cool.

It's like nothing that's ever been on TV.

This is gonna get a little rough.

Narrator: ...bring you the heroes...

We have the power to change the world.

...and villains...

Let's get this party started!

...of past, present, and future...

I like being part of a team, man.

Me too.

...who will become...

We've lived in the shadows long enough.

Be a hero in the light.

...the Legends...

Let's do this.

...of Tomorrow.

[screams]

I could get behind that.

Narrator: For generations, audiences have been captivated by the power of superheroes.

Guggenheim: People are looking for heroes.

They're looking for people who care about making the world a better place.

If they're not finding it in reality, they're finding it in these comic-book characters.

You give the people of this city hope.

Kreisberg: There's a great quote about Batman.

The dream of being Batman is to look in the dark and not be afraid, because everything else in the dark is more afraid of you.

[arrow twangs]

[grunts]

That's such a powerful statement that, what if we did have the power to stand up to the dark?

That's not the kind of hero you are.

Klemmer: Trying to find strength in whatever you perceive to be the things that make you weak.

You know the difference between right and wrong.

That's at the core of all superhero stories.

I believe you were meant to be a hero.

Mericle: If you look where we are in the world, it's very unpredictable, but it's also, I think, gotten a lot scarier for people.

And I think there's a craving for the idea of a hero.

Jax?

For someone to come in and save us.

They really are gods, in a way.

Even without me, Starling still has heroes to watch over it.

But their gods that are relatable to us because they also have a human side.

I'm no superhero.

You're a hero.

For three years, you have been the person I can count on.

Kreisberg: Every one of us in our lives wishes we had the ability to make things better, you know, whether it's for the world or just even for ourselves.

I've actually met the Flash.

What's he like? Is he cool?

He's one of the best guys that I know.

What makes superheroes so powerful in this moment, in the big fight of good versus evil, ultimately, good wins.

The good guys win.

[laughs]

Let's work on some softer gloves for next time, okay?

Narrator: From that world comes "Legends of Tomorrow," a team of heroes and villains who have come together to save humanity.

They're being recruited by a time traveler from the future...

Rip Hunter. I'm from East London.

Kreisberg: ...who has come back in time to recruit a group of very specific people.

Hunter: I know it's difficult for you to fathom, but in the future, none of you are heroes.

What makes our show unique is that it's a motley crew.

You're Legends.

It's up to them to find the hero inside of themselves, to stand up and fight to save the world.

Man: We got ourselves a stowaway.

Narrator: Their mission... to defeat an unstoppable force.

I've waited a long time for this hunt.

Vandal Savage is an immortal who's walked our earth for centuries.

[grunting]

The cool thing about Vandal Savage is, over time, he's acquired different skills.

[grunting]

You can imagine the worst, most evil possible person in the world living forever, and all the things that they've learned.

[grunts]

He's a very substantial bad guy.

[grunts]

He's been trained by the likes of Houdini and Genghis Khan.

Where did he go?

He's kind of an urban myth.

He's an immortal Egyptian priest, and he will be the death of the world.

Savage: We have warned you time and again of the sky rocks.

Dark times are coming, my pharaoh.

He's been working his way to create the scenario where he can finally take over the world, and his powers are very closely tied to those of Hawkman and Hawkgirl.

Hey, hey, wait. Stay a little longer.

Mericle: Vandal Savage is in pursuit of Carter and Kendra for a long-standing feud that he's had with them for thousands of years.

The clergy is forbidden to lie with royalty.

Get out.

The penalty for such a transgression is death.

The way that Vandal can maintain his immortality is by killing Carter and Kendra in each of their various lives.

[grunting]

[screams]

The three of them were exposed to the same dark matter...

My hate will be everlasting.

...which is what allows Vandal to be immortal, and what allows Kendra and Carter to constantly reincarnate.

Come back to me.

I just moved to Central City, and it's a pretty big change from where I come from.

Kendra Saunders has only recently discovered that she's, in fact, Hawkgirl.

What's interesting about Kendra is how little she knows about herself.

When we first meet her, she thinks she's just a barista who moved to the big city.

Everything here is so big and new and... filled with meta-humans.

[chuckles]

She's a little bit lost.

She feels like there's something missing.

[screams]

Kendra!

She meets Carter, and she discovers that she's been reincarnated, that she was an Egyptian princess.

Shayera, you look as beautiful as ever.

In every lifetime, they've fallen in love.

You need to wake up.

So when he shows up at Kendra's doorstep, he's already in love with her, and she's, like, who the hell is this guy?

You know, I'm dating Cisco.

I don't think I'm...

Ready for this.

You say that in every lifetime.

Berlanti: Kendra Saunders and Carter Hall are tied together, ultimately, because of their love for one another, although, when we start our story...

Come at me.

...Kendra doesn't have any of those feelings for Carter.

[screams]

[grunts]

Klemmer: One of the fun things we get to play with on the show is destiny versus free will.

Good.

Whether she and Carter are meant for each other in this life or for the rest of eternity.

I'm never gonna become who I really am unless I let go.

She's really just sort of embracing the power of it all.

No!

And she's somebody with such a good heart, and now she has the ability to do something about it.

God!

Mericle: She also has the power to fly...

Whoo-hoo!

...which is something we don't see a lot of other female characters getting to do that.

[grunts]

Hey.

I'm gonna have to learn how to use these things.

You'll get the hang of it... Hawkgirl.

Who's that? Where'd he come from?

Narrator: The legacy of the Legends runs deep.

When we made "Arrow," it was at the beginning of comic-book TV.

[grunts]

You've failed this city.

We wanted a crime drama that had real roots.

What if I'm not a hero?

I don't think that bolt of lightning struck you, Barry.

I think it chose you.

Then when we did "Flash," we were entering the world of sci-fi, and we knew the adventures were heightened, but we also wanted to add an element of a family drama...

Mom!

Barry, no!

Run, Barry, run!

...in terms of Flash's backstory.

Mom?!

And now we have "Legends of Tomorrow."

It's the first superhero mash-up on TV.

I could get behind that.

If you do watch "Arrow" and "Flash,"

"Legends" definitely springs from those worlds.

We've lived in the shadows long enough.

Be a hero in the light.

But it also feels really different.

It's almost like "Big Brother" in space with superheroes.

Kreisberg: It's got science-fiction elements.

It has time-travel elements.

It's got a spaceship with a living computer on it.

We're just really excited to expand the world and have people go on this journey.

Now it's up to you. Shall we?

One of the fun things about the show is the fact that we get a chance to populate our team... with all these different characters.

Sara's been through a lot. And she's really messed up.

I saw you die.

[screams]

Sara!

Where have you been?

Everywhere.

She's been an assassin.

[grunts]

She's tried to be a hero.

You can't save the city with forgiveness.

Let him go.

And she really turns it around... but then she's killed.

[gasps]

[sobbing]

Sara!

Her sister loves her so dearly that when she hears about the Lazarus Pit, Laurel makes the fateful decision to put Sara in the Pit.

She comes back out as a wild, feral animal.

[grunts]

Her soul has been restored, but she still has a tinge of the bloodlust.

Klemmer: The life that she was given comes at a cost.

She's compelled to kill.

Sara!

[grunts]

Mericle: One of the things she's gonna be dealing with is figuring out how to balance that with being a hero.

I couldn't stop myself, and the worst part of it was, I felt better.

Berlanti: And she's been brought along by Rip Hunter on this journey, she thinks, to be a hero.

But, in fact, he's much more interested in her assassin abilities.

[grunts]

And she leaves Arrow in search of a new mission, and I think, in many ways, a new family.

Narrator: One of Sara's new partners...

Up there.

Narrator: ...could not be more different.

Is that a bird?

It's a plane.

[crunch]

Hi, I'm Ray.

Ray was always sort of Dudley Do-Right on "Arrow."

He was sort of fun and vibrant...

Traffic was terrible, which is why I took my helicopter.

...and always quick-witted with a joke.

You guys validate, right?

Kreisberg: One of the things that's great about his character is he's unfailingly optimistic.

This city still needs saving.

We always call him the Boy Scout.

Ray saved the day.

His motives are so pure.

You need to get some sleep.

Once I've cracked the problem.

Or blow yourself up.

Whichever comes first.

He's part brilliant scientist, part incredibly inventive inventor.

Superpowers are based in science, and I am a man of science.

And he's also a superhero to boot.

Picked a name yet?

I'm kind of partial to the Atom.

You married to that, or...

And he's got his own supersuit.

Execute.

[electricity powers down]

Why can't anything ever work at the first try?

[explosion]

Ray is ostensibly killed, and we realize he's just been miniaturized.

Ray is...

The size of a tater tot.

Well, I don't know about that.

He's had the experience of the world thinking he was dead and finding out that... the world didn't miss him that much.

If I'm gonna come back to life, I have to figure out what it is I'm living for.

So part of his reason for joining our team is wanting to leave a mark on the world.

I got this!

You sure?

Go!

[grunts]

Kreisberg: He really idolizes Oliver and is enamored with the Flash.

Cool.

And really loves the idea of being a hero.

So, it's a team-up? High five!

For him, a chance to become a hero... hell, yeah.

The chance to be a Legend... no-brainer.

In the darkest hour...

Get down!

...he's the sort of guy who can say, "Let's look at the bright side. We've still got a fighting chance."

You should see the other guy. [chuckles]

It feels bigger than both "Arrow" and "Flash."

"The Legends of Tomorrow" are fighting to save all of history.

They go to ancient Egypt, the future, alternative timelines.

It still has those great moments where the team really comes together, and you really see the camaraderie and the heart and the humanity.

If we have the power to change the world, don't you think we have the power to change our own fate?

Mr. Allen...

Narrator: Timing...

What can I do for you?

Narrator: ...is everything.

I need to talk to you about a paper that you wrote 25 years ago.

Could you be more specific about the subject matter?

Time travel.

The entire show is premised on the idea that time travel is a fraught enterprise.

Course plotted for 1975.

I suggest you all strap yourselves in.

Cool!

A lot of the problems that come up along the way are problems of their own making.

If only you'd have listened to me about the dangers of upsetting the timeline!

There are consequences, but it's in a very sort of understandable "Back to the Future" sort of way.

This is so trippy.

Like Marty and the Polaroid trippy.

People just want to be entertained and experience the fun of time travel...

That audience is really gonna love the show.

People actually wore this crap?

You can geek out on history in a way that allows you to have an adventure at the same time.

Would you be interested in taking a trip into history?

We always say that Firestorm is The Odd Couple with super powers.

Jefferson Jackson, right?

People call me Jax.

Ooh, catchy.

Professor Stein is, shall we say, the brains of the operation.

It changed the molecular structure of your body.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on, Grey.

He pairs up with Jax, who's a headstrong, 20-something.

So you're saying I'm like one of those meta-humans I keep hearing about on the news?

I am. Please, call me Professor.

Instead of being motivated by the desire to be a hero, he is very much a scientist at heart.

Professor Stein, you are a genius.

I believe that's already been well-established.

Martin Stein is, ironically, kind of the more enthusiastic one of the two.

Whoa.

Hey, "Beautiful Mind,"

I think you need to take a breather.

His character says at one point, "I wasn't sure how many more adventures I had ahead of me."

And he sees, you know, this mission aboard the Waverider as sort of his last great adventure.

Everybody, run!

When we first meet Jax, he's a star high-school football player, and when the Particle Accelerator explodes, he's hurt and blows out his knee.

[grunts]

I never wanted to be a hero.

What I wanted was to go to college, but we couldn't afford it.

Football was my way in.

He does have a chance at greatness, but in order to do it, he's going to have to share the greatness with this know-it-all Professor Stein.

Look, I know the Particle Accelerator took something from you, but it also gave you the opportunity to be part of something bigger.

As much as he loves being a hero, what he really loved about football was being part of a team.

I'll do it.

You said this is a chance for me to be a part of something bigger than myself.

The selflessness that comes with, you know, subverting the individuality and being part of something greater.

Jax literally has this old guy in his head trying to tell him how to be a superhero.

[panting]

Stein: Calm down, Jefferson.

Focus.

If they are able to work together and resolve their differences, they're one of the most powerful beings on the planet.

Not bad for your first go at this.

Jax: Well, I had a great coach to help me through it.

Isn't that right, Grey?

Stein: Despite my initial reservations, we make a pretty fantastic team.

Power and strength of youth mixed with the wisdom and courage of age.

Are you ready, Jefferson?

And it's embodied in Firestorm.

It's the living embodiment of teamwork.

The action sequences are even more epic than the action sequences on "Flash" or "Arrow" because you have so many other characters involved.

People will tune in for that, but what I think they're ultimately gonna stay for are these characters.

We've got an incredible amount of combinations.

The storytelling possibilities are really, really infinite.

I like being part of the team, man.

Me too.

I say we gonna get weird in the '70s.

Excellent idea.

Each of the three shows are so distinctive, and they have such different voices and different tones.

Okay, we'll help you catch the bad guy.

Partners?

Partners.

If "Arrow" is vigilante crime drama...

Whoever you fear, fear me more!

...and "Flash" is superhero adventure family show, then "Legends of Tomorrow" is utterly bananas.

[laughs]

It is superhero crack.

Berlanti: If "Arrow" is tough and dark and brooding, and "Flash" is warm and fuzzy and fun, "Legends" is just insane and crazy.

[grunting]

I love the '70s!

And totally unpredictable.

My name is Leonard Snart.

I know who you are.

Always pleased to meet a fan.

Leonard Snart is a nefarious criminal, sort of the bête noire of the Flash.

You know what they say, live fast, die young.

We've seen him develop his own kind of new moral ethics.

Why'd you shoot that guy?

He owed me money.

Captain Cold and his rogues, they really have a sense of honor amongst themselves.

I'm a criminal and a liar.

Then why didn't you just kill me?

Well, I guess you owe me one now, too.

We first met him on "The Flash," and we saw how he became Captain Cold.

Klemmer: The more we learn about his character, the more we realize that Leonard Snart has a pretty good reason for being the way he is.

Snart's father was a cop.

Bad cop... took his anger out on his kids.

His father was a terrible person and severely abused him and his sister.

I find the villains often more heartbreaking than our heroes.

Shoot him, son.

[screams]

He broke my sister's heart.

Only fair I break his.

Are you defined by your past, or can you change your destiny?

There's good in you, Snart.

How do you go from this guy who is an amoral killer...

So, I should be a hero like you, Barry?

...into somebody who can become a Legend?

What exactly does that pay again?

How does a villain react when they're given a chance to help save the world?

Is that issue more important than just their own greed?

Give me one reason I don't kill you right now.

It's gonna be hard to find someone else to listen to your winning speeches.

When you're going against somebody ruthless, you have to fight fire with fire.

In our case, literally, with Mick Rory... Heatwave.

Kreisberg: Mick is crazy.

[screams]

He is like a Primal Force of nature.

He loves fire. He loves beating people up.

Now that was fun!

A little bit dim, and a man of dubious character.

Yeah!

For all that, he's actually the funniest person on the show.

Let's get this party started!

He's not afraid to die and lives for the moment... and that's what time travel is all about.

Klemmer: They really are like an old married couple.

Told you it would break.

And the shrink says I'm crazy.

They have only one person that they trust in the entire world... and that's the other.

Coming back 'round!

Yeah, to die!

Guggenheim: It's fun to watch, in group of superheroes, two villains on the team.

The flame?

Or the frost?

Mick and Snart are as bad as the come.

The question is, are they gonna stay that way?

Sure it's a good idea to leave these two unsupervised on a time machine?

The scope of "Legends of Tomorrow" is about as big as any I've ever worked on on television.

All your worlds are about to change.

Because the show can go anywhere in human history... into our future, into our past, it has high-stakes adventures.

Each one of these characters could have had their own show, but, together, it's even bigger than any one of them could have had individually.

So that sense of size and scope is gonna be really incredible to see on television every week.

[screaming]

Let's do this.