First things first, Rick Gonzalez has been a G since he was in Coach Carter.
But the actor has only glowed up even more since then, scoring a role in the next season of Arrow as Wild Dog – another vigilante that plays no games.
To keep it all the way 100, this character was way outside of my wheelhouse. These are not the comics I grew up on, but wow is this guy the real deal. I dove into some old issues on Jack Wheeler (aka Wild Dog) and his story, or whatever version of it Arrow‘s going to use, sounds like exactly what the next season needs to ramp up the action.
Here are the highlights so you aren’t going in blind:
Jack Wheeler is a football star turned soldier, then vigilante.
He went to school on a scholarship for college ball, but got injured and had to drop out. That resulted in a tour of duty with the Marines where he had some tough experiences overseas, losing most of his squad (this would be a really good chance to explore PTSD on the show). Fast forward to him losing another loved one (his girlfriend) targeted by a Chicago mob boss, and then comes the mask, because Jack is not here for BS.
He becomes a hero, but much more of a gritty-Deadpool-esque ‘I shoot and kill people’ type of guy than a Superman ‘I’m-too-good-to-kill’ type of guy.
Now, how much of that will be the character’s story on Arrow? Who knows. But the character is described as “reckless and cocksure,” prompting me to think that Wild Dog is out in these Star City streets lighting bad guys up. Just a couple seasons ago, Ollie was out here ending lives, too. Nevertheless, it will be great to see another PoC with a recurring role on the show. Let’s just hope that it’s not at the expense of screen time for any other characters of color (Mister Terrific).
What do you think about Rick Gonzalez playing Wild Dog on Arrow next season? Are you even watching Arrow next season? Why or why not? Let’s talk about it in the comments. Tag a friend on Facebook that need to see this.
