Hartley Sawyer, aka the Elongated Man, has been fired from replaced by a brand new Batwoman who has no comic precedent. And in the latest news Hartley Sawyer - the actor who plays the Elongated Man in The Flash, an important secondary character - has been abruptly fired.
At first glance, the timing of this couldn't be worse for the Arrowverse. Although the Elongated Man had been an important secondary character since The Flash season 4, his arc was key to season 6. This was essentially the story of Ralph Dibny's transformation into a superhero, with Barry Allen choosing Ralph as his replacement when he believed he was destined to die in Crisis on Infinite Earths. Much of the season had been spent building to the introduction of the Arrowverse's Sue Dearbon, Ralph's greatest love in the comics.
The decision to fire Hartley Sawyer was not made lightly, and it's already proving controversial. Flash fans have launched a petition for Sawyer to be rehired, arguing the decision was unfair. For all that's the case, though, it was the right move for The CW, producers Warner Bros. TV, and Berlanti Productions.
Why Hartley Sawyer Was Fired From The Flash Explained
Actor Hartley Sawyer was fired from The Flash when old social media posts resurfaced, displaying distasteful humor that was frequently sexist, racist, and misogynistic. These dated back to before Sawyer ed The Flash, running from 2012 through to 2014. Some of the more objectionable tweets including jokes about wife-beating, women's breasts, and putting his "victims" in a burlap sack - making light of sexual assault. Others were racist, or politically insensitive, such as a tasteless quip about the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. The actor immediately deleted his Twitter and posted an apology on Instagram, but screen-shots of his old posts continued to circulate on social media. He was fired a week after the messages emerged, with his employers issuing an official statement in which they insisted the jokes were "antithetical to our values and polices."
Showrunner Arrow star Stephen Amell have both come out in favor of Sawyer's sacking.
It's Good That Arrowverse Fired Hartley Sawyer
The decision is undoubtedly the right one. Hartley Sawyer's firing is no mere example of 'cancel culture,' but rather indicates how important a role superhero actors play in modern society. The actors who portray superheroes become almost indivisible in the public consciousness from the heroes themselves. This is true of Marvel Studios, where Chris Evans essentially became the embodiment of Captain America and Robert Downey, Jr. is the definitive Tony Stark; it's true in the Arrowverse as well, where Stephen Amell and Grant Gustin have both gone to great effort to stand for the causes their heroes would champion. This context means Hartley Sawyer isn't just another actor; he represents something fundamental in society. That's especially the case after The Flash season 6, where the Elongated Man stepped up so markedly. The Elongated Man is tarnished by any continued association with Sawyer, making the actor's position untenable.
Wallace is right to place this controversy in the context of the protests currently sweeping across the globe. Prejudice and intolerance may be structural, but every person must make an individual choice on how to respond to it; whether to oppose it or tacitly accept it. The Arrowverse has a proud history of diversity, demonstrated both on- and off-screen, and Hartley Sawyer's old messages run completely counter to that. To ignore the issue, to keep Sawyer on as the Elongated Man regardless, would be to deny everything the Arrowverse tries to stand for.
Finally, it's worth noting Sawyer probably hasn't helped his own cause. While he posted an apology on Instagram, it feels a little self-serving. He insisted he had grown as a person since making those comments years ago, and described them as "really horrible attempts to get attention at that time." Unfortunately clumsy wording undermined his attempt to portray himself as repentant. "These were words I threw out at the time with no thought or recognition of the harm my words could do, and now have done today," Sawyer wrote. The problem is that this implies he regrets the harm his words have done today, to his own career, and still does not fully understand they could well have done real damage to people back when he posted them in the first place. Indeed, it's striking Sawyer never cleared up his old tweets, even though far bigger names have been brought down by tasteless jokes they shared in the past - notably James Gunn.
Hartley Sawyer's Firing Explains How Arrowverse Shows Work
The firing of Hartley Sawyer sends a powerful signal across the entire industry. The CW, Warner Bros. TV and Berlanti Productions are all making it clear they will not tolerate racism or misogyny. Any actor who thinks jokes like Sawyer's are funny, who makes light of systemic injustice and intolerance, can give up on the idea of ever working for these companies. What's more, the statements from Gustin and Amell are important as well, because they indicate the actors themselves believe strict standards of behavior should be maintained and reinforced. Some fans may be petitioning for Sawyer's return, but nobody has left themselves any room to maneuver. It's reminiscent of ABC's decision in 2018 to cancel and rebrand Roseanne after the lead actress, Roseanne Barr, tweeted out racist comments. The TV industry has finally made up its mind to crack down on prejudice and intolerance.
This statement is particularly important in the context of the Arrowverse, where Sawyer's departure causes major long-term problems. With Sue Dearbon introduced at last, the Elongated Man was presumably central to The Flash season 7; indeed, the Arrowverse seemed to actually be setting up a major crossover event from the comics, "Identity Crisis," in which Sue was murdered in her own home. All these plans are now in flux, but the various showrunners clearly believe they can be flexible and write Ralph Dibny out. They have caused themselves a great deal of inconvenience, but they feel it is worth it; they would rather struggle with rewrites rather than accept the kind of tasteless humor seen in Sawyer's old social media posts. No doubt this decision was reached with great care, explaining why it took a week to be decided, but it is the right one for the future of the Arrowverse.