Season Five of The Flash is in front of the camera and producers are still on casting additions to the Scarlet Speedster’s rogues, in particular, that of Rag Doll.
Rag Doll is just one of many fresh faces appearing to challenge Barry Allen. Cicada is billed as this year’s main antagonist, and on Team Flash is Barry and Iris’s future daughter Nora, also known as XS. As to what the show is looking for, this is the official bulletin:
“The casting call is searching for a male in his 20s as Peter is described as an incredibly emotional damaged criminal who has the power to bend out of shape and fit his whole body into small spaces. As he is enjoying his criminal activities, Team Flash will be challenged by the Rag Doll in shocking ways as his sick plan is revealed. The breakdown specifies that they would ideally like to get actual Contortionists/Dancers or any kinds of performers who are able to contort their bodies in very disturbing ways.”
Given his power set, most likely the perfect foil for this perverse antagonist is Ralph Dibny aka The Elongated Man. Time will tell if this assumption is correct.
Rag Doll is a well-known villain in the DC Universe. Created in 1942 by writer Gardner Fox, he is the alter-ego Peter Merkel, a man born with a condition known as “triplejointedness” that grants him advanced contortionist abilities. Although he found success as a carnival act, Merkel would turn to crime and clash with the first incarnation of The Flash, the Golden Age speedster Jay Garrick. Merkel would retire, then sell his soul to Nekron for restored youth, and then would eventually be killed. However, his son, Peter Jr., would take up his father’s mantle and abilities via dangerous and disfiguring cybernetic enhancements. His most recent storyline was in the New 52 reboot of Batgirl.
The Flash returns for its fifth season on October 9th at 8 Eastern on The CW.
