[click the arrow to expand the page and see the rest of the shrine! you've been spoiler-warned!]
when arrow season five begins, adrian chase is introduced as star city's new district attorney, and oliver queen is mayor. initially dubbed "the throwing star killer," prometheus is the season's primary antagonist, enacting a sprawling plan to destroy the green arrow. chase and queen appear to become friends, but chase is eventually revealed to be behind the mask. his vendetta was sparked back in season one, and he spent years constructing a life for himself (including law school and training under talia al ghul) to position himself perfectly to unravel the green arrow.
what can i say, i love a good leitmotif!!
similar to my waxlimbs shrine, this was kicked off by some value studies i found myself sketching - you can see me progressively put more time/energy into them as i go. click each of the three thumbnails below to see the full illustrations, then click anywhere to return.
there are many approaches to adaptation, and i really appreciate when a piece effectively engages with the skeleton of the source(s) while doing something completely transformative.
adrian chase is the name of vigilante, a district attorney turned vengeful antihero in the comics. this type of misdirect isn't new to the extended arrowverse, and i think playing on fans' expectations as part of building a subversive take on a character is done to great effect here. vigilante is a simultaneous issue in the season, and the writing often leans into that red herring. chase's revealed backstory pulls from some elements of prometheus in the comics as well (vengeance for parent, intensive training, mirroring the protagonist's skills and acting as their foil). overall i'd say intimacy, dedication, and detail are all key components to the character.
"i don't want characters to be good or right i want them covered in blood" [1]
although i definitely have criticisms of too many arrow characters looking the same (see ragman’s design in that very season, and many other tactical gear hooded darker archers etc), without that context i'd argue the prometheus costume is a solid culmination of the elements that build the character. he specifically should be a dark mirror: to mayor queen in his formal suit as da, and green arrow in his prometheus suit inspired by the league of assassins. even his weapons are reforged salvage of arrows oliver left behind. his mask (not pictured in this shrine yet) is actually reminiscent of hush as well, touching on similar themes (with cw's arrow often more like batman than the green arrow) explored in the comics.
achieving depth: when discussing the diversity of his characters and focusing on their core humanity, segarra said, "i've just been really blessed with getting to play in different worlds and i want to try to make them all honest and a little different and find what makes them tick. [...] for me, man, i always start from the inside. i always start internally. i always start with the heart. what makes their heart flutter? and i always try to put my heart into everything that i do." [2]
he seems like such a sweetheart in interviews, and it appears he applied that sincerity and graciousness to give more dimension to the character he helped build.
elaborating on what went into making chase he also said, "i’ve been preparing for prometheus my whole life. i grew up on pro wrestling and the ninja turtles. there’s a little bit of both in him." [3]
while in full costume, prometheus utilizes a voice filter built into his mask to further conceal his identity (in which the character is voiced playfully by michael dorn).
still one of my favorite aspects of adrian chase is josh segarra's vocal performance, in and out of costume (unmasked). i can't help grinning at his growl-talking mid-fight, as in this scene:
did you know?: despite the masked costume, segarra was in the suit playing prometheus even before the reveal. in an interview he explains "...from the very beginning, i made it very clear, and i was very happy that they embraced it with open arms, that i would love to play in the suit. that’s an important part of me to this character. i want to do as much as i can, because everything when he’s in the suit, chase is exploring something that makes him who he is out of that suit, and that’s important to me to craft this guy. i wanted to do all of him." [4]
when asked at a con which arrow villain was his favorite, stephen amell chose adrian chase: “i’m very partial to josh’s portrayal of adrian chase. i just think that that was a very personal thing and just, you know, prometheus much like in the way that david ramsey created diggle, josh created prometheus. a lot of that stuff he had to arc out for himself. i thought that he brought the best out of me and hopefully i brought the best out of him." [5]
in s6e18: fundamentals, oliver is dosed with vertigo and hallucinates chase throughout the episode. the writing and performance both say so much about his relationship to adrian, and how he continues to haunt oliver and live on in his head. visible in my second value study is a thoughtful detail they included in his design - scars on his temples, a visual nod to his fate in the finale of season five.
a fun idea:
although i know it wouldn’t have fit in the s5 arc, i wish somewhere there was a musical episode with adrian chase (especially with the flash's musical episode having aired alongside this season). segarra is such a talented dancer and singer, with actual broadway experience (he originated the role of emilio estefan in on your feet! [7]). just imagine a whimsically contrived au episode where he gets to antagonize oliver in song and dance!
there may still be more to come - i have an idea for a set of illustrations that could be neat if i find the time as we continue our arrowverse watch-through. as always i'll try to share any updates in my diary, but for now thanks for stopping by! ♡
^ 1. see more in my corresponding diary post: "updates & new shrine!" []
^ 2. "from family man to versatile actor: josh segarra on exploring life, love, and diverse characters," irvin rivera, []
^ 3. "josh segarra," bello, []
^ 4. "arrow's josh segarra reveals prometheus origins and endgame," natalie abrams, []
^ 5. "'arrow': stephen amell reveals his favorite villain," nicole drum, []
^ 6. "adrian chase," arrowverse wiki, []
^ 7. "the on your feet! cast performs on the view," []