The third season of the American television series ''

Legends of Tomorrow ''DC's Legends of Tomorrow'', or simply ''Legends of Tomorrow'', is an American Time travel in fiction, time travel superhero fiction, superhero television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg, and Phil Klemmer, ...

'', based on

DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...

characters, premiered on

The CW The CW Network, LLC (commonly referred to as The CW or simply CW) is an American commercial broadcast television network which is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75% ownership interest. The network's name is derived from the firs ...

on October 10, 2017, and ran for 18 episodes until April 9, 2018. The season follows the Legends, a dysfunctional team of time-traveling superheroes and anti-heroes, and their mission to correct their unintentional anachronisms. Set in the

Arrowverse The Arrowverse is an American Superhero fiction, superhero media franchise and shared universe that is centered on various interconnected television series based on DC Comics superhero characters, primarily airing on The CW as well as web series ...

and sharing continuity with that universe's other TV series, it is a spin-off of ''

Arrow An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers c ...

'' and ''

The Flash The Flash is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date, cover-dated Jan ...

''. The season was produced by

Berlanti Productions Berlanti Productions (formerly known as Berlanti-Liddell Productions and Berlanti Television) is an American film and television production company founded by screenwriter, producer and filmmaker Greg Berlanti and producer Mickey Liddell in 2000 ...

Warner Bros. Television Warner Bros. Television Studios, operating under the name Warner Bros. Television (abbreviated as WBTV; formerly known as Warner Bros. Television Division), is an American television production and distribution studio and the flagship studio o ...

and

DC Entertainment DC Entertainment is an American entertainment company that was founded in September 2009 and is based in Burbank, California. The company is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery which manages DC Comics characters by working with other units ...

, with

Phil Klemmer Phil Klemmer is an American television writer and television producer, producer. He is known for his work on UPNs ''Veronica Mars'', the NBC series ''Chuck (TV series), Chuck'', and The CW series ''Legends of Tomorrow''. Early life Klemmer grew ...

and Chris Fedak its

showrunner A showrunner is the top-level executive producer of a television series. The position outranks other creative and management personnel, including episode directors, in contrast to feature films, in which the director has creative control over th ...

s. Ordered in January 2017, production began that July and ended in February 2018. Principal cast members

Caity Lotz Caity Lotz (born December 30, 1986) is an American actress, dancer, and singer. She has portrayed Stephanie Horton in the AMC series ''Mad Men'', Officer Kirsten Landry in the MTV mockumentary series ''Death Valley'' (2011), Annie in '' The Pact ...

Brandon Routh Brandon Routh (; born October 9, 1979) is an American actor. He portrayed Superman in the 2006 film ''Superman Returns'', which garnered him international fame. In 2011, he played the title character of the film '' Dylan Dog: Dead of Night''. H ...

Victor Garber Victor Garber, (born March 16, 1949) is a Canadian stage and film actor and singer. Known for his work on stage and screen, he has been nominated for three Gemini Awards, four Tony Awards, and six Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2022, he was made an ...

Franz Drameh Franz Alhusaine Drameh (born 5 January 1993) is an English actor. His film debut was in Clint Eastwood's fantasy drama, ''Hereafter (film), Hereafter'' (2010). He also appeared in British film ''Attack the Block'' (2011) and the 2014 blockbuste ...

Maisie Richardson-Sellers Maisie Richardson-Sellers is a British actress and director. She first gained recognition for her role as Rebekah Mikaelson / Eva Sinclair on The CW series '' The Originals''. She has since gained wider recognition for her starring roles as Kat ...

Amy Pemberton Amy Louise Pemberton is a British actress. She portrayed Gideon in the television series ''Legends of Tomorrow'' and voiced Elaena Glenmore in the ''Game of Thrones'' video game. She voiced Slone from ''Titanfall 2'' (2016), and played Privat ...

Nick Zano Nick Zano (born March 8, 1978) is an American actor. He played List of What I Like About You characters#Vince, Vince in The WB's sitcom ''What I Like About You (TV series), What I Like About You''. He hosted MTV's former infotainment program abo ...

, and

Dominic Purcell Dominic Haakon Myrtvedt PurcellO'Connor, B,Break Out". '' Men's Fitness''. December/January 2007 Issue; retrieved 18 December 2006. (born 17 February 1970) is an Australian actor. He is best known as Lincoln Burrows in ''Prison Break'' (2005� ...

return from previous seasons and are joined by new cast members

Tala Ashe Talayeh Ashrafi (;), known professionally as Tala Ashe, is an Iranian-American actress. Known for her roles on the television series '' Smash'', '' American Odyssey'', and ''As the World Turns'', as well as her regular role as Zari Tomaz and Za ...

and ''The Flash'' alumnus

Keiynan Lonsdale Keiynan Lonsdale ( ; born 19 December 1991) is an Australian actor, dancer, and singer-songwriter. He is known for roles such as Oliver Lloyd in the ABC series ''Dance Academy'' (2012–2013), Wally West/ Kid Flash in the CW series ''The Flash ...

. Drameh, Garber and Lonsdale left the series during the season. Several of the season's recurring characters became regulars during the following season, including Matt Ryan,

Jes Macallan Jes Macallan is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Josslyn Carver in ABC drama series '' Mistresses'' and Ava Sharpe in The CW superhero comedy-drama ''Legends of Tomorrow''. Early life Macallan trained in dance in her you ...

, and

Courtney Ford Courtney Ford (born June 27, 1978) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles on television, such as playing Christine Hill on ''Dexter'' (2009), Portia Bellefleur on ''True Blood'' (2011), Lily on '' Parenthood'' (2012), Tonia Pyn ...

. The season received positive reviews from critics who praised its lightheartedness and cast, and several felt that it was a great improvement over the previous two seasons. The series was nominated for a Best Superhero Television Series, and the season averaged 2.37 million viewers per episode.

Overview

Following the season 2 finale where the Legends attempted to time travel with two versions of themselves aboard the ''Waverider'' had a larger impact on time than they thought. Due to this blunder, anachronisms (including objects and people) have popped up along the timeline.

Rip Hunter Rip Hunter (Michael Jon Carter Jr.) is a time-traveling superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jack Miller and artist Ruben Moreira, the character first appeared in ''Showcase (comics), Showcase'' #20 ...

's Time Bureau, a replacement for the Time Masters, forces the Legends to disband and resume normal lives. They are forced back into action as deputized members of the Time Bureau, however, unaware that Rip is planning to use their often-destructive tendencies for a threat bigger than the

anachronisms An anachronism (from the Greek , 'against' and , 'time') is a chronological inconsistency in some arrangement, especially a juxtaposition of people, events, objects, language terms and customs from different time periods. The most common type ...

Episodes

Cast and characters

Main

as Sara Lance / White Canary *

as Ray Palmer / Atom *

as Martin Stein / Firestorm *

as Jefferson "Jax" Jackson / Firestorm *

as Amaya Jiwe / Vixen * Amy Louise Pemberton as

Gideon Gideon (; ) also named Jerubbaal and Jerubbesheth, was a military leader, judge and prophet whose calling and victory over the Midianites is recounted in of the Book of Judges in both the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible. Gideon was th ...

(voice) *

Zari Tomaz Zari Tomaz and Zari Tarazi () are fictional characters portrayed by Tala Ashe in The CW's Arrowverse franchise, primarily the television series ''Legends of Tomorrow''. Loosely inspired by the characters Andrea Thomas and Adrianna Tomaz, both ...

as Wally West / Kid Flash *

as Nate Heywood / Steel *

as Mick Rory / Heat Wave

Recurring

Arthur Darvill Thomas Arthur Darvill (born 17 June 1982) is an English actor, composer and musician. He is known for portraying Rory Williams, a companion of the Eleventh Doctor in the television series ''Doctor Who'' (2010–2012), as well as Rip Hunter in ' ...

* Christina Brucato as Lily Stein *

Ava Sharpe ''Legends of Tomorrow'' is an American television series, developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Phil Klemmer, and Andrew Kreisberg, based on several characters from DC Comics. The series premiered in the United States on January 21, 2016, ...

Adam Tsekhman Adam Tsekhman is a Canadian actor best known for his role as Gary Green (Arrowverse), Gary Green on the television series ''Legends of Tomorrow''. Early life Adam Tsekhman was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, but raised in Toronto, Ontario. His pa ...

as Gary Green *

Hiro Kanagawa is a Japanese-Canadian actor and playwright based in Vancouver, British Columbia. He has appeared in numerous high-profile films and television series shot in the Vancouver area, including ''The X-Files'', ''Smallville'', ''Caprica'', ''Godzil ...

Wilbur Bennett ''Legends of Tomorrow'' is an American television series, developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Phil Klemmer, and Andrew Kreisberg, based on several characters from DC Comics. The series premiered in the United States on January 21, 20 ...

Tracy Ifeachor Tracy Ifeachor (born ) is a British television and theatre actress. She is best known for playing the role of Aya Al-Rashid in The CW vampire series '' The Originals'', and Abigail Naismith in the ''Doctor Who'' Christmas special, " The End of ...

as Kuasa * Joy Richardson as Amaya Jiwe's ancestor *

Neal McDonough Neal McDonough (born February 13, 1966) is an American actor. He is known for his portrayal of Lieutenant Lynn Compton, Lynn "Buck" Compton in the HBO miniseries ''Band of Brothers (miniseries), Band of Brothers'' (2001), Deputy District Attorney ...

as Damien Darhk *

as Nora Darhk *

John Noble John Noble (born 20 August 1948) is an Australian actor. He is best known for his roles as Denethor in ''The Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy (2001–2003), and Dr. Walter Bishop in the Fox science fiction series '' Fringe'' (2008–2013). ...

voices Mallus ** Noble also appears as himself * Matt Ryan as

John Constantine John Constantine (), also known as Hellblazer, is an antihero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. He was created by Alan Moore, Steve Bissette, and John Totleben, and first appeared in ''Swamp Thing'' #37 (June 1985). I ...

Guests

Production

In January 2017, before the second season's conclusion, ''

'' was renewed by

. Later that year, the season was given an 18-episode order. Filming began on July 6, 2017, and ended in February 2018. Season three has a genre shift, from science fiction to fantasy, and a change in tone; it is lighter than the previous two seasons. Showrunner

described the season as "more in the world of the occult and monsters". Co-creator

Marc Guggenheim Marc Guggenheim (born September 24, 1970) is an American screenwriter, television producer, comic book writer, and novelist. He is best known as the creator of the television series ''Eli Stone'' (2008–2009), ''Arrow'' (2012–2020), and ''Lege ...

said that he wanted to have the Legends visit new locations, including Golden-Age Hollywood and

Victorian London During the 19th century, London grew enormously to become a global city of immense importance. It was the List of largest cities throughout history, largest city in the world from about 1825, the world's largest port, and the heart of Financial ...

. The character Mallus serves as the season primary villain. As opposed to the villains of seasons one and two, Mallus was an original character created for the series rather than adapted from

. The character

Gorilla Grodd Gorilla Grodd is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, the character first appeared in ''The Flash'' #106 (May 1959). He is an evil, super-intelligent gorilla who ...

serves as an secondary antagonist. He was written more sympathetically after his defeat in ''The Flash'' (as seen in the "

Gorilla City This page lists the locations in the DC Universe, the shared universe setting of DC Comics. Sites Arrowcave The Arrowcave is the former base of operations of the Green Arrow and Speedy. Avernus Cemetery Avernus Cemetery is a hidden burial gro ...

" two-part episode). Damien Darhk again acted as a supporting antagonist. In an interview with ''Collider''

stated the season would revolve around mystical artifacts called totems.

Casting

Main characters

Returning series regulars from the previous season included

and

Martin Stein Martin Stein is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is commonly associated with, and sometimes is, the superhero Firestorm. Stein has made several appearances in DC-related media. He is portrayed by ...

Ray Palmer Raymond or Ray Palmer may refer to: * Raymond A. Palmer, science-fiction writer and editor * Raymond F. Palmer, medical professor * Raymond Palmer, 3rd Baron Palmer (1916–1990), British peer and businessman * Ray Palmer (pastor), American pastor ...

Sara Lance Sara Lance, also known by her alter-ego White Canary, is a fictional character in The CW's Arrowverse franchise, first introduced in the 2012 pilot episode of the television series ''Arrow'', and later starring in '' Legends of Tomorrow''. The ...

Jefferson Jackson J.A.K.E. 1 J.A.K.E. 2 J'onn J'onzz M'yrnn J'onzz M'yrnn J'onzz is the father of the twin brothers J'onn J'onzz/Martian Manhunter and Ma'alefa'ak. His first appearance was in ''Martian Manhunter'' (vol. 2) #3 (August 2001). M'yrnn J'onzz i ...

, Amaya Jiwe,

, Nate Heywood and

Mick Rory Heat Wave (Mick Rory) is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. He is commonly as an enemy of Flash (comics), The Flash and a member of the Rogues (comics), Rogues along with Captain Cold, among others. Actor Dominic Purc ...

, respectively. They were joined by

and

playing

and

Wally West Wallace Rudolph "Wally" West is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics as the original Kid Flash and the third Flash (DC Comics character), Flash. His power consists mainly of speedster (fiction), superhuman speed. T ...

, respectively. Guggenheim explained that part of the motivation for adding the Muslim character, Zari Tomaz, to the series was the "political climate" in the United States after the

2016 elections Africa Benin Republic *2016 Beninese presidential election 6 March 2016 Cape Verde * 2016 Cape Verdean presidential election 2 October 2016 Chad * 2016 Chadian presidential election 10 April 2016 Djibouti * 2016 Djiboutian presidential ...

. For the episode "

Here I Go Again "Here I Go Again" is a song by the British rock band Whitesnake. It was originally released on their 1982 album, '' Saints & Sinners'' through Liberty in October 1982. The song was written by David Coverdale and Bernie Marsden, and produced ...

", Amy Pemberton appeared as Gideon, unlike most episodes in which she voiced the character. Lonsdale had been a regular on ''The Flash''. It was the only season in which Lonsdale was a regular; he left after the season finale, citing a desire for other acting opportunities. This was the final season in which Garber and Drameh were regulars; Garber left in " Crisis on Earth X, Part 4", followed by Drameh in the following episode. While Garber wanted to resume his career in

Broadway theater Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), many of the extant or closed Broadway venues use or used the spelling ''Theatr ...

; Drameh's exit was a creative decision, and he returned in the season-finale "The Good, the Bad and the Cuddly". Richardson-Sellers's character, Amaya Jiwe, left in the season finale and returned the following season as Charlie.

Recurring and guest stars

, who played

in the main cast during the first two seasons, was a recurring character this season. Several actors returned in their roles from other Arrowvverse series as recurring characters, such as

as Damien Darhk,

David Sobolov David Sobolov (born October 23, 1964) is a Canadian voice actor and director, best known for his roles as Gorilla Grodd in various DC media, Drax the Destroyer in various Marvel media, Kaido in ''One Piece'', and various characters in the ''Tran ...

as the voice of Grodd, and Christina Brucato as Lily Stein.

was cast as Jiwe's granddaughter Kuasa, replacing

Anika Noni Rose Anika Noni Rose (born September 6, 1972) is an American actress. She is best known for voicing Tiana (The Princess and the Frog), Tiana in ''The Princess and the Frog'' (2009). She was named a Disney Legends, Disney Legend in 2011. Rose starred ...

(who voiced the character in the animated web series '' Vixen'').

replaced Tuesday Hoffman as Damien's daughter,

Nora Nora, NORA, or Norah may refer to: * Nora (name), a feminine given name People with the surname * Arlind Nora (born 1980), Albanian footballer * Pierre Nora (1931–2025), French historian * Simon Nora (1921–2006), French politician Place ...

, and Ford became a regular the following season. Sellers' mother, Joy Richardson, was a recurring character as Jiwe's vision-quest ancestor. Matt Ryan played

after playing the character in the canceled

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

series ''

Constantine Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I * Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine g ...

''. Ryan became a series regular the following season.

Wentworth Miller Wentworth Earl Miller III (born June 2, 1972) is an American actor known for playing the role of Michael Scofield in ''Prison Break'', for which he received a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama in ...

(who played

Leonard Snart Captain Cold (Leonard Snart) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, the character first appeared in '' Showcase'' #8 (June 1957). In his comic book appearances, ...

as a regular in season one and a recurring character in season two) returned to play the character's Earth-X doppelganger, Leo Snart / Citizen Cold.

and

recurred as Time Bureau agents

, Gary Green and Wilbur Bennett, respectively, and Macallan became a regular the following season.

voiced the season primary antagonist Mallus. The character's true form is not revealed until the penultimate-episode "Guest Starring John Noble". In that episode, Noble also portrayed a fictionalized version of himself.

Release

The third season of ''Legends of Tomorrow'' aired on

in the U.S. weekly from October 10 through December 5, 2017, when it took a mid-season break. It returned on February 12, 2018, and concluded on April 9 of that year. The season was made available for streaming on

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

in late April 2018, soon after the season finale aired. It was released on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...

and

Blu-ray Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...

on September 25, 2018.

Crossover

In May 2017, CW president

Mark Pedowitz Mark Pedowitz is an American entertainment executive. From 2011 to 2022, he was the president, and then chairman and CEO of The CW, after replacing the former president of entertainment Dawn Ostroff. During his time at The CW, Pedowitz oversaw al ...

announced plans for a four-show

crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Music Albums * ''Cross Over'' (album), a 1987 album by Dan Peek, or the title song * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'', an album by Intrigue * ''Crossover'', an album by ...

event consisting of ''

Supergirl Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Supergirl (Kara Zor-El), Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. Th ...

'', ''The Flash'', ''Legends of Tomorrow'', and ''Arrow''. The crossover, ''

Crisis on Earth-X "Crisis on Earth-X" is the fourth Arrowverse Crossover (fiction), crossover event, featuring episodes of ''Supergirl (TV series), Supergirl'', ''Arrow (TV series), Arrow'', ''The Flash (2014 TV series), The Flash'', and ''Legends of Tomorrow' ...

'', began with ''Supergirl'' and a special airing of ''Arrow'' on November 27, 2017, and concluded with back-to-back airings of ''The Flash'' and ''Legends of Tomorrow'' on November 28.

Reception

Ratings

The season high in live viewership was "Crisis on Earth-X, Part 4", with 2.80 million viewers, and the season low was "No Country for Old Dadss 1.19 million viewers. In seven-day DVR viewership, "Crisis on Earth-X, Part 4" had an additional 1.82 million viewers for a total of 4.62 million. The total season low was "Amazing Grace", with 2.03 million viewers. Overall, the season averaged 2.37 million viewers per episode.

Critical response

Critics praised the season for its lighter tone and overall cast, with several calling it the best one to date. '' Vox'' Sara Ghaleb wrote, "The corner of The CW's Arrowverse became its best self in season three". Ghaleb described the episode as goofy and silly; the premise of the plot seemed ridiculous, but it came together neatly. For '' Tell-Tale TV'', Jennifer Ann rated the season 5/5 and felt that the season finale was a satisfying narrative conclusion. ''

IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...

'''s Jesse Scheeden said that the season was the best of the series so far, but had the worst episodes overall and rated it 8.1/10. Scheeden criticized the season's main villain, saying that Mallus did not properly pay off the buildup, and called the totem plot line "boring". However, he praised the team dynamic and the overall cast.

Collider A collider is a type of particle accelerator that brings two opposing particle beams together such that the particles collide. Compared to other particle accelerators in which the moving particles collide with a stationary matter target, collid ...

's Adam Virgona praised the season's transition from science fiction to fantasy. ''

Screen Rant ''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and comic books. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publications including Comic Book Resources, Collider, MovieWeb and XDA Developers. ...

s Kath Leroy listed the season as the seventh-best Arrowverse seasons in a ranking. She placed ''Legends of Tomorrow'' season 3 ahead of ''The Flash'' season five and behind ''Supergirl'' season five. It was the second-highest-placing ''Legends of Tomorrow'' season, behind season two. In Virgona ranking of all seven seasons, he placed season 3 ahead of season four and behind season seven. ''

MovieWeb Valnet, Inc. is a Canadian media company established in August 2012 by Hassan and Sam Youssef in Montreal, Quebec. It operates primarily in the entertainment media industry, where it has sought to acquire producers of content in this space. In ...

'''s Richard Fink placed the season third overall, ahead of season four and behind season two.

Accolades

, - ! scope="row" rowspan="2" , 2018 ,

Saturn Awards The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films bel ...

, Best Superhero Television Series , ''

'' , , , - ,

Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards were an annual awards show that aired on the Fox television network between 1999 and 2019. The awards, based on a popularity vote that could be overridden by the producerswho reserved the right to choose the winnerscovered ...

, Choice TV Actress: Action ,

, ,

References

Notes

Citations

External links

* * {{Arrowverse 2017 American television seasons 2018 American television seasons Legends of Tomorrow seasons 2017 LGBTQ-related television 2018 LGBTQ-related television