The Human Target Is Coming To Arrow

SHARED EXCLUSIVE: The Human Target is coming to Arrow.

The character of Christopher Chance — who has headlined two TV series over various decades, the first starring Rick Springfield and the other, more recent one starring Mark Valley — will be featured in the fifth episode of Arrow’s fifth season, KSiteTV has learned. The title of the episode is, appropriately enough, “Human Target.”

Playing the role this time around is actor Wil Traval, who you may have seen as the “Sheriff of Nottingham” on Once Upon A Time. The more comics-TV inclined will recognize Traval for his role as “Will Simpson” in eight episodes of Jessica Jones.

The Human Target first appeared in issue #419 of Action Comics way back in 1972 and was created by Len Wein (co-creator of Swamp Thing and Wolverine) and Carmine Infantino (designer of the Barry Allen Flash). In the comics, Christopher Chance would use disguises to pretend to be others who are in danger — literally becoming a “human target.” The disguise aspect was not used in the 2010-2011 FOX TV series.

Here’s how Warner Bros. Television describes Arrow’s take on the character, which indeed uses the disguise angle for Oliver Queen’s Chance encounter:

Wil Traval plays well-renowned DC Comics character Christopher Chance, a.k.a. “Human Target,” in Episode #505: a professional bodyguard and master of disguise who assumes the identities of those targeted by assassins. His latest client: Mayor Oliver Queen.

Fun trivia: Original Human Target Rick Springfield will be appearing on Supernatural this season as Lucifer! Wil Traval will now be the third actor to play Chance in live-action, unless you count the actors who played the character in various disguises on his original series.

Find out more about what’s coming up for Arrow – including an interview with Executive Producer Wendy Mericle – at KSiteTV’s Arrow portal, GreenArrowTV! Season 5 premieres October 5 on The CW.