ARROW: Echo Kellum On Mr. Terrific’s Gadgets, Costume and Future!

Ever since he first appeared on screen during last week’s episode of Arrow, “The Candidate,” Echo Kellum has been nothing short of…terrific (we had to). We here at ComicBook.com had the opportunity to chat with Kellum ahead of tonight’s episode about what he’s looking forward to the most in the role and what the future holds for his character. Kellum is a die hard comics fan and just hearing about him talk about his character, Curtis Holt, so enthusiastically was an absolute blast.

Will we see him in a costume? What is his relationship with Oliver really like? Well read on dear reader and find out for yourself.

To get started, were you much of a Mr. Terrific fan to begin with or did you go into this role fresh, and do some deep diving into the comics as prep for the role?

Echo Kellum: Yeah, I had definitely been aware of the character through the the Justice Society Of America comics and then once I auditioned for it then I went out and bought as much as I could. I absolutely loved the stuff I read from the JSA run and it’s the kind of thing that gets you really energized for the role. Getting to play this role is an opportunity of a lifetime and a dream come true. Plus I’ll get to be a super hero, what’s not to like about that?

What about Mr. Terrific struck a chord with you and what are you hoping that you’ll get to play with during your time on Arrow?

Echo Kellum: I think one of the most enduring qualities of the character to me is was that he was driven, through tragedies, to science. His devotion to science and trying to figure out how to right the wrongs of the world and fix some of it’s biggest issues is admirable, you know? I’m a huge science nut, I love talking about like how Earth got here and just going through all these theories and what not. It’s just super exciting to me to be at a place like that and try to bring through that aspect of him from the comics, really through him in the show. That’s really important to me because I feel like it’s personal to me too. I definitely have a love, a great love affair with science and I know that, that character does too so that’s something I hope I can portray.

So on set, especially this season, you must be surrounded by a bunch of people in costume. Are you itching to get one of your own?

Echo Kellum: I mean, I think, I think every, everybody is itching to get a costume. That’s like a dream to be able to suit up and be a hero our in the field. Oh my God I want that so bad, so this is my dream job, I’m still pinching myself oh like holy crap. The next morning I’m like this isn’t a dream, cool, cool I’m still living you know?

Arrow is a show with phenomenal interpersonal relationships. What’s the relationship that you’re looking to see or most excited for fans to see between your character and anyone else?

Echo Kellum: I really like the relationship him and Oliver have. You know, he’s my girlfriends best friend and he’s my best friend’s boyfriend. We obviously have a mutual respect for each other. I think I kind of push all of his buttons just a little bit, a touch, you know what I’m saying? I have to get certain reactions from him and not what in a playful way. I think they definitely have a mutual respect for each other and have a friendly respect for each other. I think fans will really dig that.

Mr. Terrific is a character that is known for his gadgets and it certainly has been teased that we’ll be seeing some big innovations coming up. Are you excited to get to play with some T spheres?

Echo Kellum: Oh man, when they teased them in the trailer,the first thing I thought was “Yes! T Spheres!”

[laughs]

Those T spheres are so damn cool. Especially everything they do! You can fly with them, they help him with his inventions, and all stuff like that. It’s just also exciting just to even see those even teased about. I can not wait for them to show up. I’m so nerdy, that when I went back to set I took so many pictures of the T spheres, I was like “Oh my God, I can’t believe this is actually happening.”

[laughs]

But it’s not only T-Spheres, there’s other gadgets too.

And see I was just going ask about those. It feels like your character, and to use a James Bond reference for a second here, is the Q for Team Arrow. Is that an accurate statement?

Echo Kellum: I would definitely say early on that’s definitely an accurate description of him because he is really just bringing his skill to the forefront trying to decipher different things and break different codes or build certain things for the team to use and stuff. So he definitely is that kind of “Q” type of character.

Before I let you go, since this is a recurring role, are you looking to potentially rub elbows with the Flash or the Legends of Tomorrow cast?

Echo Kellum: Oh man oh absolutely, definitely that’s something I would love, love, love to do and you know we do touch on that. Some of these first couple of episodes I definitely think there could be room for other features for them to be definitely be involved in those worlds.

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What do you think ComicBook.com readers, are you excited to see more Mr. Terrific? Let us know in the comments below.