Legends of Tomorrow: Ava Will Be Living on the Waverider in Season 5

Legends of Tomorrow‘s fifth season is already bringing some status quo changes for the show’s ensemble — including one fan-favorite pairing. In last month’s Entertainment Weekly profile of The CW’s Arrowverse, Legends’ cast and crew revealed that Sara Lance (Caity Lotz) and Ava Sharpe (Jes Macallan) will be living together on the Waverider in Season 5.

“[It] is going to prove to be very difficult for Sara,” Lotz revealed. “It’s going to be hard for her to get any personal time, but also a good opportunity for growth in the Avalance relationship.”

As fans will remember, “AvaLance” has been a sort of romantic item since midway through Season 3, and has already gone through quite a lot together. The pair have endured everything from Ava learning she’s a clone to both of them confronting their insecurities in an IKEA-like purgatory, but it sounds like the Season 4 finale will bring about a new obstacle for the couple. Now that the Legends have helped humanity have a positive outlook on magical creatures, the Time Bureau has apparently been shuttered, leaving Ava in a new predicament.

“She’s like a showrunner who enters hiatus and it’s just like, ‘Ahh, I don’t know what to do by myself,’ and that’s scary,” EP Phil Klemmer revealed.

“Part of her character is figuring out how she fits on the Waverider.” Keto Shimizu added. “We have some great stories with her, and we’ll continue to watch her evolution. She’s a character we love so much.”

Ava moving onto the Waverider will apparently also have a ripple effect on her relationship with the rest of the team, something that has been explored here and there over the course of her time on the show.

“[I’m looking forward to exploring how Ava] becomes ingrained in this family structure, not just through Sara but through her friendships with all of the other characters.” Shimizu added. “She’s this great, complicated person that everyone can have their own friendship with on the ship.”

That mindset of Ava’s relationship with the rest of Legends‘ ensemble is certainly something that fans have gravitated towards, almost since the character was first introduced.

“I guess the whole founding principle of the show and what it means to be a legend,” Klemmer told ComicBook.com back in Season 3. “It’s kind of a punk rock ethos of, oddballs are not just welcome, oddballs are recommended. The straight over the plate superheroes wouldn’t function well with our other characters. I think that’s why people draw inspiration from the show, because a lot of people, myself included, feel like weirdos. Then the idea that you would find a kindred group who are weird in different ways, but they complement each other in a really cool way [is appealing]. They tolerate each other as best they can. It’s not cuddly, feel good. Our guys are sarcastic with each other. They’re like a family who fights all the time but then would give their life without question for one another. I think that’s why we’re able to bring new people in because I feel like everybody’s a stray. Or certainly, people who are searching for belonging and family. They find it unexpectedly on the Waverider.”

Legends of Tomorrow‘s fifth season will begin on Tuesday, January 14, 2020, at 9/8c.