DC’s Stargirl: Neil Jackson Compares Icicle to Marvel’s Thanos

Last week fans of DC’s Stargirl were introduced to the “big bad” of the series, leader of the Injustice Society Icicle. The powerful villain arrived on the scene following Brainwave’s defeat and quickly showed just how chilling he can be by killing not just his fellow ISA member William Zarick/The Wizard, but Zarick’s teen son, Joey, as well. For Icicle, real name Jordan Mahkent, the Zaricks were obstacles in the way of him achieving his goal to “save” America. It’s that single-minded focus that the actor who plays Icicle, Neil Jackson, says makes the character a bit like Thanos in that he doesn’t exactly see himself as the villain.

Speaking with ComicBook.com, Jackson explained that for Icicle, achieving his plan is paramount and if people die along the way, that’s fine. Icicle is completely convinced that what he’s doing is for the greater good, much in how Thanos’ plan to wipe out half of the universe’s life in Avengers: Infinity War is one the Mad Titan thought was necessary as well.

“He doesn’t want to create this plan. He doesn’t want to have to kill people. It’s born out of the fact that the world is broken, and he believes that he is the only one with the strength of character to be able to change the world for the better. So, he sees himself as a hero, an anti-hero, born out of this tragedy,” Jackson explained. “And nothing can get in the way of that plan. Nothing can get in the way of him achieving his promise to his wife. And if that means people die, then people die, because the plan is bigger than that. And so once it was all put through that prism, he may seem incredibly menacing, but I see him as this, anti-hero with a very, very vitriolic plan, that he’s set in place, that ultimately is for the betterment of mankind.”

He continued, “I mean, one of the things we talked about when we were doing it is, likening him to Thanos, in the Avengers series. Thanos doesn’t see himself as a villain, he sees himself as a hero, and he believes that by wiping out 50% indiscriminately of the universe’s population, that everybody else would be slightly better. He thinks he’s doing a good thing, even though everybody else hates him for it. And that is exactly what Jordan feels. He believes is doing the right thing, even though people might hate him for it. Ultimately, they’ll realize that he was the hero.”

While Icicle is convinced he’s the hero, he may end up finding out that not everyone close to him will agree with what he’s done. While Icicle is deeply motivated to make the world a better place for his son, Cameron, his efforts have come at the sacrifice of his relationship with his son to an extent and Jackson says that it’s possible that Icicle may have to come to terms with how his son reacts once he knows the truth.

“And so he’s torn between this overarching sense of duty to Christine [his wife], who said, ‘Make sure,’ the last words that she says to him, I can’t remember what they were, but essentially, ‘Make sure Cameron gets a better world, and destroy anybody who gets in the way of that,’” he said. “He’s living that last phrase to the letter, to try to make sure that happens, but it comes with the sacrifices of relationship. And what’s going to become interesting is when his son finds out who his father is. Will his son accept him, or will his son seem him as a monster? And both are very real possibilities.”

Stargirl airs Tuesdays at 8/7 on The CW. New episodes debut Mondays on DC Universe.