Carlos Valdes Cast As Cisco Ramon For THE FLASH Pilot

Iris West isn’t the only character from the upcoming Flash pilot that’s found its actor today. It’s just been announced that Carlos Valdes, a Broadway actor well-known for his role as Andrej in the musical Once, has joined The Flash as Cisco Ramon, better known in the comics as Vibe. Valdes joins Grant Gustin, Jesse L. Martin, Rick Cosnett, Danielle Panabaker and Candice Patton as a member of the main cast.

Ramon is said to be a “mechanical, engineering genius,” and was given this description by The Hollywood Reporter.

Born into a lower-income family, Cisco’s brains and talent helped him reach his potential. He is loyal and eager and provides the comic relief in contrast to his stiff co-workers. Best part: He is as much of a comic book fanboy as Barry.

According to the Reporter, there are two remaining regular roles that need to be cast: Harrison Wells, the S.T.A.R. Labs CEO, and Hartley Rathaway, who fought the Flash in the comics as The Pied Piper. No word yet on whether other established Flash characters will join in supporting roles. Then again, I suppose they’ll have to wait until the pilot gets ordered to series before they think of other characters joining the show.

Although Vibe has been around since the ’80s, he recently experienced a revitalization at the hands of Geoff Johns last year when he was given a solo series and became a member of the Justice League of America. Recently, however, his series was cancelled after ten issues, and, like many of the DC heroes, has been missing since the ending of Trinity War. In the New 52, Vibe’s vibrational powers allow him to disrupt the Speed Force, which made him to perfect candidate to engage the Flash if the Justice League ever went rogue.

While I’m guessing that Ramon’s role will be relegated to wise-cracking sidekick during the beginning of the show, if the series lasts for several seasons, I wouldn’t be surprised if Ramon gains powers as well. Since it’s unclear whether the show will ever use Wally West, I’d like Barry to have at least one ally with superpowers. Speed and sound: it’s a pretty cool combination.

SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter