Legends of Tomorrow cast breakdown: Everything you need to know about the CW series

When heroes alone are not enough, the world needs legends. Having seen the future, time-traveling rogue Rip Hunter (Arthur Darvill) is tasked with assembling a disparate group of both heroes and villains to confront an unstoppable threat in immortal villain Vandal Savage (Casper Crump). Legends of Tomorrow executive producer Phil Klemmer and the show's stars gave EW the 411 on the characters who will hopefully save the world.

The quick-witted time traveler has ventured back from his desolate era to assemble this disparate group of heroes and villains in a bid to stop Vandal Savage from destroying the world.

Where we've seen him before: He's brand new to the Berlanti-verse.

Superhero alias: Rip Hunter is the alias.

What you need to know about him: "Rip is a bit of a cypher, because when he assembles the team, he is telling them everything they want to hear," Klemmer says. "He knows what buttons to push. As we learn more about Rip, we understand that his motivations are definitely more nuanced than he first presents himself. He comes from the future with what seems like a very simple plan: Save the future by vanquishing Vandal Savage, but then we realize that his plan is all tied up in his personal motivations. He manipulates our team, but hopefully once we understand why he does that, it’ll humanize him in a way so that he won’t be Rip Hunter, the time master. He’ll be just Rip Hunter, the man."

Why Rip creates the team: "He's always had a high opinion of himself," Darvill says. "You do learn a lot about him as a younger man in the series. You'll get a few hints as to what he was like. He thinks he's right. He's always been good at what he does, and walked around like he knows what he's doing, even if he doesn't. Yes, he's a Time Master and he expects their traditions, but his moral compass is he's seen the world totally gone apart, and he can't stand by and let that happen. There's definitely some arrogance in there and it's a last resort: If no one else is going to do anything, I have to take this on myself to sort the world out." 

In the wake of his fiancée's death during the Undertaking, the scientist and inventor bought out Queen Consolidated and even dated Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) for a time while developing a supersuit that would give him the power to shrink. While tinkering with the suit, an explosion seemingly killed him before Team Arrow discovered that he was being held captive in mini-form this season by Damien Darhk (Neal McDonough).  

Where we've see him before: Ray made his debut in the third season of Arrow, and has appeared on The Flash.

Superhero alias: The Atom.

What you need to know about him: "His crisis of conscience comes out of the fact that he was dead to the world, and he realized that he didn't make as much of a difference as he hoped he would," Klemmer says. "For Ray, it’s not really out of a sense of vanity, but he craves super-heroism. He’s definitely at a crossroads where, when Rip Hunter comes in his life, he is inclined to say yes, because when he hears the bigger the stakes, the better, [he has to take the] chance to live a life that makes a difference."

Why Ray joins the team: "He may not have left the mark that he thought he left in Star City after having been gone and dead for six months," Routh says. "Ray likes to be at the top of the food chain and realizes he wasn't as much, and he can affect change on a greater scale by going off with Rip. He doesn't have much left anymore in Star City, so he's a little bit anchorless. He chooses to set voyage with him."

Laurel Lance's (Katie Cassidy) younger sister was on the Queen's Gambit when it went down, eventually landing her on the island that Oliver (Stephen Amell) called home for five years before ending up in the League of Assassins with her eventual lover Nyssa al Ghul (Katrina Law). She was killed by a drugged Thea (Willa Holland) before being resurrected in the League's Lazarus Pits.

Where we've seen her before: She made her debut in the second season premiere of Arrow.

Superhero alias: White Canary (née The Canary)

What you need to know about her: "We dealt with, on Arrow, the consequences of her resurrection via the Lazarus pit," Klemmer says. "She suffered from bloodlust — the idea that the life that was given back to her somehow needs to be repaid by the taking of lives. When Rip finds her, she’s halfway around the world, and depending on how you look at it, either running from herself or looking for herself. The irony of being resurrected is that she’s lost a bit of her humanity and her ability to connect with other people, even her family and her loved ones. Her journey on our show is basically learning that she’s more than just an assassin, which is a bit of a challenge because she was recruited by Rip for the fact that she is an assassin, she is a cold-blooded killer, and she doesn't hesitate when she’s ordered to pull the trigger. She definitely has a personal journey that is at odds with her place within the team.

Why Sara joins the team: "Sara is looking for a purpose," Lotz says. "She's been trying to stay away from everyone and everything, but it's like, then why are you living life if it's not for relationships with people? What's the purpose? Sara is looking for a purpose and that's what Rip Hunter offers her."

The freeze-gun-touting villain is a cunning thief, who is the leader of the Rogues, a lethal group of bad guys whose aim is to kill The Flash (Grant Gustin) — though viewers recently saw a softer side when learning of Snart's abusive past with his father (Michael Ironside) and his love for his villainous sister Lisa Snart (Peyton List).

Where we've seen him before: Snart made his debut early in The Flash's freshman season.

Supervillain alias: Captain Cold.

What you need to know about him: "When we start the series, [Snart and Rory are] very much kindred spirits," Klemmer says. "They’re the villains, and the fact that Rip Hunter has to recruit villains speaks to how difficult an adversary Vandal Savage will be. Initially what that represents is a chance to steal from the past and the future, and they say yes for selfish, duplicitous, and all kinds of unsavory purposes, but the interesting thing about this season is Leonard is slightly more capable of growth than his partner, Rory. The only person either of them trust in the entire world is the other, it’s almost like a criminal bromance, but we see Leonard Snart starts to believe that saving the world is a worthy cause."

Why Leonard joins the team: "He's intrigued," Miller says. "Snart's always looking for what's next — a new opportunity. The opportunity to travel across time and steal appeals."

The pyromaniac thief, who's far more brawn than brains, found an outlet for his obsession with fire by teaming up with Captain Cold.

Where we've seen him before: He made his debut mid-way through The Flash season 1.

Supervillain alias: Heat Wave.

What you need to know about him: "When Mick sees his partner [Snart] flirting with the idea of becoming part of the larger Legends, he’s threatened by that because they are just criminal partners," Klemmer says. "At a certain point, Mick Rory will feel that he’s losing his best friend and partner, and when a guy like Mick Rory feels like he’s backed into a corner, he can make some really, really dumb decisions."

Why Mick joins the team: "He doesn't want to do it," Purcell says. "He's not interested. He's been brought in by Snart. Snart convinces him that going on this journey will allow him to create the perfect score, to steal the most prized artifacts in history and to live a life of leisure, sin and debauchery. Rory's not doing it out of compassion or to help mankind. He doesn't really care. He wants to see the world burn anyway. Snart has convinced him that this would be a fun exercise in pillaging." 

One half of the superhero known as Firestorm, Professor Stein is a brilliant but arrogant nuclear physicist who became the brains of the operation after the particle accelerator fused him with Robbie Raymond (Robbie Amell). After Ronnie's death, Stein fused with newcomer Jax.

Where we've seen him before: He made his debut during The Flash's first season.

Superhero alias: Firestorm.

What you need to know about him: "Stein’s really interesting because he’s the oldest member of our Legends and our cast," Klemmer says. "So when a chance to travel through time comes along, he’s like the old Odysseus. He doesn't know how many adventures he has left. Stein is obviously a physicist, so the idea of getting to explore time and space is his professional dream come true, but also as a man approaching twilight years, for him, he’s inclined to say yes, because he doesn't know how many more adventures are going to come along."

Why Stein joins the team: "It's very easy for me, at my age, to relate to because that's why I'm doing this show," Garber says. "I wanted to shake it up. It's very easy to relate to that. It's a genuine concern for any person, middle-aged or older. I'm trying to say every day of my life, 'What can I do today that I feel good about or brings me joy?' Doing something like this is one of those things."

A former high school football star whose pro career was derailed by an injury, Jax wasn't particularly interested in gaining superhero powers — which will play into his decision when Rip enlists Firestorm for the Legends team.

Where we've seen him before: He debuted on The Flash in season 2.

Superhero alias: Firestorm.

What you need to know about him: "Jax still has his whole life ahead of him and is very wary about the idea of literally throwing away his future by traveling through time," Klemmer says. "Jax [and Kendra] are both the youngest members of the team, but also they’re the superhero neophytes where they don’t understand the depths of their powers. They’re hitting superhero puberty in that, all of a sudden, they have these wild, but also uncontrollable and scary [powers]. They’re on an emotional roller coaster where they realize that they’re extraordinary people."

Why Jax joins the team: "Stein is always bossing Jax around, and Jax doesn't like it," Drameh says. "Stein kidnaps Jax and takes him aboard for this life-threatening mission against his will. This is all new for him, and he never wanted the powers initially anyway and didn't want to be part of the mission, but as they travel through time, he learns what it means to actually be a hero."

Only recently aware of her powers, Kendra is the latest reincarnation of an Egyptian priestess (also known as Shayera) who is reincarnated alongside her soulmate Carter Hall (Falk Hentschel), both of whom can access the power of the Hawk God, Horus.

Where we've seen her before: She debuted on The Flash in season 2, and took part in The Flash-Arrow crossover this season.

Superhero alias: Hawkgirl.

What you need to know about her: "Kendra has an immortal beloved in the form of the Hawkman," Klemmer says. "They’ve been destined to fall in love for the last 4,000 years and ultimately die at the hands of Vandal Savage, but at least she has someone to show her the superhero ropes. She doesn't love the idea of this guy, Carter, saying that they're destined to be together, because as a young modern woman, she feels like she should be free to love whomever she chooses. At the same time, she does share this connection to Carter, but the downside of having been in a relationship for 4,000 years is these two have 4,000 years worth of baggage, and so when they have a fight, it’s a fight that they probably had at least 4,000 times before."

Why Kendra joins the team: "She's coming into her own," Renée says. "She's finding out who she is. She doesn't know what she wants to do with her life, she doesn't really have a tight nit family or group of friends. She's wafting in the wind until she figures out she has these powers and a soul mate. For the last 4,000 years, they always do the exact same thing over and over again, and now she's taking the stance that if we don't do the same thing, can we fix this? Can we change it? Can we fight it? Can I become my own human being on my own? Or am I always destined to be the other half of someone and never complete?"

Carter Hall is the latest reincarnation of an Egyptian Prince (also known as Khufu) who can tap into the powers of the Hawk God, Horus, but is fated to reincarnate throughout time along with his soulmate, Kendra Saunders (Renée).

Where we've seen him before: He debuted on The Flash in season 2, and took part in The Flash-Arrow crossover this season.

Superhero alias: Hawkman.

What you need to know about him: "He’s the ultimate old soul. Unlike Kendra, he has a better recollection of all these lives. So the cruel twist of fate — the curse that links Kendra, and Carter, and Vandal going back to ancient Egypt — is they’re destined to fall in love, and they’re destined to die at Vandal’s hands, but in every life, he has to woo her all over again and convince her that they’re destined to be together. When we meet him in the pilot, he comes across as kind of smarmy and just a bit of a creep. But then as Kendra’s memories start coming back to her, she realizes that he’s telling the truth and she realizes that she has a partner in this. They resolve that, unlike the 207 times they’ve been murdered by Vandal Savage in the past, that this is the one time where they’re going to take the fight to him."

Why Carter joins the team: "He does remember," Hentschel says. "I always call him the uncle of humanity — he's sat through all of it and seen all the good, the bad. He's someone cynical about humanity and somewhat really relaxed about death. At the same time, he's over it and really had enough. He's been so used to playing this over and over again. This is the first time that he's like, 'Wait a minute, I have been taking this for granted,' which is where his arrogance comes from."

The DC Comics supervillain is an immortal former Egyptian priest whose love for Shayera and jealousy over her relationship with Khufu caused him to crack and kill them both just as Shayera recited an incantation as meteors fell to earth — ultimately resulting in his immortality as long as he takes the lives of Shayera and Khufu every time they reincarnate. In short, he's spent centuries quietly involved in world-changing events in order to amass power.

Where we've seen him before: He debuted on The Flash in season 2, and took part in The Flash-Arrow crossover this season.

Supervillain alias: Vandal Savage, but in the comics, he's claimed to have adapted many names over the centuries, including Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan and Jack the Ripper.

What you need to know about him: "His motivation is different," Crump says. "He doesn't want money or weapons — that's a part of his process — he wants world domination, not because he wants power, but because he wants to teach humanity a lesson. He wants a good challenge from people."