Dominic Purcell Exits DC’s Legends of Tomorrow as Mick Rory

The CWVerse just lost a major character. Dominic Purcell has announced that he will be leaving DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. Purcell has played Mick Rory/ Heatwave in all five seasons so far.

Though The CW has yet to make an official announcement, it seems that Purcell’s decision, shared via an Instagram post, is final.

Purcell revealed few details in his post, but it appears his decision comes on the back of failed contract negotiations. He also hinted at a lack of loyalty from studio executives and urged his DC’s Legends of Tomorrow co-stars to stand up for themselves.

With Purcell’s exit, there is only one original cast member from Season 1 of the show remaining—Caity Lotz’s Sara Lance/ White Canary. In his post, Purcell asks Lotz and Nick Zano, who joined in Season 2 as Nathan Heywood/ Steel, to look after the newer actors in the show.

Though Purcell didn’t name the co-stars he was concerned about, he is likely referring to Lisseth Chavez, who will be making her first appearance in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow Season 6, and Shayan Sobhian and Olivia Swann, who were promoted to series regulars for the new season.

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow Season 6: Why Would Dominic Purcell Leave?

The CW shows have often portrayed its cast and crew as one big family, but this isn’t the first time that actors or crewmembers have shown dissatisfaction with executives.

Candice Patton has had to deal with a lot of racism throughout her time on The Flash, with no support from anyone at The CW until the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020.

Brandon Routh and Courtney Ford, who played Ray Palmer/The Atom and Nora Darhk, respectively, were asked to leave DC’s Legends of Tomorrow partway through Season 5.

Routh was vocal about not wanting to exit the show and that he and Ford weren’t given a choice. Routh has since joined The CW’s The Rookie.

Interestingly, Routh has ‘liked’ Purcell’s Instagram post. One can assume that Routh agrees with Purcell’s decision because he had found himself in a similar position.

However, the new trailer for DC’s Legends of Tomorrow Season 6 does include Mick Rory, so it appears that Purcell may have shot some episodes of the sixth season and has completed at least part of the upcoming season.

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow has had a high turnover rate since its inception. Ciara Renée and Falk Hentschel, who played Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl and Carter Hall/Hawkman, left after the first season.

Victor Garber, who played Martin Stein and one half of Firestorm, exited the show during the ‘Elseworlds’ crossover. As a result, Franz Drameh’s Jefferson Jackson, the other half of Firestorm, also had to leave the show.

The most recent exit was Maisie Richardson-Sellers, who played Amaya Jiwe/Vixen, and then Charlie. However, it seems that Richardson-Sellers left the show on her own terms and is slated to direct a Season 6 episode

With two high-profile instances of actors leaving DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, one has to question the future of the show and how The CW is treating its cast and crew.

Will there be another season after this one? If the executives can take steps to protect their talent, the show might have a future.

What are you looking forward to seeing in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow? Tell us in the comments below.

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow Season 6 will air on The CW from May 2, 2021.