Suits spin-off gets its lead actor (Stephen Amell) and a name
Yes, there's a new Suits show being prepped, and the man known for... not wearing suits is at the heart of it
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Given the genuinely overwhelming success the show enjoyed on streaming services in 2023, it’s entirely unsurprising that Suits is being revived in a new series by NBC Universal. What’s slightly more surprising, however, is the choice of the lead actor for the spin-off: Stephen Amell.
I say this not to suggest that Amell isn’t an acting talent on the level of original Suits leads Patrick J. Adams and Gabriel Macht; Adams, after all, is a fellow veteran of the Arrowverse himself, having played Hourman in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow back in 2016. (Oh, and he thought we’d forgotten about that.) Instead, the surprise at seeing that Amell will play Ted Black — a “charismatic force of nature who puts his own needs above others” who is forced to assume a role he’s held in contempt his entire career by representing “the most powerful clients in Los Angeles,” in case you’re wondering — comes from one simple fact: whether it’s Arrow or Heels, there’s no denying that much of Amell’s fanbase has gotten used to seeing him as the kind of man who’d happily wander around shirtless, never mind in a suit in a show called Suits. Maybe that bit about assuming a role he’d held in contempt his entire career is going to end up being a method thing.
While we have, of course, no doubt that Stephen Amell will rise to the occasion and give Ted Black the grimacing gravitas the character deserves (and, surely, a punishing workout routine to be displayed at least twice per season, because a little fan service is not a bad thing), there is another bone to pick with this new show, which shoots its pilot next month in Vancouver: it has the wrong title.
According to Deadline, the pilot is titled Suits L.A., with the intent being to franchise the original series in much the same way that NCIS, CSI, and other procedurals have done, in the tried-and-true “Title + City Name” formula. But… surely they’re missing out by not leaning into that whole “suit” thing? Why not call it New Suits, Spare Suits, or even We Promise Stephen Amell Will Occasionally Step Out of His Suits? It’s 2024, and Suits is enjoying an entirely unexpected afterlife five years after the show ended its original run. If you can’t get a little bit weird with it considering the circumstances, then what’s the point?
For those wondering: Suits LA is considered a spin-off, not a reboot of the original series, thereby becoming the second Suits spin-off to date — what, nobody remembers Pearson? It’s even streaming on Peacock as we speak! What this really means is that original cast members can make cameo appearances. (You know who we’re thinking of.)
