'Crisis on Infinite Earths' Osric Chau debuts as Ryan Choi and an Easter Egg thanks co-creator Gail Simone who helped make it all happen
Spoiler alert for Part 3 of 'Crisis on Infinite Earths'
This week saw the live-action debut of Ryan Choi, played by Osric Chau, on the 'Crisis on Infinite Earths'. Choi is a DC Comics character who inherited the Arom identity from Ray Palmer. While he doesn't suit up this episode, his role in the Crisis is even bigger than expected.
As the Paragon of Humanity, Choi is one of the seven heroes from across the Multiverse who are meant to defeat the Anti-Monitor (LaMonica Garrett) — and thanks to the Pariah (Tom Cavanaugh), is one of the seven people left alive after the Anti-Matter wave consumed all the Earths in existence.
Much of Choi's comic backstory remains intact in the Arrowverse. He is a professor from Ivy Town who is a huge admirer and penpal of Ray Palmer. One notable difference, however, is that this Choi is married.
He mentions his wife's name is Amanda — most likely Amanda Turner, with whom Choi was in a relationship with in the comics — but the name that caught most fans' attention is that of his baby, Simone.
It's a direct nod to comics writer Gail Simone, who co-created Ryan Choi along with Grant Morrison. More relevantly, Simone also had a large part to play in Chau's casting of the character.
In a long Twitter thread published on September 27, Simone writes about the creation of Ryan Choi, and how Osric Chau's tweet about how, for the first time, he saw a comics character that reflected himself.
Chau expressed interest in the character, and on looking him up, Simone immediately felt he was the perfect person to play the character, writing, "There has never been any other actor in my mind for Ryan. When I have written him since, I am THINKING of Osric. So he was an influence on how Ryan became the Ryan I think of now."
Though she has never been consulted on casting, she has been a longtime champion online for Chau to get to play Choi, and the word of a writer of Gail Simone's status does not carry an insignificant weight.
She was overjoyed to hear the news of Osric's casting, and Chau and Simone shared a moment on Twitter celebrating his 'Crisis' appearance and the naming of baby Simone.
This is not the first time Simone's name has been used as a cameo — she was named as the wife of Bob (Rob Hayter) in the 'Deadpool' movie, as well as being named dropped on 'The Flash' as a prominent partner of a law firm.
The next episode of 'Crisis on Infinite Earths' will be on 'Arrow', airing January 14 on The CW.
