'LoT's New Vixen WillI Inspire Future Generations

The cast of Legends of Tomorrow is always changing, and once again, you can attribute that to the time-hopping premise. Unfortunately, this time the change is because there's no more modern-day Vixen, and while that's disappointing for fans of the character, she's already been replaced. The Season 2 premiere of Legends of Tomorrow introduced Amaya, who also goes by the alias Vixen, but is a new character. Thanks to the Waveriders' ability to travel to any time period, they're going back two generations to find Amaya Jiwe, Vixen's grandmother.

Essentially, it's like having Vixen remain on the show, since according to CinemaBlend, Amaya gets her powers from the Tantu Totem, the same as her granddaughter, which should give her similar abilities to draw on the strength, agility, or other qualities of the Earth's many animals. But there is one huge difference between the two characters. Amaya is an original character, while the Mari Jiwe McCabe version of Vixen is an established character from DC Comics and a member of the Justice League. However, Amaya will predate the invention of the Justice League by two generations, and now that she may travel into the futuristic world of Legends of Tomorrow, she could be something of a fish out of water.

But so far, Amaya has been a great addition to the Justice Society, proving her heroism and her quick wit with ease in the Season 2 premiere. The comics' Vixen was never a part of the JSA lineup, and since Amaya doesn't have to adhere to DC history, her storyline can go wherever the Legends of Tomorrow writers seem fit. She already has camaraderie with her colleagues, who were able to handily beat the less-experienced Legends, and she even had a little bit of chemistry with Ray Palmer — enough to make me want to see the two characters meet again.

If you're still wondering exactly what Amaya's purpose is in Season 2, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, who plays the new hero, explained it in the video interview above. She said that Amaya and the rest of the JSA have a "1940s vibe, it's much more tight-laced, official, very pragmatic," which contrasts sharply with the Legends' sloppy but ultimately effective fighting style. By setting up the two teams as big parts of Legends of Tomorrow, I think the JSA will serve as major inspiration and maybe even as mentors to their futuristic counterparts, ultimately making the team smarter, stronger, and more effective by the end of Season 2.

Images: Katie Yu, Dean Buscher/The CW (2)