Victor Garber, who played Professor Martin Stein in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, left the Arrowverse during the 2017 Crisis On Earth-X crossover. Introduced during season 1 of The Flash, Stein was a lynchpin character with deep Arrowverse ties, but Garber, himself, was a major casting coup for The CW as he was well-known for his roles in James Cameron’s Titanic and the J.J. Abrams-produced spy series Alias. It was Garber’s love for musical theater that ultimately led to his exit from the Arrowverse.
In the Arrowverse, Martin Stein helped develop Project. F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M. (Fusion Ignition Research Experiment and Science of Transmutation Originating RNA and Molecular structures) at Hudson University along with his protege, Ronnie Raymond (Robbie Amell), who was the fiancé of STAR Labs’ Dr. Caitlin Snow (Danielle Panabaker). The night of the STAR Labs particle accelerator explosion in 2014 that turned Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) into the Flash and gave birth to Central City’s metahuman population also accidentally fused Stein and Raymond together with the F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M. Matrix, transmuting them into a singular, nuclear-powered superbeing named Firestorm. When Ronnie died at the end of The Flash season 1, Stein needed a new candidate to merge the F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M. Matrix with in order to stay alive; he and Team Flash chose Jefferson Jackson (Franz Drameh) to become one half of the new Firestorm. In 2016, Stein and Jax were recruited by Rip Hunter (Arthur Darvill) to join the inaugural team of time travelers dubbed the Legends of Tomorrow. Stein and Jax became core members of the Legends and participated in numerous history-saving adventures.
However, Martin Stein died during the Crisis On Earth-X crossover; the scientist was shot by a Nazi Sturmbannführer while he was helping his fellow superheroes escape Earth-X and return to Earth-1. By the time the heroes got the fatally wounded Stein back to the Legends’ time ship, the Waverider, Martin had already lost too much blood. Stein severed his psychic link to Jax, which would also have killed him when Martin died. Stein passed away at the age of 67, leaving behind his beloved family; his wife Clarissa (Isabella Hoffman), his daughter Lily (Christina Brucato), and his baby grandson Ronnie.
In real life, Victor Garber’s exit from Legends of Tomorrow season 3 was planned by the end of season 2. The veteran actor wanted to return to Broadway to pursue his love of musical theater, and he had a starring role in Hello, Dolly! opposite Bernadette Peters. Garber was a series regular on Legends of Tomorrow, but the musical’s grueling 7-8 performances six days a week made it impossible for him to maintain his TV schedule. The Arrowverse had previously benefitted from Garber’s talents for song and dance as he played a delightful part in The Flash and Supergirl‘s 2017 musical crossover, “Duet.” After Hello, Dolly! wrapped, Garber starred in the film Dark Waters, and he appeared in an episode of Schitt’s Creek.
Soon after Garber left Legends of Tomorrow, Jefferson Jackson and Firestorm were also written off the show at the end of season 3. In truth, Legends of Tomorrow never properly utilized the full scope of Firestorm’s abilities, nor could they on the TV series’ budget. But as Legends of Tomorrow grew increasingly bizarre and turned its focus towards the supernatural with the addition of John Constantine (Matt Ryan) in season 4, Professor Martin Stein would have been completely out of his element. Still, it’s thanks to Martin Stein (albeit his younger self played by Graeme McComb) that Beebo briefly became the Viking God of War and turned into a ubiquitous presence in the Arrowverse. To this day, Victor Garber is sincerely missed since Martin Stein was a wise mentor to the Legends of Tomorrow, and he was a tireless advocate for science and compassion.
