Arrow: 10 Characters Who Should Join Season 5

9. Ventriloquist

Ventriloquist and Scarface Batman The Animated Series
Warner Bros.

First thing’s first, yes I’m aware that Ventriloquist is a Batman rogue. That hasn’t stopped Arrow before, though (see: Ra’s al Ghul, Dollmaker, Firefly, Huntress, etc).

Ventriloquist is a villainous name taken on in recent years by Peyton Riley, but it’s Arnold Wesker who is most synonymous with the mantle.

This rogue is someone who has ties to the mob and who was positioned as having a big part to play in the underground mob scene of Gotham City. And of course, he was joined by the evil, brutal puppet known as Scarface.

For the Wesker version of Ventriloquist, it was never really sure who was truly in control, Arnold or Scarface. The puppet was a bizarre presence that allowed Arnold Wesker to release his darker side, showing an unhinged side to the often-hesitant Wesker.

In terms of how the character could work on Arrow, Wesker would fit in brilliantly with the nefarious criminal element of Star City. Given how the show has used a character such as Brick as a crime boss previously, Wesker would fit in perfectly in that sort of environment and in a similar role, with some of Star City's underhand sorts maybe seeing him as a soft touch until the Scarface-induced crazy side of him comes to the fore.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer and Presenter, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund and Eli Roth to Kevin Smith and the Russo Brothers, to Kevin Conroy and Frank Miller, to Bret Hart and Sting, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, and Brian Flynn, to many, many more. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.