On the new CW series "DC's Legends of Tomorrow," it's the year 2166 and immortal villain Vandal Savage has all but brought about the destruction of humanity. With the world crumbling, things take a personal turn for Time Master Rip Hunter after his family is brutally murdered by Vandal. In that moment, Hunter devises a plan to right Savage's wrongs by traveling 150 years into the past and carefully assembling a superteam of heroes and rogues to fight his battle. If he can change the timeline and thwart Savage's plan of in annihilation, his team is destined to become the Legends of Tomorrow.

All chosen for their particular skill set, forming the Legends are: billionaire inventor Ray Palmer/The Atom (Brandon Routh); trained assassin Sara Lance/White Canary (Caity Lotz); Professor Martin Stein (Victor Garber) and Jefferson "Jax" Jackson (Franz Drameh), who together form the metahuman Firestorm; Leonard Snart/Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller) and partner Mick Rory/Heat Wave (Dominic Purcell), a pair of career criminals; and Kendra Saunders (Ciara Renée) and Carter Hall (Falk Hentschel), two reincarnated souls known as Hawkgirl and Hawkman, who have a spiritual connection to Savage.

While these Legends have all existed in the DC Comics Universe for some time, their "Guardians of the Galaxy"-esque collaboration is something new, according to the show's executive producer Andrew Kreisberg.

"All the characters are part of the comic books, but never been a team before," said Kreisberg. "They've been scattered throughout the comics in different ways, and what's interesting about the show is we've taken these disparate individual characters, who have never ever been part of a team, and turned them into a team. So there isn't a specific comic book called 'Legends of Tomorrow' - the title came from us."

Helming the team as Rip Hunter is actor Arthur Darvill. No stranger to the world of sci-fi and time travel - he played Rory Williams, a companion to the eleventh Doctor in the fifth series of "Doctor Who" - Darvill sees similarities between his two major characters.

"When they pitched the idea of the show, I was like, 'This is very close to 'Doctor Who,'" Darvill told Headlines & Global News while promoting "DC's Legends of Tomorrow " at the Television Critics Association Press Tour in Pasadena, Calif.

"We had various discussions and, obviously, it deals with similar themes like time travel. I'm an Englishman in a long coat and [there's] a time machine, so there's no getting away from that," he added. "But, as the series goes on, I'm pleased you will notice more and more differences between Rip Hunter and the Doctor. They are very different."

For fans of "Arrow," "The Flash" and "Doctor Who," the series is highly recommended and, if you want to learn more about the show, continue reading HNGN's interview with Darvill below.

So, you are playing a doctor again?
Yeah, I've been promoted. I know, and it's a complete mystery to me.

Did you kind of giggle because of the similarities?
I did, but there is also a concern there as I didn't want it to be close to that. I've been so thankful because we were just brought on with the promise of, "This is going to be really good." I've been really lucky with the scripts that we've gotten and, as you learn more about Rip's character, it's interesting, dark and kind of led by ego and wanting to do the right thing but not quite knowing what the consequences of his actions are. I think that's a fascinating character to explore, and not at all like any character I've had the chance to play before. That was the main reason for me wanting this role: I'm often cast as the guy who makes comments in the corner or the sidekick, and it's really nice to be offered a role where I get to lead the charge. That's a very new thing for me, and I'm really enjoying it.

Did you feel any pressure?
I probably should have, but no. Working with these guys, you are only as strong as the people you're working with and we're just having a lot of fun. Obviously, there's a pressure to make it good and we all egg each other on. It's a very encouraging group of people.

Has there been any backlash from the more passionate "Doctor Who" fans?
No. Everyone has been really positive about the whole thing. I think people are enjoying the similarities, and I'm not going to stand here and say there are no similarities because there are, but what's great is the show is so totally different from that show.

How far away is Rip with his own timeline and the death of his wife and son?
It's very recent, and is definitely leading most of his decisions.

How long has he had to think of this plan?
I don't think he's thought the plan through that much. I think it's quite spontaneous. He's had a couple of tries at sorting his life out and finally says, "I'm going to do this." It was sort of an immediate decision. It really is a revenge story masked as saving the world. It's actually about getting someone back for the wrongs that have been done to him.

So he's not trying to swap timelines to save his wife and son?
As you learn going on, there are various things and obstacles that come into play than just going back and changing things. There's an element of having to do right and quite a strong moral compass - like having to do the right thing for the world and family. He's taken it upon himself to be the savior of humanity as well as his own personal quest to make sure his family doesn't grow up in a world where this is even a possibility.

How have you prepared to be marketed as the sexy hero?
 [Laughs] I don't know if I'm prepared to be marketed as that, but I've been wanting to do that and I'm more than willing to be. The action figure thing is quite cool. My 8-year-old self is going absolutely crazy with all of this.

That was a real geek out moment for you, huh?
Totally! It's really cool! The reason we do these jobs is because we get to explore different characters and get to work with other great actors with good writing. Then you realize all this other stuff comes into play like you're action figure, which is great.

Have you watched the new "Doctor Who"?
Yes, I have, and think Peter Capaldi is one of the best actors in the world. He's so committed and brings his own amazing nuance to everything he does. I think he's great, and I'm a big fan of his.

What's been the most fun thing about getting to play with the dark and light sides of this character?
I think it's a fine line. At first, Rip can be quite serious, and my instincts are always to find humor in everything. It's been a real challenge to actually mine this guy's serious nature and interesting finding through that where the humor can come in. I think there's a lightness to him as well and he can be quite nonchalant and throwaway. It's a different type of humor than I've gotten to play before and I'm enjoying that.

What would you most like people to know about the show?
I think it's got real heart, and is a rip-roaring adventure, and grows so much throughout the series. There are all these amazing characters who all have secrets, and we get to go to some really fascinating time zones, and the dynamic between us is what people will really enjoy.

What are your thoughts on the "Legends of Tomorrow"/"Prison Break" reunion - were you a fan?
I watched that quite a lot and it's great seeing them [Miller and Purcell] together again. I think it's just wonderful - they're great!

"DC's Legends of Tomorrow" airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.