DC Flourished on TV When the DCEU Floundered
In October 2012, the CW’s Arrowverse kicked off with the premiere of Arrow, a series centered around DC’s second-tier hero Green Arrow, played by Stephen Amell. Nine months later, Warner Bros. launched the DCEU with Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, featuring Henry Cavill as the iconic A-list hero Superman. Two different mediums with two different initiatives were kept segregated save for their concurrent timelines. For one, the first-tier superheroes were off-limits, as was the first-tier budget. For the other, the DC Trinity and other big-hitters from DC Comics were being afforded the budget to take on the rival MCU.
Conventional wisdom suggests that the DCEU would be so far ahead of the Arrowverse in terms of quality and reception that the latter would look like a cheap knock-off at best, and by rights that should have been the case. Only the opposite was true. The CW’s Arrowverse started off strong with Arrow and built a franchise that was engaging and quirky, serious when it needed to be, and fun when it could. The DCEU’s first entry received mixed reviews and courted controversy, and the franchise as a whole offered a few outright winners, like Wonder Woman and Aquaman, but otherwise proved to be largely disappointing.
The DCU’s TV Roots Are Right Up James Gunn’s Alley
The Arrowverse wasn’t the only group of DC TV projects keeping DC Comics in the public eye, either. Doom Patrol, Gotham, Harley Quinn, and Teen Titans Go! are just a handful of projects that graced, or continue to grace, the small screen before the DCEU whimpered away with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. There simply has to be something the DCU can do to acknowledge its appreciation for how these series satisfied DC fans when the film division was doing what it could, seemingly, to piss them off.
That said, there is arguably no better person than Gunn to champion these projects in his own DCU. Series like Doom Patrol and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow have the peripheral characters and outright outlandishness that Gunn delights in (can you imagine what he could do with Beebo?!). Constantine’s John Constantine (Matt Ryan) is a natural to slide into the world of Creature Commandos. If he doesn’t already have someone in mind for the role down the road, Gunn would delight fans by bringing in Grant Gustin as the DCU’s Flash, or even Brandon Routh as the Kingdom Come Superman he played in the aforementioned “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event. He hasn’t even really cracked open DC’s multiverse, so the means of recognizing these series is already built into the DC mythos. So, Mr. Gunn, if you’re reading this, let’s make it happen, even if it’s only a Beebo vs. Peacemaker battle (and totally unrelated, but if you could bring in Ambush Bug, I, for one, would love you forever).
Conclusion
Creature Commandos is a hit with viewers and critics alike, and with Superman upcoming on the big screen and a second season of Peacemaker and new entry Lanterns on the small screen, things are looking up, up and away. Even Gunn’s explanations of canon vs non-canon are starting to come into focus, making a little more sense along the way. But if Gunn is wise, the DCU would do well to remember and celebrate its television roots by keeping the Arrowverse alive.
FAQs
Q: What is the Arrowverse?
A: The Arrowverse is a series of DC Comics-based television shows that aired on The CW, including Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, and others.
Q: What is the DCEU?
A: The DCEU is the DC Extended Universe, a series of DC Comics-based films produced by Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Entertainment.
Q: Why is the Arrowverse considered successful?
A: The Arrowverse is considered successful because it started strong with Arrow and built a franchise that was engaging and quirky, serious when it needed to be, and fun when it could. It also successfully delivered major crossover events and introduced a definitive Flash and Superman.
Q: Why should James Gunn champion the Arrowverse?
A: James Gunn should champion the Arrowverse because it has the peripheral characters and outright outlandishness that he delights in. Series like Doom Patrol and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow have the potential to be a great fit for his vision.