While many are still clamouring for Zack Snyder’s Snyderverse to be restored after the epic finale of The CW’s Superman & Lois, DC fans are calling for the Arrowverse to be restored too. Could James Gunn make it happen?
The Problems With DC Shows And Movies
I think that we can all agree that, for all its faults, the Snyderverse went out before its time. The narrative potential behind Zack Snyder’s cinematic universe is almost limitless – unfortunately, poor management took out the DCEU before it could reach its full potential. Or so we’d like to believe. The truth is that thanks to HBO Max’s unexpected lenience, Zack Snyder’s Justice League gave us the Snyder Cut most fans were beginning to think never existed. With it, we also got an epic conclusion to the cinematic universe and a glimpse into what could have been.
Unfortunately, not every interconnected universe can get the epilogue it deserves. While A New World provided some closure for The Flash and the Arrowverse as a whole, you can’t help but feel like there was room for improvement there, especially after the mixed bag that was the final season of The Flash.
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The Arrowverse Reshaped Superhero Franchises
The Arrowverse wasn’t just another superhero franchise – it was the blueprint for what modern superhero television could be. Over its decade-long run, shows like Arrow, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow proved that you don’t need a $200 million budget to tell amazing superhero stories. What you need is heart, and the Arrowverse had that in spades.
While the Snyderverse gave us glimpses of a darker DC universe across a handful of films, the Arrowverse built entire generations of heroes, supporting characters, and villains across hundreds of episodes. Characters like Sara Lance evolved from guest appearances to become fan favorites, while shows like Legends of Tomorrow dared to get weird with DC’s lesser-known properties.
In short, the Arrowverse trod new ground for superhero franchises. You could argue that the DCEU took most of its inspiration from Marvel – and you’d be totally right. However, the Arrowverse did something unthinkable so far: creating a cinematic universe on the small screen – and so far, it’s been much better than Marvel at doing so.
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Will The Arrowverse Be Restored?
Look, I’m also a Snyder fan. I’m still mad about what happened to Henry Cavill’s Superman, not to mention that Knightmare teaser at the end of the Snyder Cut. However, from a logistics standpoint, getting the crew back together for the Snyderverse is almost impossible – especially now that work on the DCU is well underway.
On the other hand, the Arrowverse proved that you can have a “cheaper” interconnected universe coexisting alongside your franchise’s major cinematic universe. And if the Batman Epic Crime Saga (yeah, that’s the official name for Matt Reeves’ multiverse) taught us anything, it’s that DC has no issue with alternate timelines coexisting.
While getting Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, and Gal Gadot back would require massive contracts and scheduling coordination, many Arrowverse actors would be thrilled to get back in the saddle for a reunion.
Still, being realistic, the chances of an Arrowverse revival don’t look too good. With James Gunn taking the DCU in a bold new direction, it’s unlikely that we’ll see him pick up storylines from a past DC project.
However, considering essentially every character from the Arrowverse has become a fan favorite at this point, I don’t think DC can’t throw us a curveball. After all, if comic book history has taught us anything, it’s that no one is gone forever. They always come back – sometimes with a sweet mullet and a black suit.
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Tell us, would you like to see The CW’s Arrowverse restored?
