Who’s Left?
Who hasn’t been used in the DC-TV Berlanti-verse?
Part 1 of 2
by Chris Morris
This is a big week! Supergirl, Flash and Arrow are returning from their winter hibernations and there is the upcoming debut of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow! While Arrow was the first one, and therefore, the first of these shows I fell in love with, of the four shows, it’s the one I’m looking forward to the least, honestly.
I was going to write an article called “Things I Want to see on Arrow”. Something is missing and has been for the first half of this season and a bit of last year. Arrow, with four and a half seasons under it’s belt and closing in on 100 episodes, may be suffering from oldest child syndrome. Flash is in Season 2; Supergirl is only in Season 1 and the just premiering DC’s Legends of Tomorrow seem to be getting the bulk of the attention from Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg, Marc Guggenheim and company. I have no proof of this, this is just what it seems like. And don’t get me wrong, I still love Arrow. But before, I could look forward to appearances from Amanda Waller, the Suicide Squad, even Ra’s Al Ghul and the League of Assassins. But after four years, Arrow seems to be lacking…something.
As I said before, I was going to write an article called “Things I want to see on Arrow” but then I started thinking…WHAT’S LEFT? Anything Superman related, if it is going to appear at all, will appear on Supergirl. Anything Batman related seems off-limits because the Batfleck movies are getting closer and closer to reality. Same with Wonder Woman and presumably Green Lantern, Aquaman, Shazam or Cyborg.
Green Lantern is frustrating because they teased Oliver spending time in Coast City this season in the flashbacks, presumably learning to fly a plane either from Hal Jordan or Carol Ferris, which could have lead to a “Hard Travelling Heroes” storyline. Green Arrow and Green Lantern are so heavily linked in the comic books that putting them together, even without power rings, would have been cool, but Oliver just ended up back on the island again. Maybe they are saving Hal for Season 5, fingers crossed!
But the writers have seemingly ignored Ollie’s overtly liberal tendencies and issue-based stories after initially teasing them (Thea on drugs, Laurel and Detective Lance being alcoholics) but then pushing them aside. Roy Harper will probably only appear in one guest spot per year (if we’re lucky) but the odds of him becoming a junkie are probably microcosmic at this point.
But unless Oliver somehow finds Dr. Fate’s helmet and unleashes the entire Justice League Dark on that island this year, there’s really been nothing to the flashbacks this year. Except when Constantine showed up. Oh, and Ollie got bit by a shark. Off screen.
So, again: WHAT’S LEFT? Vixen will be showing up soon, but other than that, the mystery of who is in that grave just isn’t enough for me personally…Here’s a big ol’ list and my thoughts:
Off limits:
Superman
Batman (or Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, Batwoman, Oracle, etc.)
Wonder Woman
Green Lantern (any of them, Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner, Kilowog, Ganthet…even Ch’p and G’Nort!)
Aquaman
Shazam
Cyborg
The New Gods (specifically Darkseid, but I imagine, if the movie people had any creativity at all they’d want to make a New Gods film; it could be their Guardians of the Galaxy)
Who’s been used so far:
Green Arrow
Flash
Supergirl
Black Canary/White Canary
Huntress
The Atom
Hawkman
Hawkgirl
Jonn Jonzz
Red Tornado
Speedy/Arsenal/Red Arrow
Firestorm
Mr. Terrific
Dr. Light
Wildcat
Original Flash Jay Garrick
Future Flash Wally West
Vibe
Atom Smasher
Constantine
Katana
Shado
Sin
Rip Hunter
Anarky
Jesse Quick
Indigo
Jonah Hex (upcoming)
Vixen (upcoming)
Cameron Chase (upcoming)
Who hasn’t been used (yet):
Teen Titans (Raven, Starfire, Beast Boy, etc.)
*Now that the TT USA Network show is presumably dead, that could open up a few possibilities; Arrow has already “borrowed” Deathstroke, the HIVE and Damien Darhk from the Titans. Although it would probably be out of place to have an orange skinned alien like Starfire or a green-skinned Beast Boy. Raven could possibly fit in as an emo-girl to replace Sin, although Trigon, DC’s version of the devil, might be out of place here. But not on The Flash...
Black Lightning/Thunder/Lightning
*this would be a cool family show, with Jefferson Pierce a widowed school teacher, a retired superhero who has lost his powers, but then his teenage daughters start developing their powers and he has to train them…they could fit on Arrow or Flash…could be a sitcom…and in Season 2 just add…(see below)
Static Shock
*a valuable piece of property that DC/Milestone is leaving on the table. Millions of people watched the Static Shock cartoon. He could be DC’s version of Miles Morales, or the live action DC version of Finn from Star Wars: The Force Awakens if done properly (always a tricky thing)
Blue Beetle (Jamie Reyes)
*similar to Static Shock, could be a major player, could be a great character if written properly, deserves his own show…
Justice League Dark: Zatanna/Phantom Stranger/Deadman/Dr. Fate/Deadman/Etrigan the Demon/Madame Xanadu/Shade the Changing Man/Black Orchid/Amethyst/John Constantine/The Spectre
*if they went all-out (more American Horror Story than Constantine-on-NBC) they could have a massive hit on FX or Showtime, with a teenaged Zatanna losing her father and the other members of Justice League Dark training her to use her powers properly (that kind of story comes up a lot).
*most likely should be used on Supergirl, an injured solder given super powers and used as a pawn used by General Lane (through Project Cadmus perhaps, since General Eiling belongs to Flash) to get at the Girl of Steel before ultimately realizing whose side he should be on
Power Girl
*again most likely a fit on Supergirl, possibly as a doppelgänger ala Galatea on Justice League Unlimited, although if done properly (key words) could be awesome on her own show, as shown during the Palmiotti/Connor run in the comics.
Fire & Ice
*again, I see these two on Supergirl, perhaps in their old costumes as Green Flame and Ice Maiden as part of the Global Guardians, an international team of super powered heroes AND villains that is brainwashed by an evil dictator and go after Supergirl (kinda like in the pages of Justice League International)
Metamorpho
*his name has been referenced a few times on Arrow and Flash, mostly as an easter egg, but the idea that Metamorpho could be brought to life live-action was questionable. But then Flash brought in King Shark and Gorilla Grodd, so what can’t they do? I’d guess that Rex Mason is more likely to appear on Flash or Supergirl than Arrow.
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Read PART TWO of “Who’s Left” right here!
Follow Chris Morris on twitter, here!
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Chris Morris is a filmmaker, world-traveller and comic book writer. He’s currently working on “The Supers: the 3rd Best Super-Team in the World”
- Trilogy Spoilers! – DC TV Crossover Review Part One - January 23, 2017
- Trilogy Spoilers! Podcast – ROGUE ONE - December 19, 2016
- Trilogy Spoilers! – DC TV Round Up Pre-Crossover Part Two - November 30, 2016
