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Fans of live-action DC Comics properties are feeling pretty good right now. Superman was one of the most critically loved and financially successful films of 2025. Peacemaker and Creature Commandos brought obscure weirdos to the masses, and Jason Momoa is playing Lobo in an upcoming Supergirl movie. But even those who didn’t love Zack Snyder‘s take have to admit that DC was doing well, thanks to the success of the Arrowverse on the CW Network. In fact, the Arrowverse was so entertaining that it should not be forgotten as James Gunn and Peter Safran continue building their new universe.
Now, to be clear, this article does not contend that the Gunn DCU is doing anything wrong (well, it would be nice to have some green in a Green Lantern show…). But as we embrace the new, big-budget world of the DCU, we shouldn’t forget how Greg Berlanti and his co-creators created an entire superhero universe on television for teens.
Be Silly
For a franchise that began by turning a guy who dresses up like Robin Hood and yells about fat cats into a brooding Batman wannabe with great abs, the Arrowverse sure did get silly. The roots of silliness were always there, even when the first season played like a budget version of Batman Begins; how else can you explain the salmon ladder or whatever Roy Harper was doing in that flipping gif?
The Arrowverse became something special when it stopped treating its silliness like an unfortunate byproduct of the superhero genre and embraced it as a core concept. Even leaving aside the beautiful moments in which Gorilla Grodd attacks a young Obama or Beebo becomes an angry god on Legends of Tomorrow, you had Manu Bennett and John Barrowman devouring the scenery with smarm and charm on Arrow, a musical crossover between Flash and Supergirl, and Black Lightning put nearly 50-year-old Cress Williams in a goofy costume. And you know what? It was glorious every time.
Superheroes are Soap Operas
The open secret of the Marvel revolution in comics isn’t that Stan Lee had some insight into moral complexity and inner darkness that he could apply to superheroes. It’s that he spent a lot of time writing teen melodramas, and carried those same character dynamics into the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, and the Hulk. Superheroes and soap opera go together like capes and cowls, and the Arrowverse’s home on the CW practically required dramatic speeches and love triangles.
The DCU has no such requirement, but the Arrowverse reminded us what Lee and Chris Claremont taught us, that superheroes work best when they’re being dramatic. Superman had some wonderful smooches between Lois and Clark, and John Cena certainly didn’t mind shedding tears on Peacemaker, so hopefully this won’t be a lesson that James Gunn needs to relearn for later DCU entries.
If It’s Broke, Fix It
The first season of Legends of Tomorrow featured not one, but two Hawkpeople. Batwoman began as an even more pale imitation of Batman. The Flash failed to make either Ronnie Raymond or Jason Rusch a compelling pairing with Martin Stein.
Rather than continue to try to fit these square pegs into round holes, the Arrowverse consistently changed direction to make their shows better. Ditching the Hawkpeople (and Vandal Savage and Rip Hunter) allowed Legends to become the fun romp we love today, Javicia Leslie’s casting as Ryan Wilder freed Batwoman from its awkward Bruce Wayne connections, and adding Franz Drameh as Jax took the Firestorm concept in a direction unexplored in even the comics.
The Arrowverse understood the folly of throwing good money after bad. Granted, that’s a lot easier to do on television than in movies, but it’s an important lesson for DC Studios to keep in mind. If, for whatever reason, Supergirl doesn’t work or if people want more space opera than grounded detective work in their cosmic cop series, Gunn and Safran should take a page from Berlanti’s book and make changes when needed.
Dare to Defy (The Comics)
This writer bows to no one in his love for the Legion of Super-Heroes. So I understand the viewers who are irritated that the Imra Ardeen on Supergirl is some mix of Invisible Woman and Marvel Girl and has no resemblance to the Saturn Girl from the comics. But that’s also okay! Even when the non-comic accurate version isn’t a clear improvement—as was the case when Justice League embarrassment Vibe was reimagined as lovable nerd Cisco Ramon or the big metal nothing that was Commander Steel became charming doofus Nate—the changes made sense within the Arrowverse.
Gunn clearly loves his comic book deep cuts, and he’s shown a willingness to change from the comics when, say, Ego the Living Planet made for a better daddy story for Star-Lord than J’son of Spartax. But as he has more say over A-listers in the Justice League, Gunn should remember how the Arrowverse used comics not as scripture to be faithfully recreated but as inspiration for new stories in a new medium.
It’s About the Friends We Made Along the Way
Even a successful TV show had a TV show budget. More specifically, the Arrowverse had a B-tier TV network budget, far below the gobs of money Warner Bros allows DC Studios to use. As such, the costumes sometimes look wonky and the fight scenes (Arrow and Batwoman excluded) often looked funky. So instead of focusing on action, the Arrowverse had to focus on likable characters and interpersonal dynamics. And it worked like gangbusters.
Nothing demonstrated that better than the Arrowverse’s gigantic Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover. Forget the fun cameos from Burt Ward, Kevin Conroy, and the cast of the Birds of Prey TV show. The true pleasure of the Crisis was watching all our friends get together. There was Barry with Mia and John Constantine, Black Lightning hanging out with J’onn J’onzz and Sara Lance, and so many Supermen and Flashes.
So far, the DCU entries have looked great, more than delivering on the spectacle one wants in a superhero story. But as exciting as it is to see Superman battle a kaiju or Emilia Harcourt go through multiverse doors, we really just want to see characters we like bounce off one another.
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