DC on TV: Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow

[Jack / Joker]

 

DC (probably accidentally) struck gold when they decided to green-light a TV series adaptation of B-list comicbook superhero Green Arrow, which would lead to not only one of the hottest shows on TV but later a spinoff which would become one of the other hottest shows on TV in a flash with the promise of more to come. This is DC's Arrowverse, launched with the CW's Arrow in 2012 and continuing with The Flash last year, following swiftly with animated spinoff Vixen coming soon and by no means coincidentally shows adapting Supergirl and Teen Titans (EDIT 2016: NOPE) on the horizon. Possibly, well, probably leading up to a Justice League event, this competently built universe powered by two excellent shows is, well, pretty fucking awesome.

 

Arrow is the original show, starring the extremely hot Stephen Amell. It centers around the billionaire playboy Oliver Queen turned archer vigilante Green Arrow on a crusade to fight evil in his shithole home of Star City, ranging from the dark archer Merlyn (John Barrowman) in Season 1 to masked mercenary Slade Wilson/Deathstroke (Manu Bennett) in Season 2 and the dreaded Ra's al Ghul (Matt Nable) in the third season, before facing HIVE leader Damien Darhk (Neal McDonough) in Season 4 and obsessive killer Prometheus in Season 5. He's joined by his archer sidekick Roy Harper/Red Arrow (Colton Haynes), his militant bodyguard John Diggle (David Ramsey), unbearable slut Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) and his sister Thea (Willa Holland), an analogue of HIV-positive superhero Mia Dearden/Speedy from the comics. Green Arrow is no longer joined by Dinah Laurel Lance/Black Canary (Katie Cassidy), one of DC's most famous female icons and Oliver's true love, because of screaming showrunning incompetence the likes you will not see elsewhere now that Smallville's off the air.

The Flash, starring Grant Gustin, is the story of Barry Allen, just an ordinary forensics investigator/loser who is hilariously struck by lightning in the explosion of a big science-y thing. That's the long and short of it. Now he is the Flash, a superpowered scarlet speedster hunting down criminals and other metahumans affected by the blast using their powers less heroically, including up and coming supervillain Leonard Snart (Wentworth Miller) and his band of Rogues, Gorilla Grodd, a goddamned telepathic ape, and Eobard Thawne, the Reverse-Flash (Matt Letscher), a time-warping murderer of mysterious true identity who talks pretty big for a guy dressed as a banana. With those three and the likes of Zoom (Teddy Sears), Killer Frost (Danielle Panabaker) and 19 different versions of the sinister Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh) to deal with, Barry is the only one fast enough to save the day. Apart from when he isn't.

Supergirl stars Melissa Benoist as Kara Danvers, the Kryptonian cousin of Clark Kent/Kal-El (Tyler Hoechlin), better known of course as the legendary Superguy. It may be on a different Earth, but the shows cross over due to a dimension hopping device created by The Flash's Vibe (Carlos Valdes). Joining Kara on her show is the DC cult legend J'onn J'onzz/Martian Manhunter (David Harewood), as one of the most fascinating characters on recent TV.

Titans will NOT EXIST

Legends of Tomorrow, starring Caity Lotz as original character Sara Lance/White Canary, is about a ragtag band of second-rate DC heroes and villains racing through time to stop an immortal bore named Randall Sandwich (Casper Crump) and the considerably more formidable Legion of Doom. And remember, don't call Ray Palmer/The Atom (Brandon Routh), Firestorm (Victor Garber and Franz Drameh) and Mick Rory/Heat Wave (Dominic Purcell) heroes; they're Legends.

And Vixen also exists. With yet another spinoff, about The Ray.

Semi-informativeness out of the way, I fucking love these shows. I haven't enjoyed a DC production this much since The Dark Knight if not longer, and hell, I'm way more interested in the future of the shows than that of the new movies.

...

Oh and there's another show called Constantine, about a guy called Constantine (Matt Ryan) or something. I don't really know where that fits in. And I don't think DC or the networks do either. EDIT: Cancellation, apparently, but he still made a memorable appearance on Arrow. Check it out!

What's next? Not any of the characters anyone actually likes, that's for true! And not Batman either, so stop asking.

#ORGANIC

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

 

Titans will star none other than the Teen Titans team of young superheroes. They will be led by Richard "Dick" Grayson/Nightwing, once the original sidekick of Batman before leaving on his own path. Like 'girl, it's canonicity to Arrow is still up for debate, but it will likely feature Red Arrow and Deathstroke who have appeared in the Arrow series, so it has a fair chance.

 

 

Its been confirmed that the team has Hawk and Dove, Not-Oracle(Barbara Gordon), Raven(who is recruited in pilot), and Starfire(teased in pilot) http://screenrant.com/teen-titans-live-action-tv-show-tnt-characters/

 

 

Also, something awesome, we got a villians trailer for the return of the flash, and Mark Hamil is returning as the Trickster, and it is more or less following the canon of the original show for his past, well minus the flash

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4GyxUYAzJk

 

Him telling flash to Run, Run, Run, Run, give me chills

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

Thought you guys might like to know, the spinoff has cast Ciara Renee as HAWKGIrL

http://screenrant.com/flash-arrow-spinoff-tv-hawkgirl-actress/

 

‘Flash/Arrow’ Spinoff Casts Ciara Renée as ‘Hawkgirl’

The exact plot or reality-defying facts surrounding The CW’s next spinoff in their shared Arrow/The Flash universe may still be kept largely under wraps, but one more actress – and DC Comics superhero – can be added to the confirmed cast. Whether she should be considered one of the heroes ‘never before seen’ on TV isn’t clear, however (appearing in a minor role in Smallville).

The role in question is that of Kendra Saunders a.k.a. Hawkgirl, gifted with a set of wings and centuries-old battle instincts. The actress set to bring her to life, however, is far less well-known: Ciara Renée, who has quickly made a name for herself on the stage, not the screen.

The casting news comes courtesy of Deadline, following not long after the first descriptions of the remaining cast members were revealed (but without any real clues or hints as to which DC Comics heroes they referenced). We speculated at the time – colored, perhaps, by some wishful thinking – that one of the women mentioned could be Kendra Saunders. Now, that suspicion has been confirmed.

“FEMALE WARRIOR” | This twentysomething Latina is pretty but unassuming, book smart and socially awkward by day. But by night, when she hears the cry of battle, her fury is ignited and she becomes a fierce warrior — so much so, that sometimes she can become a threat to others.

Exactly how faithful to the heroine’s origin and superpowers the showrunners will keep is up for debate. As much as The Flash and Arrow have both waded into the realm of metahumans, a young girl who is either the reincarnation of an ancient warrior, or bonded with the spirit of her ancestor (depending on classic/alternate versions of Kendra Munoz-Saunders) – complete with a set of wings powerful enough to put Pegasus to shame – is something else entirely.

The casting announcement describes the heroine as “beginning to learn that she has been repeatedly reincarnated over the centuries,” with her warrior side emerging when in danger. That is in keeping with the comic book version of the origin story, but how such a mystical ability will be fitting alongside heroes firmly rooted in technology – A.T.O.M., Captain Cold, Canary(?) – remains to be seen.

It should encourage fans to know that when describing the addition of new DC Comics characters to the spinoff, executive producer Greg Berlanti seemed particularly enthusiastic about adding another woman to the team – provided they found the right actress:

“In picking them, it was very much about picking, ‘who are some of the most popular characters we’ve created?’ and also, tonally, who went with who? How disparate could we make it? And we’re also introducing these three new characters that we’re casting right now… I think it’s really important that we have another female hero on the show, and this one is really exciting. I can’t wait for people to find out — we just have to cast it right, as always. And then you want that Rat Pack-y kind of vibe of all this crew hanging out, as disparate and as different as they are.”

We’ll keep you up to date on more news about this spinoff series or Hawkgirl arrives, but for now, what do you think of the casting and character’s addition? Does this news confirm that the showrunners are truly looking to create a Justice League on the small screen, or do you have still have questions about the show’s direction?

The untitled Flash/Arrow spinoff is expected to premiere next during the 2015-2016 midseason.

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

Oh, just noticed, we got another confirmation of a suspected character to show up, and that is Rip Hunter, who is being played from some dude who was on some show called Doctor Who(not one of the actual doctors though, just a companion), though there is that irony

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cws-flash-arrow-spinoff-casts-785372

 

 

CW's 'Flash'/'Arrow' Spinoff Casts Time Traveller With 'Doctor Who' Alum

Darvill will play a character titled the Traveler, a cocksure time-hopping adventurer.

Arthur Darvill, who played a companion to the Doctor in BBC’s Doctor Who, is in final negotiations to join the cast of WB’s untitled DC Arrow/Flash spinoff show.

The series’ cast already includes Brandon Routh as incredible shrinking hero The Atom (aka Ray Palmer), Wentworth Miller as Captain Cold, Dominic Purcell as Mick Rory, and Victor Garber as Prof. Martin Stein among others.

Darvill will play a character titled the Traveler, a cocksure time-hopping adventurer. There was speculation the hero could be time-jumping hero Booster Gold but The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed the character is Rip Hunter, one of DC’s classic heroes created back in 1959 and was a leader of a time-traveling group.

Read more

(Interestingly, his origin was redone so that he became the son Booster Gold, who was created in the mid-1980s.)

In fact, inside the WB the character is described as " a roguish time traveler who hides the strains of being responsible for history itself behind a facade of charm and wit."

Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg are writing and exec producing.

This will be the first American television work for Darvill, who can be seen on the current season of BBC’s crime drama Broadchurch.

He is repped by Independent Talent and Silver Lining Entertainment.

[Celestia]

Tonight's Flash was fun, and surprisingly important since I had expected it to just be about the Trickster(s).

 

I guessed there was going to be another twist with Wells, but uh, yeah, that was surprising. So the real Harrison died all those years ago and Thawne replaced him, makes sense as far as I can tell. I imagine it's going to get interesting if Barry finds out about this--I assume he won't find out before going back to that night, but it could go either way. We won't know until we see what happened that night from Barry's point-of-view.

 

Oh and...okay, I thought people were exaggerating how bad the whole "everyone but Iris is learning about the Flash's secret identity" thing is. Until now. Uuugh. I'd be fine with her not finding out until later if they didn't do this over and over again, lol. Also Eddie knowing isn't bad but like...it seemed kinda pointless?? Why did Joe and Barry have to tell him? Why not just go "oh Wells is potentially a bad guy and may be responsible for that reporter guy 'disappearing'" instead?

 

Great episode other than that tho'! Was greatly amused by the on-the-nose Star Wars reference. "I am your father," Mark Hamill's character says...

[Jack / Joker]

Arrow 15/04/15 "Broken Arrow" spoilers

Welp, last night was the send-off of Roy Harper AKA Arsenal, the Red Arrow.

While Arsenal managed to escape Iron Heights prison, he decided not to return to Team Arrow, leaving Star City, and possibly Arrow as we know it, for good.

I guess my speculation that Arsenal will appear in Titans alongside Dick Grayson/Nightwing may not have been so untrue.

[Ratcicle King]

My literal reactions to the last episode of Arrow: 

So it was Roy who's going to leave the team? Well shit, at the very least he didn't die, thank god, to think I overreacted when they said someone was leaving the cast and thought they were dying, hah, silly me, he's just not being a main cast anymore, no one's dying ton- *Ra's makes a stabby visit to Thea*....Oh...

 

Well this was quite the wham episode, the cast member who was supposed to leave left in this one, the ending, and the fact they just found out there are Meta Humans not related to the Star Labs incident, tho' I don't know if that last one will be a plot point for Arrow or Flash, I doubt they'd introduce a plot point like this on the series that isn't supposed to follow it up.

[Marcello]

My literal reactions to the last episode of Arrow: 

So it was Roy who's going to leave the team? Well shit, at the very least he didn't die, thank god, to think I overreacted when they said someone was leaving the cast and thought they were dying, hah, silly me, he's just not being a main cast anymore, no one's dying ton- *Ra's makes a stabby visit to Thea*....Oh...

 

Well this was quite the wham episode, the cast member who was supposed to leave left in this one, the ending, and the fact they just found out there are Meta Humans not related to the Star Labs incident, tho' I don't know if that last one will be a plot point for Arrow or Flash, I doubt they'd introduce a plot point like this on the series that isn't supposed to follow it up.

[Ryannumber1gamer]

I recently only began watching The Flash last week with Episodes 15-17. I was honestly expecting not to really get into it due to how far the story was in but as a comic fan, the show really did a great job of getting me caught up pretty fast. Episode 15 Out of Time featured a quick recap of previous episodes and After that, I was more or less caught up.

To clarify, the episodes I watched were Out of Time, Rouge Time, and Tricksters and I really enjoyed all three episodes. I liked the love thing between Barry and Iris (Although it's a bit weird how Episode 15 has basically every single thing screw up for Barry and then we got major game changers only for the show just to go Nope. The action is really well done in the episodes I saw and the characters are especially good.

The whole story arc between Barry going back in time was a well used concept although I wish they would have used it better. Here, it feels like the time travel plot was used to just reset all game changers in the previous episode, with really the only interesting bit of the plot being Wells attempting to stop Barry from changing the future, almost as if he wants the Flash disappear.

The other plot of Rouge Time on the other hand was pretty good. The whole story about Cisco getting kidnapped and forced to help Captain Cold rebuild their weapons along with Barry feeling guilt for getting Cisco mixed up into the whole situation.

Tricksters was a fun episode for a few reasons. Firstly, they actually got Mark Hamill to play The Trickster. For those who don't know, back in the older Flash series, Mark Hamill played the Trickster as well. He also went full on Joker laugh here.

Tricksters was likely my favourite episode due to all the development we get on Wells, where we finally learned how Professor Zoom impersonated him for all these years and Barry finally learning that he can not be trusted.

Overall, I can't wait for the UK premiere of All Star Team Up which comes out this Tuesday!

[Celestia]

You know, all the Smallville / Flash comparisons people were making was stuff that didn't bother me...until the last episode did the whole "love interest mad about character(s) keeping secrets" thing. It's surprisingly even more annoying here because 1) Iris is (pre-52 anyway) Barry's main love interest, unlike Lana Lang with Clark, 2) at least in Smallville when both love interests (Lana -> Lois) were basically the last ones to find out about the hero's secret, the rest of the cast only found out over the course of multiple seasons (Pete in S2, Chloe in S4, Lionel in 4/5/whatever, etc.) instead of literally everyone knowing Barry's secret except Iris and we're still a few episode to the end of the first season, and 3) the drama is especially ridiculous in All-Star Team Up because it isn't even Eddie's secret! Wouldn't it have been a million times easier for him to just say "oh, it's not something I'm dealing with but a friend of mine, not my secret to tell, they confided in me, etc." That would have been the truth (mostly) and I'm sure Iris would've accepted it.

 

And that's not getting into the fact that I really don't see why Barry and Joe needed to even tell Eddie that Barry's the Flash in the first place, but whatever.

 

The show's amazing other than how they're handling everything with Iris, so y'know, I can't really be too angry. Especially since I do get the feeling all this will be resolved before or during the finale, maybe.

[Ratcicle King]

You know, all the Smallville / Flash comparisons people were making was stuff that didn't bother me...until the last episode did the whole "love interest mad about character(s) keeping secrets" thing. It's surprisingly even more annoying here because 1) Iris is (pre-52 anyway) Barry's main love interest, unlike Lana Lang with Clark, 2) at least in Smallville when both love interests (Lana -> Lois) were basically the last ones to find out about the hero's secret, the rest of the cast only found out over the course of multiple seasons (Pete in S2, Chloe in S4, Lionel in 4/5/whatever, etc.) instead of literally everyone knowing Barry's secret except Iris and we're still a few episode to the end of the first season, and 3) the drama is especially ridiculous in All-Star Team Up because it isn't even Eddie's secret! Wouldn't it have been a million times easier for him to just say "oh, it's not something I'm dealing with but a friend of mine, not my secret to tell, they confided in me, etc." That would have been the truth (mostly) and I'm sure Iris would've accepted it.

 

And that's not getting into the fact that I really don't see why Barry and Joe needed to even tell Eddie that Barry's the Flash in the first place, but whatever.

 

The show's amazing other than how they're handling everything with Iris, so y'know, I can't really be too angry. Especially since I do get the feeling all this will be resolved before or during the finale, maybe.

Because they wanted to let Eddie in on the case, and for that, they needed to know they can trust eachother, it was pretty much Barry and Joe's way of leaving everything between them honest, since they'll have to work together.

Iris on the other hand, she can't fight, she can't help, and considering her relationship with all other main characters, she'd just end up becoming another thing to worry about once the big fights start, think about it, everyone else who knows the secret either had something to bring to the table or a good reason to know the secret. Iris doesn't, she's the show's most normal person ever, no powers, no knowledge of powers, she can probably defend herself but that's that, and even then it wasn't shown at all, she always needed either Barry or Eddie to help her.

So yeah, letting Iris in is literally just putting her in dangers she doesn't need to be and would only become emotional stress or dead weight for the heroes.

[Celestia]

Eh, I personally don't buy that. She's gonna be in danger anyway--and I don't just mean in a meta "oh she's a main character without powers in a superhero-with-superpowers show" way, I mean the fact that I'm certain 'Wells' is going to go after her at some point due to her being associated with Barry in the first place.

 

It's true telling her wouldn't really be much of an advantage but I'm looking at it more from the perspective that not telling her isn't particularly helpful either? Or something like that. I dunno, it's just weird to me.

[Marcello]

So a New Zealand promo for the next episode reveals a character:

Source

 

Thea as Speedy. (Though, the name isn't said) Looks like she's taking her brother's place as the hero of Starling City! Pretty cool and adds credence to my prediction that she'll be replacing Roy next season

[Celestia]

I KNEW IT.

 

REVERSE-FLASH WAS WATCHING THEM

THE WHOLE TIME

 

Okay, yes, it was kind of obvious in retrospect, and I had entertained the idea that he knew about all the little get-togethers (seriously, Barry and the others really should have been meeting each other to talk about "Wells" in places he wouldn't expect them to meet up at or something). But I had dismissed the theory after a while since I wasn't entirely sure why he wouldn't just act at some point--but hey, it actually makes sense, he was setting them all up.

 

Also Iris found out. This happened much sooner than I thought it would, not that I'm complaining. It's cool that she figured it out basically on her own, too, and in a way that made sense (I feel like she was kinda suspicious of Barry already, especially after that scene earlier in the episode, so that helps). Previews make it look like it'll stick, but y'know, trailers can be misleading.

 

Hard to believe we've only got three more episodes. We are not ready.

[Jack / Joker]

When heroes alone are not enough… the world needs legends. Having seen the future, one he will desperately try to prevent from happening, time-traveling rogue Rip Hunter is tasked with assembling a disparate group of both heroes and villains to confront an unstoppable threat – one in which not only is the planet at stake, but all of time itself. Can this ragtag team defeat an immortal threat unlike anything they have ever known?

 

Legends of Tomorrow is our new spinoff to Arrow and The Flash, also starring Hawkgirl and an ensemble of mismatched heroes from the Arrowverse, including Atom, Firestorm, the Rogues and...

 

...Sara Lance, who was killed by Merlyn in Season 3 of Arrow. Time travel!

 

05/05/2015 The Flash spoilers:

 

Is anyone else getting uneasy vibes from Eddie now that, according to crazy ol' uncle Eobard, he's the only member of the Thawne family to have no remarkable history? Maybe he does. Maybe he just ends up keeping it unrecorded to keep safe from

time-travelers.

 

Or maybe he dies in the Season 1 finale, and that's why he has no history. I'unno.

 

When the hell is the Atom going to shrink? It's his... his thing.

 

One last thought: An article in the newspaper from the future from The Flash talks about a team-up of various superheroes, including The Flash, Atom, Hawkgirl, and the Green Arrow. Rejoice!

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

Spin off sounds good, but do hope they balance/preplan the writing better so the other shows don't suffer

 

Also Joker interesting though

What if Eddie is the first Reverse Flash, but along with only occasionally fighting flash he is indeed stuck time traveling

[Celestia]

05/05/2015 The Flash spoilers:

 

Is anyone else getting uneasy vibes from Eddie now that, according to crazy ol' uncle Eobard, he's the only member of the Thawne family to have no remarkable history? Maybe he does. Maybe he just ends up keeping it unrecorded to keep safe from

time-travelers.

 

Or maybe he dies in the Season 1 finale, and that's why he has no history. I'unno.

[Brad]

A lengthy trailer for Supergirl. 

 

[SonicWind]

Not a bad trailer. I may have to start watching this when it premieres in the fall.

[The Deleter]

Wow! The Arrow finale was so disruptive! It had me on the edge of my seat with how many changes it brought into the status quo! How will they even continue on after this?!

 

They actually...

 

... didn't kill off any main characters! Got rid of the flashbacks! Let the characters be... happy?!?

 

 

:U

 

But seriously, this was honestly kind of a let down. I mean, even though the whole season was filled with a bunch of status quo changes, I still expected way more from a finale that was said to "leave fans wondering where they'll be able to go with this show next season!" Obviously the main group is going to keep fighting crime, Olliver is going to get back into the fray 5-10 episodes into the season either in Starling City or outside, and Thea's father is going to come back in some form or another after the newest threat has been dealt with.

 

I mean I guess I'm fine with it, goodness knows I'm way more satisfied with happy, conclusive series endings than bad, cliffhanger ones, but it was so ridiculously rushed, tacked on to the rest of the season and not living up to the hype the PR for it made it out to be, it's just bleh.

 

Imo, this whole season was rather poor. The flashbacks held no purpose than to serve as filler, the story just would not take a break to focus on character relationships, some bleh love triangles were made, trust and mistrust thrown every which way, and twists, twists, twists. I don't know how the latter can be a bad thing, but I felt like it was this season. Everything about this season just felt rushed and lazy, really, and I hope that the writing team can get a revitalization before next season starts.

 

 

And no more flashbacks, DC

 

Seriously

 

 

 

Edit: Oh yeah, and Ras Al Ghul's final battle was very underwhelming. It was pretty much the epitome of "... Is that it?" in the whole series.

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

I can up that, we got a Legends of tomorrow trailer!

Vandal Savage is the bad guy confirmed, as is a certain Lazarus pit Resurrection and Atom will finally be shrinking!

 

edit: and Hawkgirl!

[Sami]

A lengthy trailer for Supergirl. 

 

[Badnik Mechanic]

Supergirl trailer

[Ryannumber1gamer]

Going back to Reverse Flash

 

Maybe his plan is to break Eddie's spirit so he'll turn on the Flash. Remember, Eddie now has full knowledge of The Flash's identity. Considering back in Episode 16, he had punched Barry because he thought he was trying to steal Iris from him, he only said sorry because he thought something had happened to Barry that made him think Iris was in love with Barry. Now, he's presented with evidence from the future that Barry is destined to marry Iris.

 

Maybe either two things will happen. He'll believe that Barry has backstabbed him and only wanted Iris to begin with or he'll deliberately attempt to alter the future to change it so Iris will be forced to marry him. If you want to go even further, maybe Eddie has something to do with the Flash's disappearance in the future and Reverse Flash is trying to force these events to happen quickly so he can use the disappearance to transport him back to the future.

[The Deleter]

Yawn. Wake me up when the next season of Daredevil is up. Or when we get something else of that caliber and not some happy go lucky baby-friendly schlock.

 

Maybe my niece'll like this.