Mind Your Surroundings: Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow and Other Superhero Universes

[ArctisTor]

In lieu of another DC television series with a new shiny trailer out, here's a thread to discuss the influences on "Arrow" and comparing/contrasting it to other superhero (or non-superhero) stories of any medium.

 

Though based on that "Gotham" trailer, which definitely seemed to have taken notes from Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, and "Arrow" already having considerable influence from the Dark Knight trilogy as is?  If "Gotham" is a hit, I wonder if that might put pressure on the "Arrow" folks to push the limit more on how dark they can make "Arrow"?  Speaking more aesthetically here than anything, because I imagine they could only get away with so much 'dark' in the storylines with the timeslot they're in, but could we see a darker Starling City in the future?  Grittier and less brightly lit?

[BkWurm1]

It would be hard to out dark Gotham City.  The dark is built into the mythology.  Frankly I hope Arrow pulls back on the dark and looks for some balance.  I don't want slapstick, but the characters need to learn to live in between the mission or it's no fun for anyone. 

 

That said, the trailer for Gotham looked pretty great.  It will come down to how the show manages to balance its side characters.  Gordon needs to be front and central and wee Wayne, only now and again.  Twelve is a tough age to write Bruce Wayne.  Actually, twelve isn't so bad but if the show gets picked up thirteen and fourteen and fifteen are rough ages.  All the angst and none of the ability to do anything about it.  Maybe they have planned time jumps built into the timeline. 

[Morrigan2575]

I'm not sold on the Gotham trailer it bugs me that they're brining all these Batman characters in a series that is pre-Batman.  Why do we need to see Teen Poison Ivy or Catwoman?  What are they going to give me some lame childhood love triangle or twe luv forever between tween Bruce and Selina?  Granted I know next to nothing about the series but I started losing interest when I heard all of the casting announcements (not the actors but the characters).

 

I would have preferred the story stay far away from Batman and focus on Gordon, create new villains or focus on lesser known (and older) Batman villains.  As of right now, I'm more interested in Constantine, unfortunately it sounds like that show isn't a sure thing.

 

As for Arrow, I'm guessing DC bringing Gotham to TV is the reason why the EPs are now trying to rip off Joss Whedon, can't keep delving into TDK well when there's an actual Batman (prequel) show on the air.

Edited May 6, 2014 by Morrigan2575

[Sakura12]

I don't think they would've gotten picked up if there was no Bruce Wayne, even the little one. But I do hope the series focuses more on Gordan and his occasional interaction with young Bruce. Just to show him looking out for him and building up to their eventual friendship as adults.

 

I don't think they need young versions of all the characters and I certainly don't want to see any love triangles between teen Selina and teen Bruce and whomever else they bring in. At that point they should be like Arrow, having a young Selina be an Easter Egg one-off appearance would've worked for me. Gordon arrests a teenage cat burglar and tries to help set her straight but at the end she goes right back to it. Then we don't see her again. 

 

I will be checking Gotham out because I'm pretty much done with Arrow. If the acting, the characters and the story are good it might change my mind about it. So I'll give it a chance first. 

[KirkB]

The thing is, Arrow is a superhero show. Regardless of how many actual superpowers are involved it's ABOUT Green Arrow, Black Canary, etc. Gotham, on the other hand, sounds like it's supposed to be about the police and the regular people during the last sane years of the city. Which actually sounds like an interesting show to me. But there is no way they were able to sell a show set in the Batman universe without some connection to Batman and his associates/enemies, even if it's way before any of them actually exist. I would hope that the pilot will focus on the Wayne murder and Gordon dealing with young Bruce, then he (Bruce that is) isn't seen again for most of the season. Because the way the show is being advertised it is supposed to be about Gotham city and Gordon, not the boy who will one day become Batman. If that's what it was it would be just like Smallville, except unlike Clark Bruce wasn't really anything special until he got old enough to start training. The thing is, if what they want to do is retell Smallville only in Gotham that's fine, just say that in the beginning, and while the Smallville people said at the beginning it was about Clark becoming Superman, the Gotham people are saying it is NOT a Batman show. So why are we getting versions of Catwoman, Penguin, Poison Ivy and Riddler again?

[Actionmage]

I personally don't mind seeing the younger versions of Penguin and Riddler; they are the criminals, where on the news? The neighbors always thought there was something "off" about them. The show seems to be setting up how the bad guys, once they become costumed villains, are able to find henchmen and why "normal" criminals listen to them seriously. We will be seeing them rise in the ranks, like Gordon. I also agree that some characters need to be used very sparingly- Selina, Poison Ivy, Bruce and Alfred.

 

While I really liked the trailer for Gotham, I want to see a superhero show more in the vein of the 80s-90s Justice League of America- where J'onn J'nzz (aka the Martian Manhunter) had a weakness for Oreos and Black Canary was upset because she missed Batman knocking out assy Green Lantern, Guy Gardner.  Or something like The Tick only a little less absurd. (Spoon!) Maybe, to use an older term, a dramedy--where it's a more balanced, but lighter take on superheroes. It seems The Dark Age of Comics hasn't loosened it's grip, but I am super bored and over the seemingly unrelenting darkness of it all. I think that is why I personally gravitated to Felicity; she was funny as well as smart.  Not every hero needs to be gritty. There needs to be a balance.

[KirkB]

I actually prefer the idea of a show focused on normal cops in a world that's progressively getting weirder. It could start out as a fairly normal police procedural, only the characters have names like Gordon, Wayne and Cobblepot. Over the course of the season you start getting hints of something bubbling beneath the surface, maybe literally, like murders in the sewer that could have been caused by an animal. You don't want to have too many full on villains though, unless you're planning to have the heroes there to oppose them. Gordon and his crew might be able to handle Joe Chill and Edward Nigma, but there is a reason they turned to Batman when the Joker showed up. BTW, out of curiosity, is Renee Montoya going to be in the show?

[Morrigan2575]

I don't think they would've gotten picked up if there was no Bruce Wayne, even the little one. But I do hope the series focuses more on Gordan and his occasional interaction with young Bruce. Just to show him looking out for him and building up to their eventual friendship as adults.

 

Actually, I have no problem with the Young Bruce, I actually thought the parts of the trailer that showed The Wayne family murder and Gordon dealing with finding the criminals and interacting with Young Bruce to be rather interesting.  It's when they seemed to add in all these other Batman characters...before they were costumed villains/heroes whatever that I started to be disappointed.  I really don't care about Young Selina Kyle or Young Poison Ivy, it just seems like they;re trying to throw every Batman name into the show just for wow factor.

 

Gotham, on the other hand, sounds like it's supposed to be about the police and the regular people during the last sane years of the city. Which actually sounds like an interesting show to me

 

This is what I wanted to see, Gotham before it became crazy town, the police force slowly being corrupted, yeah obviously they;d have to throw in a recognizable DC/Batman name but I would have preferred lesser known characters.  Instead it's The Riddler, Peguin, Poison Ivy, Catwoman...I'm sure Joker will show up before too long. It's just the more I hear about the direction their taking the less interesting I become.

[ArctisTor]

Though one way or another, with "Gotham" out there now, I'm not going to be shocked the Batman talk in "Arrow" fandom will get more prevalent, not less.  People wondering when Batman/Bruce Wayne or Nightwing or others from Bat-verse will show up.  Even if most of us know Batman is probably showing up in "Arrow" never ever.  Nightwing... there were those rumors and that actor from TVD seemed to be preparing himself for the role, but not sure anything came of that or it was pushed to S3...?  We did get Harley Quinn, briefly.

 

Though straying away from DC a bit, because I don't put it against any TV series taking influence from whatever hot new (superhero) thing happening now, I also can see influence from the Marvel movie universe.  "The Avengers" specifically.  Though when they decided to make Felicity Oliver's EA instead of the IT girl at the start of season 2, I immediately thought of Tony and Pepper.  She's also literally Tony's His Girl Friday.  Also some of the romantic beats between movie!Tony/Pepper and Oliver/Felicity seem similar.

Edited May 9, 2014 by ArctisTor

[BkWurm1]

Though when they decided to make Felicity Oliver's EA instead of the IT girl at the start of season 2, I immediately thought of Tony and Pepper.  She's also literally Tony's His Girl Friday.  Also some of the romantic beats between movie!Tony/Pepper and Oliver/Felicity seem similar.

 

Hadn't thought of this.  Very nice.  Plus while Pepper Potts in the comics never progressed out of Girl Friday status, Pepper Potts in the movie turned out to be Tony's endgame love interest.  Take notes Arrow writers!

 

It's kind of funny.  Marvel is doing spectacular in the movie making business but its only DC that has any presence on tv. Three shows next year.  Gotham, The Flash and Arrow.  Oh I forgot about Agents of Shield (and I even watch it, oops).  Ok yes they have AoS but that came to TV with all new characters.  They exist in the world that was created in the comics, but they core cast is all original.  I wonder why Marvel doesn't offer up some of it's really lesser known heroes for programing?  They must have a knock off of Batman somewhere in their roster they could roll out..

[Danny Franks]

I'm not sold on the Gotham trailer it bugs me that they're brining all these Batman characters in a series that is pre-Batman.  Why do we need to see Teen Poison Ivy or Catwoman?  What are they going to give me some lame childhood love triangle or twe luv forever between tween Bruce and Selina?  Granted I know next to nothing about the series but I started losing interest when I heard all of the casting announcements (not the actors but the characters).

 

 

As soon as this show became Kid Bruce Wayne, I realised it's going to stink. When it was just going to be about young James Gordon, I thought it had potential as long as they didn't allow the shadow of Batman to cast a pall over everything (some chance!). But that's actually what they've decided they want.

 

Young Selina seems cool, and the idea of her as a reprobate, mouthy little thief who Gordon tries to reform and help was something that I really liked the idea of. She could pop up every couple of episodes, and Gordon could give her a talk about turning her life around. It could be a pretty sweet relationship. But I doubt they go for anything like that.

 

Hadn't thought of this.  Very nice.  Plus while Pepper Potts in the comics never progressed out of Girl Friday status, Pepper Potts in the movie turned out to be Tony's endgame love interest.  Take notes Arrow writers!

 

 

I think Pepper was always designed to be his endgame love interest in the movies, though. Not in the comics, because Tony is Tony, and Pepper married Happy Hogan. So while I absolutely agree on the similarities between the two couples, I think it's something the show has stumbled onto, and making Felicity Oliver's assistant was probably done very much with Tony/Pepper in mind. Hopefully that means they will actually commit to it like the Iron Man movies did.

 

The dynamics between the two couples are a little different, because Oliver is not as irreverent and snarky as Tony, and Felicity never seemed to be as long suffering and tolerant as Pepper had to be. But perhaps if they'd ever bothered developing the QC story at all, we might have seen a bit more of that.

[Sakura12]

I wonder why Marvel doesn't offer up some of it's really lesser known heroes for programing?  They must have a knock off of Batman somewhere in their roster they could roll out..

 

Marvel does have a few tv shows in the works besides Agents of Shield. They greenlit Agent Carter about Captain America's former girlfriend, Then I think Netflix has Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and Luke Cage. All of those shows will co-exist with the cinematic universe.

Edited May 9, 2014 by Sakura12

[quarks]

Isn't Marvel licensing various characters for Netflix?  And ABC just announced some sort of Agent Carter show.

 

Outside of Netflix series, however, my understanding is that Disney/ABC's main current concern is to keep Marvel properties in house, so that they don't run into still more cases of entertainment rivals holding the rights to specific characters, either in films (Spider-Man) or theme parks (Islands of Adventure at Universal Studios, although I think the license for that expires soon.) That in turn means restricting any Marvel shows to ABC, ABC Family and A&E, and I don't think they own all of A&E - that's a financial stake kinda thing. 

 

Though now that I'm typing that out, a Mutants Versus Avengers thing on ESPN would be HILARIOUS.

 

Anyway, the reality is that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. would be performing amazingly well for a CW show, but it's not doing that well in the ratings for an ABC show - and unlike many of ABC's other shows (Castle, Scandal, Once Upon a Time), the ratings went down in the spring.  Historically, genre shows have rarely gone up in the ratings in further seasons, although I think in the case of Agents there's a good chance that people who marathon the show over the summer will tune in during the fall, and I also expect that the post-viewing numbers will be pretty good.  And, like Once Upon a Time, SHIELD can be used to cross-market other properties. All of that is enough to keep the show on the air, but all of that said, SHIELD is also a pretty expensive show to produce, and if I were an ABC executive, I don't think I would be rushing to make more Marvel shows for the ABC network just yet. 

 

Regarding Iron Man/Pepper versus Oliver/Felicity - I think there's a real difference in that relationship, given that Pepper knew Tony well before he was Iron Man, back when he was just the major womanizing genius. When Felicity met Oliver, he was already the Hood, faking the playboy thing. My sense was always that Pepper was paid extremely well by Tony to do everything that she did, which is why she stuck around pre-Iron Man days, and of course that was a job Pepper wanted and presumably applied for, not a job that her crime fighting partner stuck her in to conceal how they spent their nights.

 

But there's also definitely some resemblances there.

[KirkB]

From what we see in the movies (I can't speak for the comics, I was never really into Iron Man) Pepper stuck with Tony mainly because being the EA of a womanizing billionaire with ADD came with an awful lot of perks. She had leeway to do whatever she thought was in his best interest since nine times out of ten he had no idea what was going on outside of things he saw that he wanted to buy or sleep with. A lesser moral person could have used the position to get lots of money and perks but Pepper just occasionally treated herself to stuff Tony would have if he was aware it was her birthday. Tony, in his more lucid moments, admitted he trusted Pepper to always get the job done. She may have also developed a crush on him somewhere along the way but until he became Iron Man and started to change his ways she would never have allowed anything to happen because he simply could not be trusted.

 

Felicity, on the other hand, was brought in by Walter, and became Oliver's EA after he realized how good she was. She could have helped him run his business but he was more interested in her helping with his night time pursuits. Queen Consolidated was little more than an afterthought. and the source of funding for said night time pursuits. Which is how Isabel took over to easily. As soon as someone who was old enough and not a felon came along who showed both an interest and a capability in running the company Olive was happy to dump his responsibility. Oops.

[pootlus]

So I read that there were rumours of Stephen Amell's Oliver Queen joining up with Henry Cavill's Superman, Ben Affleck's Batman, and Gal Godot's Wonder Woman in a Justice League movie thing.

 

While I'd be thrilled for Amell - I'd love him to get that kind of exposure - I would hate for the implication to be that Arrow to exist in a world where Superman existed (or Wonder Woman for that matter, I can let Batman slide).  I love me some big guy in blue, but it would open up huge questions in the Arrowverse.

 

I mean every twelve months Starling City is hit by a major city-wide catastrophe - surely at least one of the characters would be asking "Why didn't Superman help us?".

 

So I'm just about okay with Flash, but I don't want it to go any further.

[slayer2]

Has anyone read the comic recently with Canary and Zatanna? I just got it the other day and it's pretty cute, Green Arrow makes an appearance and there's a cameo by Superman too. Is this the right thread to talk comics?

[Zalyn]

Has anyone read the comic recently with Canary and Zatanna? I just got it the other day and it's pretty cute, Green Arrow makes an appearance and there's a cameo by Superman too. Is this the right thread to talk comics?

http://forums.previously.tv/topic/3155-green-arrow-in-comics/

[slayer2]

Thanks.

[Actionmage]

I would like to see the expansion of the DCU's magic-based characters.  They'd have powers, but balanced in that there would be physical or mental consequences to using it, like exhaustion or , maybe, lost time after using a really big spell.

 

On television, there'd be varying amounts needed of CG, depending on the spell, but there could also be practical, old-school ways to achieve some fx. Plus, the various mages know better than to congregate too much and are really spread about. Zatanna or Madame Xanadu would be fun to see Oliver react to in Star City. (I really dislike 'Starling' as the city's name.) Of course, Phantom Stranger or The Specter could show and blow Ollie's mind.

 

Maybe, if the stars are aligned, John Constantine can drop by, be snide, then mosey back to NBC if that series makes it past one season? Maybe share a scene with Quentin Lance and say something about the supposed magic and Quentin gives him a  look? (Yes, Dresden bitterness, still.)

 

I am cautiously excited that we are getting closer to the Marvel Netflix series. I enjoy that they are going with street-level heroes and cross my finger that we end up getting Daughters of the Dragon in the next batch to be developed, if there is another batch of shows to be developed. I need Misty Knight and Colleen Wing to be on a media presentation device of some sort!

 

As for the most excellent point posited by pootlus, though, I am unsure about powers outside of Star City. Wonder Woman and Superman are pretty busy with big and cosmic cases- aliens and gods, respectively. It doesn't mean that they don't care about Star City's Annual Demolition Day, just that something else is taking their attention or they'd be there.

[KirkB]

The bigger super types really can't be on the show. Legal issues aside, bringing in Superman or Wonder Woman or anyone like that would make Oliver look pretty pointless. That's probably why they're going to limit Flash crossovers too. It was okay on Smallville since Clark WAS Superman in waiting but a guy with a bow isn't going to be much use against any sort of threat that would make a demigod-like figure even bat an eye.

[statsgirl]

Arlene Sorkin on Days of Our Lives?  Emma Peel?  Ozymandias?

 

Where the inspiration for various comic book character came from:

http://screenrant.com/best-comic-book-villains-real-life-inspiration/

[Velocity23]

Apparently Constantine pilot leaked also. What the hell is DC doing.

[JayKay]

...Hijacking my Sunday evening rituals. But seriously, it is odd that two new DC shows have been leaked. Knock on wood for Gotham. To not be leaked. Obviously.

 

*abruptly leaves thread*

[Lokiberry]

First, the Flash pilot gets leaked just in time to cash in on the popularity of the X-Men's speedster, Quicksilver. It gets mostly rave reviews across the net, generating excitement for the fall season. Then, Constantine gets leaked less then a week later. I'm sure it's all just a coincidence. Because doing it on purpose to create buzz for these new comic book shows in the summer (when Comic Book movies reign supreme) would be wrong.

 

And, Gotham is released in 3..2..1..

Edited June 29, 2014 by Lokiberry

[pootlus]

With a lot of these things it seems like a case of "Hey, let's ship this show to dozens of people. Oh look, it's leaked. Let's pretend to be angry."

[Password]

The Flash looks very promising. It's got me excited, something Arrow used to do but kind of waned. I hope Iris has something to do on the show other than being his twu wuv because I don't want to have to tolerate her.

I can't wait to see a happy Caitlyn...but then I hear she turns evil so perhaps that won't happen. She wears an engagement ring but her fiance is dead. Interesting. I really feel for her non smiling face though. Barry should make her laugh.

He certainly makes me smile.

Edited July 1, 2014 by ArrowLimbo

[Sakura12]

And, Gotham is released in 3..2..1..

 

I hope Gotham is released, I want to see it.

[poetgirl925]

If they include Green Arrow in the JL movie, I'd also like to see Black Canary - a good one who is a hero on her own and not so attached to Oliver. Bringing SA in would likely mean connecting the movie and TV worlds, so that would mean KC as BC? No, thank you. And let's face it - there is probably zero chance that an actress like KC gets cast in a major studio role like that. I have nothing against her, but her acting skills are not up for that challenge from what I've seen on Arrow. I liked JH's Green Arrow in Smallville - he's closer to the comics version in personality - and I like SA's version on Arrow. But neither show had a good BC character that embodied everything I liked about her from the comics. Then we'd also have superhero powers bleeding over into Arrow, which I don't particularly want. I don't know - I'd prefer that the projects remain separate.

[KirkB]

I'd kind of prefer to keep Arrow, or at least Amell's version of GA, apart from the Justice League or whatever they're doing in the movies, for now at least, because once they make it clear how connected the stories are it risks changing the narrative. Just imagine how different the second season finale would have been if Oliver could've picked up the phone and given Superman or Wonder Woman a call. It's going to be hard enough with the connection to the Flash.

[BkWurm1]

Watching Jimmy Kimmel and he brought up a rumor that Jason Momoa is going to be cast as Aquaman in one of the upcoming DC movies.  Don't know if that is true, but damn!! That would be a great choice.  Lots of people now know of him from Game of Throne but I've been drooling since his time on Stargate Atlantis. 

 

Let's skip the wait and make someone at Arrow hire him for something, anything, everything. 

[writersblock51]

Jason Momoa has been confirmed to play Aquaman.  here's just one link:

http://variety.com/2014/film/news/jason-momoa-to-play-aquaman-in-batman-v-superman-1201221554/

 

Looking forward to seeing him in the role, too!

 

As much as I'd love SA to be GA in a Justice League movie, if it means the show will be revamped to accommodate it AND it amps up the superpowers on the show, then yeah, I'd rather keep the worlds separate, too.

[BkWurm1]

I don't think Arrow can survive in the same world as Superman or Batman.   It needs to play out alone (or with just Flash).  At the end of the run the world can find out they are not alone, but right now it would ruin the storylines. 

[tv echo]

Looking at the upcoming panel lists for SDCC 2014 has made me excited for all of the new superhero or superhero-related shows debuting next season.  I'm looking forward to The Flash and Gotham, but am 'meh' on Constantine and some of the rest.  But the one new show I'm most looking forward to seeing is Agent Carter.  I loved the character of Peggy Carter and I also liked her One-Shot short video.  It'll also be different from anything else on TV next season, starring a cool female action hero and taking place in the 1940's.  I just hope they do a good job and don't screw it up like Agents of SHIELD.

[JayKay]

Oh god. Could they screw it up as badly as Agents of SHIELD? Surely that would take a concentrated effort. I don't expect it to be a runaway hit, but I'm looking forward to Constantine, myself. Moreso in so Del Toro's Justice League Dark film, whenever that comes to fruition though. And hopefully, if any of the superhero shows receive some recognition come awards season, it will be Agent Carter. If it's great, I think it could have a shot, if only due to the period setting. Gonna check out The Flash and Gotham, but I don't think they'll be faves. I wish that Netflix had greenlit a Daughters of the Dragon series, but I'll still watch the others. I haven't sat down and made a list, but I guess there are quite a few comics inspired shows coming up. Arrow's not going to be able to fall back on "but it's a comic book show" when weird/lazy writing derails the plot.

[tv echo]

Here's a list of all the superhero or comic book-related shows that will be on TV next season (that I've found):

 

ABC:

Marvel's Agents of SHIELD
Marvel's Agent Carter

 

AMC:
The Walking Dead

Preacher

 

CW:
Arrow
The Flash
iZombie

 

FOX:
Gotham

 

NBC:
Constantine

 

In addition, there are more TV shows in the works.

 

CW (under development):
Hourman

 

NETFLIX (under development):
Daredevil
Jessica Jones
The Defenders
Luke Cage
The Defenders (team-up of above four characters)

 

WGN AMERICA (under development):
Scalped

 

http://www.eonline.com/news/540352/superheroes-take-over-tv-the-2014-2015-fall-season-is-ripe-with-comic-book-shows
http://nypost.com/2014/05/09/4-superhero-tv-series-coming-this-fall/
http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/04/27/10-awesome-comic-book-tv-shows-currently-in-development
http://comicsalliance.com/preacher-amc-adaptation-steve-dillon-garth-ennis-seth-rogen-vertigo-dc/
http://www.hardcoregamer.com/2014/07/13/powers-makes-its-way-to-psn-this-december-still-free-for-plus-subscribers/93920/

Edited July 14, 2014 by tv echo

[HighwayFlower]

They are killing Archie Andrews! WTF?? Ok... He is no superhero, but he is a comic icon.

Now that would be an interesting crossover!

[tv echo]

They are killing Archie Andrews! WTF?? Ok... He is no superhero, but he is a comic icon.

Now that would be an interesting crossover!

It's funny but at one point, I thought of the Archie-Betty-Veronica love triangle when there was the rumor of an Oliver-Felicity-Laurel love triangle.

Edited July 15, 2014 by tv echo

[Password]

It's funny but at one point, I thought of the Archie-Betty-Veronica love triangle when there was the rumor of an Oliver-Felicity-Laurel love triangle.

What happened in that triangle? Why is it similar to the potential Arrow one?

[HighwayFlower]

They made 2 universes, one where he married Betty and one with him married to Veronica. Apparently his death will be the same in both though.

Edited July 15, 2014 by HighwayFlower

[tv echo]

In the Archie long-running comics, Archie was always torn between his love for brunette Veronica, a spoiled and often selfish rich girl, and blonde Betty, a sweet wholesome girl next door.  This love triangle lasted from high school through adulthood.  In fact, the comic series ended up doing two parallel story lines, one in which Archie marries Veronica and the other in which Archie marries Betty.  Recent news announced that Archie would die taking a bullet for a gay friend.  In the last scene, he lays on the ground dying while both Betty and Veronica are by his side and he says "I'll always love you", leaving it unclear who he means.

 

Archie, Betty and Veronica formed the classic love triangle - with the hero torn between a blonde and a brunette.

 

In Arrow, there's Laurel, a brunette (originally) who often acts like a spoiled and selfish rich girl, and Felicity, a blonde who's sweet and wholesome.  They're both in love with the hero Oliver.

 

EDITED TO ADD: Coincidentally, there used to be an old TV show called Land of the Giants.  The characters included the hero, the strapping Captain Steve Burton, as well as a brunette, rich society girl named Valerie, and a sweet blonde stewardess named Betty.  The show hinted at a possible romance between Steve and Valerie, and also hinted that Betty had a crush on Steve.

Edited July 15, 2014 by tv echo

[BkWurm1]

I get the obsession over Oliver, but that red-headed, freckle faced, Archie must be packing some serious mojo to have kept both Betty and Veronica stringing along.

[writersblock51]

 

I get the obsession over Oliver, but that red-headed, freckle faced, Archie must be packing some serious mojo to have kept both Betty and Veronica stringing along.

 

hahahah, I always considered Archie a Richie Cunningham-type (or Richie C. was modeled after Archie) - kind, cute and big brother lovable.  Archie with mojo, oh my.

 

Between the TV shows and the movies, this is a pretty amazing time to be a comic book fan and know that you're far from alone in your interests.  My son is LOVING it, especially as he has friends who are into comics/shows like he is.  He's entering middle school and, so far (knock on wood), he hasn't faced any teasing or whatnot.  That was NOT always the case with me when I was his age, with my love of comics, Star Wars & Tolkien. 

 

That being said, I'm looking forward to Gotham, the Flash and Agent Carter.  Heck, my MOM is looking forward to Agent Carter!  Not very familiar with Constantine (other than the Keanu Reeves movie, eerp).  I haven't heard a peep about the Marvel series on Netflix but I'm pretty sure we'll give them a shot.  At this point, we'll watch anything Marvel throws as us.  We're more cautious about DC...

[slayer2]

Yeah. You really never know how things like that work out. A small show on the CW can be career building and a tank at the box office can destroy it.

I don't think that TPTB at DC have done nearly enough planning (clearly) to make it work like they have over at Marvel (plotted into 2019?) But if they'd done half the planning I would have liked to see them connected. A lot of the DC movies (aside from Batman) feel very fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants with scarcely even the sequel plotted out properly so I'm sad they won't benefit from the continuity that an umbrella universe brings. That horrible Superman film could have learned a lot from Arrow and it could boost ratings for both. I would be more inclined to see Batman vs. Superman if I knew some Arrow Easter eggs would be hidden in there. As it stands I think it sounds utterly ridiculous to me /Felicity Smoak.

Edited July 20, 2014 by slayer2

[catrox14]

I don't think Amell is all that disappointed, TBH. He's been saying all along that he considers "Arrow" to be the definitive live-action version of Green Arrow and that it's not 2nd place that it's via television. To which I see...hear, hear!

I suspect that TPTB wanted to see whether Arrow hit the mark with the audience and critics before trying to align it with any big screen version.

[slayer2]

Well I think they should try to rework it because that Superman movie was dreadful and not taken at all seriously IMO, everyone in the cast of Arrow seem to be a lot more dedicated to their jobs than whatever was going on on the Superman set. *sigh

[wingster55]

I'm not surprised really. Smallville was its own thing when Superman Returns hit the screen.

Also I loved Man of Steel. Just saying.

[catrox14]

I liked Man of Steel far more than that Superman Returns.  My only lament about Man of Steel is that it's not Jensen Ackles playing Batman.  But I'm also fine with having the two universes exist independently. That said. I they did add Green Arrow to Justice League movie and it's not Stephen Amell, then that is a whole big pile of poo.

[wingster55]

I also don't think Green Arrow is a priority for a JL movie. Supes, Bats, WW, GL, (especially) J'onn, Flash and maybe Aquaman are the only musts.

Anyone else is secondary imo. 

[slayer2]

Loved Superman Returns for Brandon Routh as Supes and the mini supes was adorbs and as always the magnificent James Marsden.

I heard they added Green Arrow as well which was unnecessary, I think they'll find comparisons from the comic geeks ala Quicksilver in Xmen and Quicksilver in Avengers. Aaron has some tall boots to fill and I don't know who.in god's name will fill Amell's but I'm not excited to find out.

Edited July 20, 2014 by slayer2

[catrox14]

Wait, what? I'm confused. The article said they are not adding Green Arrow.  Where did you read that they are?