WHAT THE DC EXTENDED UNIVERSE CAN LEARN FROM THE ARROWVERSE 

would be too long, pack in too many cameos, and fail to live up to the monumental hype, you were unfortunately right. Zack Snyder’s film bombed with critics, currently having a score of only 28% positive on Rotten Tomatoes. Although some audiences have been a little more forgiving, nobody is really defending

as a great movie. While Ben Affleck’s Batman, Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, and a few other elements have received praise, most people agree that there was a lot wrong with the superhero crossover. Even if you liked the film overall, nobody can deny it could have been so much more

Due to the film’s poor reception, it isn’t surprising that

has been plummeting at the box office. After a strong opening weekend, the film took a nosedive during its second week. This past weakened,

, a Melissa McCarthy comedy that received even worse reviews. Taking the film’s huge budget and marketing campaign into consideration, it’s possible that

was a financial success, it didn’t exactly set the box office on fire either. With two films that have underperformed, the DCEU may crash and burn before it even gets off the ground.

If Warner Bros. wants to DCEU to endure, they could certainly learn a thing or two from another superhero universe. No, I’m not talking about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, although

might have been a better film with Joss Whedon, Jon Favreau, or the Russo Brothers behind the camera. I’m talking about the slew of DC shows on the CW Network:

. All three of these series are part of the same continuity and regularly crossover. They’ve even had crossovers with DC programs on other networks, such as CBS’s

. Where the Arrowverse continues to hit bull’s-eyes, the DC movies keep missing the mark.

But how could a couple shows on the CW possibly be more epic than a multi-million dollar film where Batman and Superman beat the living hell out of each other? Well, here are five reasons why:

One of the biggest complaints with the DC Extended Universe is that Warner Bros. is trying to give us too much, too fast. Over the course of only two films, they’ve already introduced Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. They’ve additionally given us a sneak peak at several more heroes to come.

in particular was so overstuffed that it barely felt like we got to know anybody or came to fully understand their motivations. Why exactly did Lex Luthor want Batman and Superman to fight anyway? Apparently just because he’s evil and crazy!

The Arrowverse, however, took its time establishing its characters and world. When

kicked things off in 2012, the creators didn’t focus too heavily on universe building. They just wanted to tell a good standalone story. By the end of season one, they had figured out what worked and what didn’t work. Because of this, they were able to go into season two with a much clearer vision. In 2015, the showrunners took everything they learned from

. In 2016, several characters from both of these shows were brought together in

. The Arrowverse has naturally grown over the years while the DCEU feels like its taking steroids to catch up with its competitors.

Sure, most TV series air 20-something episodes per year while most movies are only two and a half hours max. Since TV shows have more time to experiment and explore, they’re naturally going to have more character development. Of course this isn’t always the case. For example, Tim Burton’s 1989

film worked in a lot more character development than the Adam West show did in three seasons.

could have been successful films with more focus and better pacing. Unlike the Arrowverse, though, Warner Bros. is jumping the gun without thinking matters through.

came out, many people complained that Superman was too gloomy and the film’s tone was totally humorless. Rather than learning their lesson, Warner Bros. and Zack Snyder just made the same mistakes in

. Superman barely even smiled and the same could be said about the audience. To be fair, fans don’t always know what’s best. Everyone initially protested casting Ben Affleck as Batman, but he ended up being one of the best aspects of the film. If the Arrowverse has proven anything, though, it’s that fan feedback can be quite helpful.

started strong, the first several episodes were far from perfect. Oliver Queen’s inner monologue was pointless, several characters served little purpose, and the romance could also feel forced. As season one went on, the showrunners took these complaints into consideration. Outside of the opening to every episode, Oliver never narrates anymore.

less interesting characters were either killed off or given more to do later on. The biggest improvement the show made, though, was in the love story department.

Nobody was really rooting for Oliver to end up with Laurel Lance, who would eventually become Black Canary. Usually when a show decides to get two characters together, the creators stick to their guns no matter what. The people behind

realized that Oliver and Laurel just weren’t right for each other, however. Instead, Oliver had much better chemistry with Emily Bett Rickards’s Felicity Smoak, a guest star who later became a series regular. While Oliver and Felicity’s will-they-won’t-they romance could get tiresome in season three, at least we cared if they ultimately lived happily ever after. In the DCEU, we really don’t care what happens because the filmmakers obviously don’t care what the fan’s think.

Now this is what a superhero team looks like!

Part of what makes the relationship between Batman and Superman so interesting is that they’re so different and yet so similar. To some extent,

addresses this dynamic. There’s one major thing they missed, however. Superman is supposed to be full of hope and optimism while Batman is supposed to be dark and grim. The filmmakers certainly nailed Batman’s brooding nature, but they totally missed the point of Superman. The Man of Steel was so damn stern and solemn that he actually felt more like Batman. Since Superman and Batman are virtually the same here, watching them clash just isn’t as interesting.

In the Arrowverse, the main characters are infinitely more diverse. Much like Batman/Bruce Wayne, Oliver Queen/The Green Arrow is a rich playboy by day and a hard-hitting vigilante by night. Like Superman/Cark Kent, Barry Allen/The Flash is a mild-mannered nerd who secretly fights crime with superhuman speed and enhanced strength. Oliver and Barry aren’t one-dimensional characters either. Although Oliver is a complicated, tortured soul, he can also be funny at times. Barry is a wisecracking young man, but also has plenty of inner demons. They perfectly compliment one another, which is why their crossover episodes are always a blast.

. The story can admittedly be kind muddled and all over the place, but the show’s appeal lies in its diverse ensemble. While

arguably has one too many characters, they all have fleshed out personalities and everybody brings something unique to the table. The cast has great chemistry, at times even calling to mind

is still finding its voice, the showrunners know how ensemble pieces function, which is more than can be said about Zack Snyder.

The Arrowverse Isn’t Afraid to Embrace Its Comic Book Roots

nearly killed the superhero genre in the late 90’s, studios realized that audiences wanted serious comic book adaptations as apposed to campy fair. As a result, we got

trilogy in particular demonstrated just how sophisticated, realistic, and important superhero movies could be. As gritty as

could get, though, Nolan didn’t deprive the film or humor or wit. With

, Zack Snyder tried so hard to be taken seriously that he forgot why people to go to superhero movies: to have fun. Would it have killed the screenwriters to throw in a couple quips? They’re not making

almost seems ashamed to admit that it’s a superhero movie, the Arrowverse isn’t afraid to embrace its comic book roots. All of these shows make great use of color, with

decorating itself in red. They almost feel like graphic novels brought to life. Meanwhile, the muted colors in

The Arrowverse also isn’t afraid to incorporate some comedy and pop culture references. The showrunners never go too over-the-top with the humor, though. For every cartoony bad guy, such as Mark Hamill’s Trickster, there’s a legitimately intimidating villain, such as Tom Cavanagh’s Harrison Wells. Much like

, these shows know when to let a character’s turmoil shine through and when to inject a little lightheartedness. It’s all about finding just the right balance. The Arrowverse has found that balance, but the DCEU is simply one-note.

Felicity Smoak > All of the other characters in the Arrowverse >>> All of the characters in the DC Extended Universe

Sorry Batman and Superman, but you’re no longer the world’s finest.

This all just goes to show why we’re in a golden age of television while mainstream blockbusters are very hit and miss. Since the DC Extended Universe has only put out two movies so far, there’s still hope for this franchise. Maybe

will finally turn matters around. Until then, at least audiences we have the Arrowverse to fill the void. As for all those studio heads at Warner Bros., watch the CW and take notes!

One comment on “Nick Picks | What the DC Extended Universe Can Learn from the Arrowverse”

Love Arrow and this is an awesome article! Personally I think Marvel films suffer from a similar affliction in which they try packing far too much into a limited timeframe. TV is the way to go when it comes to comic-genre adaptations because there’s such a rich history to these characters and films don’t allow enough time to explore them. And sometimes it’s good to take a step back and see where comic canon can be bent or disregarded. Otherwise you’d never get a gem like Felicity Smoak! Point 5 had me giving you a standing ovation!! Too bad there’s only one Emily Bett and DCEU seems adamant against bringing their tv actors to the big screen😑.

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