How ‘Arrow’ Built The CW’s Own Superhero Cinematic Universe
As “Arrow” heads into retirement with its 170th and final episode on Tuesday, Stephen Amell’s Emerald Archer leaves behind a legacy that may only be rivaled by Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark. Both are billionaire playboys that become self-sacrificing heroes, using their brains and expensive technology in lieu of actual superpowers. But the similarities between the two extend up to the corporate level. After all, they’re both the godfathers of two of the most successful comic book franchises in media. And for The CW, it happened by accident. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly last December, “Arrow” co-developer and consulting producer Marc Guggenheim said they never planned to introduce other DC superheroes. “The answers to all those questions were, ‘No, no, and no.'” After all, the network’s co-owner Warner Bros. was busy trying to build its rival to the Marvel Cinematic Universe on the big screen, which never came close to mimicking Marvel’s billion-dollar formula. Also Read: How DC Comics Superheroes Transformed The CW But one was being built on the small, even if wasn’t planned. In the second season of “Arrow,” Grant Gustin debuted as a pre-Flash Barry Allen, in what would later become a backdoor pilot for “The...
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