Posted in: CW, TV | Tagged: arrowverse, stephen amell

Stephen Amell on Arrowverse Hate, Offers "Snyder Cut" Reality Check

Checking in with Chris Van Vliet's podcast, Stephen Amell used the Peacemaker/Green Arrow joke to push back on the Arrowverse hate.

This past May marked the one-year anniversary of Grant Gustin-starring The Flash S09E13 "A New World, Part Four" (directed by Vanessa Parise and written by Eric Wallace & Sam Chalsen). While some still point to the upcoming fourth and final season of CW's Superman & Lois, for all intents and purposes, the final chapter had been written, and the book on the "Arrowverse" had officially closed – eleven years after it began with the pilot for Stephen Amell (Heels, Suits: L.A.)-starring Arrow. Checking in with Chris Van Vliet's podcast this week, Amell was asked about a joke that was made at Green Arrow's expense during the season finale of James Gunn's John Cena-starring Peacemaker ("…goes to Brony conventions dressed as the back half of Twilight Sparkle with a four-inch-wide butthole drilled in the costume").

To say that he wasn't the biggest fan would be an understatement, though he notes that his issue is more with Gunn for writing it than Cena saying it. But the topic didn't become the springboard for Amell to push back on all of the cheap shots people have taken at the Arrowverse over the years. "That was a little unnecessary. I didn't f***ing appreciate that at all," Amell responded before shifting to the bigger picture that seemed to have been eating at him. "Okay. I am just going to come right out and say this. There was just such…between the movies and 'Peacemaker' a little bit…our show was kind of treated like shit. I get it, we're on the CW, I get it, it's TV."

"But I also get the fact that when people think about the most recent iteration of DC, they don't think about the 'Snyder Cut' – they think about the Arrowverse. We got crapped on for years, and years, and years, and this just seemed excessive. I'm not actually mad, but I just remember hearing that and just being like, 'F*** those guys,' like – seriously," he continued. "I'm up here. I'm working just as hard as anyone else. Do you know how hard it is to play a superhero with no superpowers for 23 episodes a year? It's really, really, really hard – and I'm not looking for a prize but, like, maybe don't shit on our show."

Arrowverse: DC Studios Can Learn From Doctor Who/The WHO-niverse

Earlier this year, we updated our pitch to DC Studios to do with the Arrowverse what Showrunner Russell T. Davies and the BBC did with Doctor Who – they created "The WHO-niverse. Here's a look back at what we recommended – with much of it still applicable today. Just to be clear? I more than understand that BBC and Davies had a whole lot fewer legal & financial obstacles to overcome – and that to make our ideas of an "Arrowverse" a reality, being patient and having deep pockets are key.

Bring the "Arrowverse" Home: If Warner Bros. Discovery is the home to DC Studios and Max is the official streaming service for Warner Bros. Discovery, then the Arrowverse needs to find an exclusive home on the newly-renamed streamer. Again, when we're talking streaming, then you're dealing with any number of legal streaming rights issues that would need time to work themselves out (or expire). But that doesn't mean Gunn & Safran's DC Studios couldn't let the fans know now that that's the plan they're moving on now.

Make the Max "Arrowverse" Experience Fun & Informative: Once you have the series in place, you need to start scooping up all of the extras that are out there. On top of that, having personally curated episode playlists based on themes would be a nice way to keep things fresh. But it's the crossovers that could be the most fun, with hubs for "Crisis on Infinite Earths" (for example) that would include the main crossovers as well as the ability to jump to side episodes for more detailed intel on particular characters or situations.

The "Arrowverse" Could Be an Ever-Expanding Multimedia Sandbox: Because having a hub for the Arrowverse on Max shouldn't be just a "museum display" or some kind of viewable mausoleum space, there are a number of Warner Bros. Discovery-related opportunities to continue the televised universe. We've got scripted podcasts/audio dramas as an option – look how successful Doctor Who has been working with Big Finish Productions in that area. We know that Max knows how to do reunion specials (see Friends), so that could be another area to consider for the Arrowverse – as well as themed documentaries & docuseries. Virtual rewatch parties with the cast & creative teams are another option, driving more viewers to the streamer's overall library – as would having an official Arrowverse continuation deal with DC Comics where the stories are confirmed canon.

But for those of you looking for a television series, how about "Tales of the Arrowverse," with DC's Legends of Tomorrow as the linking device for the anthology series – which could allow a number of DC Comics characters to make the jump from the printed page to live-action.

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