Superheroes are all the rage on the big and small screens nowadays, and The CW is the place to be for superhero TV. Beginning with the premiere of Arrow in 2012, The CW has built an entire universe of shows starring iconic DC Comics heroes. The Arrow-verse is currently comprised of four series: Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl. Actress Katie McGrath plays Lena Luthor on Supergirl, and she recently spoke with CinemaBlend about how the Arrow-verse is similar to The Avengers, saying this:
It's what TV is doing now! You would never have thought that we would see such high production values and such action and such amazing stuff on a TV show, you know five, six years ago. It's where all the exciting stuff is happening. Berlanti Productions and The CW together have created this world that is... it's almost like the Avengers of TV in a way. It's this massive, massive story arcs and interconnecting worlds and things that you never would have imagined it six years ago! And they're kind of at the forefront of doing that. It's a bit humbling being part of that.
While the ensemble of DC superheroes in the massive four-show crossover between Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl last November naturally drew comparisons to the Justice League, Katie McGrath has a point when she says that the Arrow-verse has a great deal in common with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. When the Avengers came together in The Avengers, it after the heroes had all been introduced in their own projects, and they came together to fight one grand threat.
The four shows of the Arrow-verse all more or less stood on their own before any big crossovers happened. Oliver Queen, Barry Allen, the Legends, and Kara Danvers all have their own missions and their own stories, but that doesn't stop them from coming together from time to time before splitting off and heading back into their own stories. All four shows premiered at different times -- and in the case of Supergirl, on a different network -- and can stand on their own, making the entire universe expansive and uniquely developed.
The stunts and special effects are surprisingly cinematic for a TV universe as well. The CW isn't the network with the highest profile, but it has put together something that no other network has achieved with a distinct universe of different superheroes with different powers. With the Green Arrow, we've had amazing practical stunts featuring the efforts of Stephen Amell and others. With the Flash, we've had Speedster special effects. With Legends of Tomorrow, we've had different times and worlds and cultures. With Supergirl, we never know what wild new species we'll see in a given week. Kudos to the team at The CW and Berlanti Productions for pulling off something unprecedented for the small screen. We can only hope that the Arrow-verse will continue to develop as more time passes.
Sadly, the Arrow-verse action will be done for the season after the Arrow Season 5 finale. That said, all four shows (and the new Black Lightning) will be back for the 2017-2018 TV season. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in TV news, and don't forget to check out our summer TV premiere schedule to discover all your viewing options now and in the coming weeks. Be sure to drop by our rundowns for cable/streaming and broadcast TV renewals and cancellations as well. Our TV season finale schedule can give you all you need to know about your shows ending.
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