Aquaman
It’s likely that the reluctant leader of Atlantis already exists within The CW’s Arrowverse. For example, a deleted scene from The Flash’s debut episode has Joe West taking a jab at Barry for seemingly investigating a man who can talk to fish somewhere near Amnesty Bay. Season 2 is a bit less secretive, when Jay Garrick talks about his home on Earth-2, he briefly mentions a close friend who lives in Atlantis.
So, why does the ruler of the seven seas deserve his own show? Well, to be frank, not many people took the Green Arrow or The Flash all too seriously at first. A man with a bow and arrow and some dude who can run super fast sounded like generic, dull superheroes to some, but The CW has shown us the layered complexity of these characters and their unique skill sets.
Aquaman is a very intriguing superhuman with unparalleled strength and incredibly powerful abilities. He even got the better of Wonder Woman and Superman at times, which is quite an impressive feat. While Injustice: Gods Among Us and Zack Snyder’s upcoming Justice League movie manage to give the character a more fearsome and badass appearance, comic book fanatics still deserve a faithful interpretation of the character that properly takes its time to allow his background story to unfold naturally. And what better way is there than to introduce him into an already well-established universe?
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman has been mentioned in the Arrowverse to some degree. When Barry visits Earth-2 about halfway through the second season, the overwhelmed meta receives a phone call from his dead mother. When he picks up the phone, a list of quick dials can be seen, which includes Diana among a few others. That’s Diana Prince for you, better known as the Amazonian Wonder Woman.
Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman had a relatively small role in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and while it didn’t show her inner struggle, it did beautifully capture her powers. In fact, Wonder Woman ended up being one of the movie’s strongest points. We’ll see how the DCEU tackles the story of Diana Prince, but from what we’ve seen so far, the movie adaptation most certainly looks promising.
If there’s anything The CW can take away from all of the reactions to her film thus far, it’s that Wonder Woman needs to be handled with care and passion. Don’t focus solely on her heroic side, but also capture the fact that she is a conflicted and fragile being, without ever putting too much focus on one single aspect. The network has done a solid job doing so for their other heroes, so why not give the Amazon Princess a fair shot?
Martian Manhunter
With Supergirl having made her way from CBS to The CW, she brought along Martian Manhunter for the ride. Within the Arrowverse, he took on the persona of Hank Henshaw, masking his true identity as the Martian shapeshifter by the name of J’onn J’onzz.
Martian Manhunter has sworn to protect planet Earth, preventing it from facing the same fate that befell upon his home planet Mars. His carefulness and constant alertness that makes him a force to be reckoned with, which is part of the reason why he serves as the Justice League’s number one asset in the comics in case Superman goes berserk. Now matter how powerful the entity, chances are J’onn has a plan to dispose of it.
He most definitely deserves a spin-off of his own, delving a little deeper into the alien realm Legends of Tomorrow briefly touched upon. Besides that, J’onn is a rich enough character to spin an entire story line around. Seeing how Supergirl recently introduced Miss Martian, this merely adds to the potential route a Martian Manhunter solo series could take.
SHAZAM!
Shazam, formerly Captain Marvel, is a superhero with one of the more unique and layered origin stories out there. In short, a kid by the name of Billy Batson receives powers from an ancient wizard tasked with guarding the Seven Deadly Sins. By calling out the wizard’s name, the kid transforms into the titular being, unveiling his magical abilities.
If it all sounds a bit confusing, it’s because it most definitely is, and we’re just scratching the surface here. Yet it’s that very same, rich lore that makes Shazam one of the more interesting and sadly overlooked superheroes in recent memory, even though he was once more popular than the Man of Steel himself.
At the time of writing, neither Shazam nor Billy Batson have been mentioned in any of The CW shows, making it doubtful we’ll see the superhuman entity making its debut in the Arrowverse. A Shazam movie is in the works, however, with Dwayne The Rock Johnson playing the hero’s nemesis, Black Adam.
Constantine
Initially dropped by NBC, Constantine introduced us to the titular master of the occult, with Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag’s Matt Ryan reprising the role of John Constantine in an episode of Arrow’s fourth season. Not only did the guest appearance of Constantine lead to one of The CW’s most-watched episodes yet, but fans have since petitioned for the beloved demon hunter to return to the Arrowverse, either in a new solo series or as a member of the Legends of Tomorrow.
With magic playing a larger role in the Arrowverse than ever before, it seems likely that we haven’t seen the last of John Constantine yet, and that’s a thrilling thought indeed. Whether it’s in the near future as a cameo appearance or starring in his own show once more, we surely can’t wait to see him on the small screen again.
Green Lantern
During multiple episodes of Arrow, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow, Hal’s hometown of Coast City has been name-dropped and explored. The airstrip on which Barry Allen performs his first speed test, for example, is located in the aforementioned city. It’s safe to assume Hal Jordan at the very least exists within the Arrowverse, and while he may not be a Lantern just yet, the vastness of space and time as explored by the Time Masters in Legends of Tomorrow may just be our gateway to the Emerald Crusader’s debut.
The CW can beautifully balance series-long story lines with episodic endeavors, which would serve Green Lantern well. The hero often takes to space and other planets to fend off evil or to protect planet Earth, and that may lead to some interesting aspects we’ve not yet witnessed within the Arrowverse.
Nightwing
Once Batman’s trusted sidekick and now Blüdhaven’s very own vigilante, Nightwing is a hero that has a story worth telling.
During Arrow’s current season, a villain references Nightwing’s city a handful of times, proving it’s still a crime-ridden hell hole that’s without protector. Nightwing’s existence within the Arrowverse is unknown, but it’s safe to assume at least Bruce Wayne exists, since the Bat himself is the final quick dial on Earth-2 Barry’s phone, as well as a news article in The Flash’s first season hinting towards a merger between Wayne Tech and Queen Industries. And depending on Bruce’s age if that is the case, there certainly has to be a Nightwing as well.
There are quite a few interpretations as to how Dick Grayson became Nightwing. One of the most popular versions is that Dick was too erratic, which ultimately led to Batman dismissing him. He then went his own way, moving to Blüdhaven and adopting the alias of Nightwing. The former duo still teams up from time to time, but with all the friction between them, Nightwing deems it wiser to leave Gotham to the Bat whilst taking care of Blüdhaven himself.
It’s his place within the superhero world and his unique ties to other icons that make Nightwing a noteworthy character, yet his incredible flexibility and surprisingly advanced suit truly define this versatile vigilante. Being a trusted ally of both Batman and Superman, Nightwing aims to honor both, all while doing his own thing.
Booster Gold
As with most superhero origins, there are multiple origin stories to Booster Gold. In the most popular one, he comes from 25th century Gotham, escaping a troubled life in which he meddled with betting and sports. Scavenging a wide arsenal of superhero tech from a museum, Michael Carter quickly became known in the 21st century after saving the President of the United States. While he wanted to be called Goldstar, he nervously mixed it in with his high school nickname, Booster.
What sets Booster apart from other heroes is that he enjoys the fame quite a bit. In fact, he has signed multiple movie and ad deals in the comic book lore, turning him into the beloved star his insignia proudly represents. His story is a much lighter one than we’ve grown to know these past few years, and is in some ways akin to Marvel’s Star Lord.
Since most series in the Arrowverse are quite serious and rather gritty at times, Booster Gold could provide some much-needed comedic relief on The CW. In fact, Michael Carter is already tied to Rip Hunter in an odd way, since he used the aforementioned Time Master’s Time Sphere to transport himself back to the 21st century to begin with.
With Rip having parted ways with the team recently in Legends of Tomorrow, maybe the arrival of Booster Gold is nigh? It’s quite likely the two have already met, since Booster Gold infrequently goes by the name of Wave Rider, which is evidently the name of Hunter’s time-travelling space ship in the series.
Lobo
In Legends of Tomorrow, we have come across our fair share of intergalactic space pirates already. However, there is one bounty hunter we haven’t heard of yet, that being none other than the vicious Lobo himself.
This cigar smoking, motorcycle riding mercenary is one of today’s most underrated heroes, with many comparing him to Marvel’s Deadpool. Born on Czarnia, Lobo committed genocide on his very own race for a mere school assignment. In the end, the careless killer even awarded himself an A rating. C’mon, who wouldn’t want a guy like that to get a TV show?
Zatanna
Often tied to Constantine, Zatanna is one of DC’s most powerful magicians. She utilizes the backwards pronunciation of words and sentences to cast devastating spells, often making quick work of the opposition. By day, Zatanna doesn’t forget her ties with magic, performing on stage to honor her father who taught her all about her mystical abilities.
Seeing how big of a role magic is beginning to play within the Arrowverse, now might be the ideal time to introduce Zatanna into this world. What makes Zatanna such an interesting persona is that she fully embraces the magical side of things. She’s even a bit more extreme than Marvel’s Doctor Strange, meaning the Arrowverse could explore its magical ties in much greater detail with the introduction of Zatanna.
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