Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 23:10, 10 May 2017

Arrowverse
Promotional image for the 2016–17 television season
Created by	Greg Berlanti Marc Guggenheim Andrew Kreisberg Geoff Johns Phil Klemmer
Original work	Arrow
Years	2012–present
Print publications
Comics	See below
Films and television
Television series	Arrow The Flash Legends of Tomorrow
Animated series	Vixen Freedom Fighters: The Ray Constantine
Audio
Original music	Blake Neely
Miscellaneous
Web series	Blood Rush Chronicles of Cisco
Crossovers	Constantine Supergirl

The Arrowverse is a shared fictional universe that is centered on television series airing on The CW, developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg, Phil Klemmer and Geoff Johns, based on characters appearing in publications by DC Comics. The shared universe, much like the DC Universe in comic books or the cinematic DC Extended Universe, was established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast, and characters. The Arrowverse stars Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen / Green Arrow, Grant Gustin as Barry Allen / Flash, Megalyn Echikunwoke as Mari Jiwe McCabe / Vixen, with an ensemble cast leading Legends of Tomorrow, including Arthur Darvill as Rip Hunter, Caity Lotz as Sara Lance / White Canary, Victor Garber as Martin Stein / Firestorm and Brandon Routh as Ray Palmer / Atom.

The first television series was Arrow, based on the character Green Arrow, which debuted in October 2012. The universe was expanded with the series The Flash in October 2014, which is based on Barry Allen / Flash. The universe expanded further in August 2015 with the animated series Vixen on The CW Seed, and again with the live-action team up series Legends of Tomorrow in January 2016. The franchise has also crossed over with DC Comics television shows which air on other networks; Arrow crossed over with the short-lived NBC series Constantine in the former's fourth season, while there have been multiple crossovers with the Supergirl TV series, primarily following its move from CBS to The CW.

Many actors and characters have appeared across each of the series, with Wentworth Miller, John Barrowman and Katie Cassidy signing deals to become series regulars across Arrow, The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow as Leonard Snart / Captain Cold, Malcolm Merlyn / Dark Archer and Laurel Lance / Black Canary & Black Siren, respectively.

Development

In January 2012, The CW ordered a pilot for Arrow, centered around the character Green Arrow and developed by Andrew Kreisberg, Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim. Stephen Amell was cast in the titular role. When developing the series, Guggenheim expressed that the creative team wanted to "chart own course, own destiny", and avoid any direct connections to the series Smallville, which featured its own Green Arrow (Justin Hartley). In July 2013, it was announced that Berlanti, Kreisberg, and Geoff Johns would be creating a spin-off television series based on The Flash. The character, played by actor Grant Gustin, was set to appear in three episodes of Arrow's second season, with the third acting as a backdoor pilot for the new series, though a traditional pilot was eventually ordered instead.

In January 2015, the CW announced that an animated web-series featuring the DC heroine Vixen would be debuting on CW Seed in late 2015 and be set in the same universe as both Arrow and The Flash. Amell and Gustin reprise their respective roles in the series, and the character of Vixen was expected to make a live-action appearance on The Flash and/or Arrow as well. The next month, it was reported that another spin-off series, described as a superhero team-up show, was being discussed by The CW for a possible 2015–16 midseason release. Berlanti, Kreisberg, Guggenheim, and Sarah Schechter would executive produce the potential series, which would be headlined by several recurring characters from both Arrow and The Flash. That May, the CW officially confirmed DC's Legends of Tomorrow for a January 2016 premiere. Pedowitz later stated, "There is no intention, at this point, to spin anything else off" to add to the universe, though after Vixen was renewed for a second season he said that, "Hopefully, that character could actually spin itself out, if not, maybe join as one of the Legends" in Legends of Tomorrow.

In August 2015, in a video about the production of Vixen's first season, Guggenheim referred to the series' shared universe as the "Arrowverse", which Kreisberg confirmed was the name the producers use for it. The universe has also been referred to by the media as the "Flarrowverse", "Berlanti-verse" and "DC TV-verse". In October, additional Arrow showrunner Wendy Mericle revealed that the producers had begun having someone track all the characters and plots used by each series, in order to make sure everything lines up, though The Flash executive producer Aaron Helbing noted in April 2016 that "sometimes the schedules don’t line up exactly...and that stuff is out of our control", such as when the Flash is shown using his abilities on Arrow that month, while not having them the same week on The Flash.

In August 2016, the CW announced the animated web-series Freedom Fighters: The Ray for CW Seed, with the intent of the actor cast as Raymond "Ray" Terrill to appear in the live-action series, much like Mari McCabe / Vixen. The following January, the animated web-series Constantine was announced, also for CW Seed. Matt Ryan was revealed to be reprising his role as John Constantine, after making a guest appearing in Arrow's fourth season, as well as in the short-lived live-action series. Pedowitz stated there were no plans "at this point in time" for Ryan to appear in any of the Arrowverse live-action series and noted there had yet to be discussions regarding if any other characters that appeared in the cancelled live-action series to appear in the web series, nor if this version of the character would "connect back to the live action storylines he's been a part of." Berlanti, Schechter and David S. Goyer will serve as executive producers, with Goyer having been one of the creators of the live-action series.

Main series

Arrow (2012–present)

The series follows Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell), billionaire playboy of Starling City, who spends five years shipwrecked on a mysterious island. Upon his return to Starling City, he is reunited with his mother, Moira Queen (Susanna Thompson), his sister, Thea Queen (Willa Holland), and his friend, Tommy Merlyn (Colin Donnell). The first season focuses on Oliver rekindling his relationships and spending his nights hunting down and sometimes killing wealthy criminals as a hooded vigilante. He uncovers a conspiracy to destroy "The Glades", a poorer section of the city that has become overridden with crime. John Diggle (David Ramsey) and Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) assist Oliver in his crusade. Oliver also reconnects with ex-girlfriend, Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy), who is still angry over his role in her sister's presumed death and the fact that he was at the time cheating on her with said sister. The first season also features flashbacks to Oliver's time on the island, and how it changed him; this continues in subsequent seasons, with each season's worth of flashbacks corresponding roughly to a year.

In season two, Oliver has vowed to stop crime without killing criminals, and comes under attack from Slade Wilson (Manu Bennett), a man from Oliver's time on the island who resurfaces with a vendetta against him. Oliver must also contend with outside forces attempting to take over Queen Consolidated, guilt from decisions he made in the past, and secrets harbored by his family and friends. Oliver grows to accept aspiring vigilante Roy Harper (Colton Haynes) as his protégé, and begins to receive assistance from Laurel's father, Officer Quentin Lance (Paul Blackthorne). Oliver also gains another ally; a mysterious woman in black, who is eventually revealed to be Laurel's sister, Sara Lance (Caity Lotz), who had survived her ordeal at sea years prior.

In season three, Arrow has become a public hero in Starling City following Slade Wilson's defeat. Queen Consolidated is sold to wealthy businessman, scientist, and aspiring hero Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh). Oliver struggles to bring his family back together, an old enemy returns, and Oliver becomes embroiled into a conflict with Ra's al Ghul (Matthew Nable). After a rocky start, Laurel sets out to follow in Sara's footsteps as the Black Canary. John Diggle struggles with his new role as a family man, as Oliver no longer wants him in the field after the birth of John's daughter, while Felicity Smoak begins a new career as Vice President of Palmer Technologies (formerly Queen Consolidated).

In season four, Oliver takes on a refined persona as "Green Arrow". He and his allies fight against the terrorist organization H.I.V.E., headed by Damien Darhk (Neal McDonough), who plans to destroy Star City (formerly Starling City). John Diggle is concerned with finding H.I.V.E. and learning the reason for the murder of his brother, Andy. Thea joins the team under the alias "Speedy", but must learn to control herself while fighting, as she now has a blood-lust that may never be fully quenched as a side effect of the Lazarus Pit. Laurel struggles to bring Sara back after learning of Thea's resurrection from the Pit. Oliver decides to run for mayor. Despite having found happiness with Felicity (now CEO of Palmer Technologies) and planning to propose to her, Oliver discovers that he is the biological father to a boy he unknowingly conceived ten years previously with a former girlfriend, Samantha Clayton (Anna Hopkins), whose discovery threatens to destabilize his relationship with Felicity, his life as the Green Arrow, and his mayoral campaign. Oliver ultimately discovers that Damien plans on detonating nuclear weapons and ruling a new world over the Earth's ashes. In flashbacks, Oliver returns to Lian Yu to infiltrate the organization known as Shadowspire on behalf of Amanda Waller, and has his first encounter with the mystical idol used by Darhk in the present-day narrative.

In season five, Oliver trains up young heroes Wild Dog (Rick Gonzalez), Mister Terrific (Echo Kellum), Artemis (Madison McLaughlin) and Ragman (Joe Dinicol) to join him in his war on crime following Laurel's death and Thea and Diggle's resignations, while he tries his best to balance his vigilantism with his new role as mayor.Oliver also faces the threat of a dark and shadowy enemy named Prometheus , who has a deep-rooted vendetta against him. In flashbacks, Oliver is living in Russia, where he joins the Bratva as part of an assassination ploy.

The Flash (2014–present)

After witnessing his mother's mysterious murder and his father's wrongful conviction for the crime, Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) is taken in by Detective Joe West (Jesse L. Martin) and his daughter, Iris (Candice Patton). Allen becomes a brilliant but socially awkward crime scene investigator for the Central City Police Department. His obsession with his tragic past causes him to become an outcast among his peers; he investigates cold cases, paranormal occurrences, and cutting-edge scientific advancements that may shed light on his mother's murder. No one believes his description of the crime—that a ball of lightning with the face of a man invaded their home that night—and Allen is fiercely driven to vindicate himself and to clear his father's name. Fourteen years after his mother's death, an advanced particle accelerator at S.T.A.R. Labs malfunctions during its public unveiling, bathing the city center with a previously unknown form of radiation and creating a severe thunderstorm. Allen is struck by lightning from the storm and doused with chemicals in his lab. Awakening after a nine-month coma, he discovers he has the ability to move at superhuman speeds. Dr. Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh), the disgraced designer of the failed particle accelerator, describes Barry's special nature as "metahuman"; Allen soon discovers that he is not the only one who was changed by the radiation. Allen vows to use his gifts to protect Central City from the escalating violence of metahuman criminals. He is aided by a few close friends and associates who guard his secrets, including S.T.A.R. Labs team members Cisco Ramon (Carlos Valdes) and Caitlin Snow (Danielle Panabaker).

Six months after the events of the first season, after a singularity event, the Flash is recognized as Central City's hero. Jay Garrick (Teddy Sears), the Flash from Earth-Two, in a parallel universe, visits Barry and warns him another speedster named Zoom (voiced by Tony Todd) is trying to eliminate everyone connected to the Speed Force throughout the multiverse. Jay, and later Harrison Wells' Earth-Two counterpart, work to help Barry and his friends stop Zoom. Joe and Iris struggle with their shared painful past related to their family, especially after the arrival of Iris's brother Wally West (Keiynan Lonsdale), whom her mother Francine West (Vanessa A. Williams) gave birth to shortly after abandoning her family. Cisco initially begins having visions or "vibes" of other times, places, and dimensions upon touching certain objects, he is given the nickname Vibe. He later finds his metahuman powers can also be used to open portals to other worlds and create sonic vibrations. After Zoom kills Barry's father, the season concludes with Barry travelling back in time to save his mother's life from the Reverse-Flash.

After changing all of history, Barry inadvertently alters the entire timeline, resulting in 'Flashpoint' timeline. Despite Barry's attempt to repair the damages he had caused, a new threat emerges from Flashpoint known as Alchemy, who seeks to destroy the Flash. It's later revealed that the self-proclaimed god of speed, Savitar wishes to kill Barry and make him suffer, believing him to be a threat to him due to "Flashpoint".

Vixen (2015–present)

After her parents were killed in Africa by local corruption, Mari McCabe (Megalyn Echikunwoke) inherits her family's Tantu Totem, gaining the powers of animals, using them to fight as Vixen to stop threats like those that claimed her family.

DC's Legends of Tomorrow (2016–present)

When Vandal Savage (Casper Crump) murders his family, Time Master Rip Hunter (Arthur Darvill) goes rogue, deciding to bring him down with a team consisting of Ray Palmer (who has taken the mantle of "the Atom"), Sara Lance (who has become the hero White Canary), Martin Stein (Victor Garber) and Jefferson "Jax" Jackson (Franz Drameh), who together become the hero Firestorm, Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl (Ciara Renee), Carter Hall/Hawkman (Falk Hentschel), Leonard Snart/Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller), and Mick Rory/Heat Wave (Dominic Purcell). However, the Time Masters actually backed Savage in his domination of the world in 2166, intending to repel a Thanagarian invasion. However, due to Snart's sacrifice, the Time Masters are destroyed. Savage attempts to rewrite history with a temporal explosion, but is killed by the team when he is rendered mortal by the same meteor he used for his scheme. With Savage dead, Kendra and Carter leave the team.

Following the demise of the Time Masters, Rip decides to take their place guarding history with Ray, Sara, Stein, Jax and Mick. However, they are warned by Rex Tyler (Patrick J. Adams) that they will die in 1942 New York City. They proceed to ignore the warning, resulting in Mick being put in stasis, Rip missing, and the rest of the team scattered in time. However, historian Nate Heywood (Nick Zano), aided by Oliver Queen, find Mick and the rest of the team. Sara replaces Rip as leader of the team. The pair rescues the rest of the team and proceed to locate the time criminals trying to alter history. Along the way, the team encounters the Justice Society of America, and following Tyler's death at the hands of the Reverse-Flash, Amaya Jiwe (Maisie Richardson-Sellers), Mari McCabe's grandmother, joins the team to locate Tyler's killer. Heywood also joins the team, taking on the identity of Steel as he gains the power to turn to steel. The threat of the Legion of Doom begins to take shape as the season goes on, with the Reverse-Flash, Damien Darhk, Malcolm Merlyn, and later Captain Cold joining forces against the team and changing reality for their own nefarious purposes.

Freedom Fighters: The Ray

Centered on the character Raymond "Ray" Terrill who is a reporter who gains light-based powers after being exposed to a genetic light bomb. Ray discovers the bomb in his investigation of a secret government project attempting to harness the power of light and weaponize it. The series was inspired by Grant Morrison's Multiversity.

Web series

Blood Rush (2013)

On November 6, 2013, a six-episode series of shorts, titled Blood Rush, premiered alongside the broadcast of Arrow, as well as online. The series, which was presented by Bose, and features product placement for Bose products, was shot on location in Vancouver, similarly to the main show. The miniseries features Emily Bett Rickards, Colton Haynes and Paul Blackthorne reprising their roles of Felicity Smoak, Roy Harper and Quentin Lance, respectively.

Chronicles of Cisco (2016)

On April 19, 2016, a web series titled Chronicles of Cisco, premiered. The series, which was presented by AT&T, features Valdes and Britne Oldford reprising their roles as Cisco Ramon and Shawna Baez respectively.

Comic books

Shared cast and characters

1. ^ Katie Cassidy, who portrays Laurel Lance / Black Canary, also portrays the Earth-Two version of Lance, the villainous "Black Siren", introduced on The Flash in a guest role before taking on a main role on Arrow.
2. ^ Emily Bett Rickards and John Barrowman were promoted to series regulars on Arrow in season 2 and season 3, respectively, after portraying their characters in a recurring capacity for the previous seasons.
3. Rowe portrays the Earth-Two version of Lawton.
4. Ryan previously appeared as the character in the NBC live-action series, Constantine. The Arrowverse version of the character would be the same that had appeared in the NBC series.
5. After serving as a series regular for the first two episodes of the first season, Hentschel received guest credit for his subsequent appearances.
6. In The Flash, as a result of Barry Allen's alteration of history, creating and then trying to revert the Flashpoint timeline, Sara Diggle was erased from existence; in the current timeline, John and Lyla instead have a son, John Diggle, Jr., as mentioned in The Flash episode "Paradox", who previously appeared as an adult on Legends of Tomorrow, and appeared as an infant in the Arrow episode "Vigilante".

After Miller's exit as a series regular during Legend of Tomorrow's first season, it was revealed he signed a deal with Warner Bros. to become a series regular across any of the shows in the Arrowverse. The deal was initially focused on Miller and his character Leonard Snart appearing on The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow. Berlanti stated that Miller's deal was "the first contract not applicable to just one show," adding "In success we hope to continue with other characters finding their way across all the shows." Barrowman signed a similar deal to Miller in July 2016, allowing him to continue being a series regular on Arrow as well as The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow, followed by Cassidy.

Crossovers

1. Though Legends of Tomorrow did not have an episode as part of the 2015–16 crossover, the Arrow and The Flash episodes from this event did set up a number of characters who star and recur in that series.
2. While not officially part of the crossover, "Versus Zoom", the eighteenth episode of the second season of The Flash, featured Barry entering and exiting the breach to Earth-38 between two moments.
3. Though Supergirl does not have an episode as part of the 2016–17 crossover, the end of the Supergirl episode "Medusa", with Barry and Cisco recruiting her from her universe, is considered the beginning of the crossover, resulting in her appearing in the other series' episodes.
4. The end of the Supergirl episode "Star-Crossed" began the musical crossover that primarily occurs during "Duet".

After "Invasion!", Guggenheim felt "If there’s an appetite for it from the fans and from the network," the crossover next year could be "a proper four-part crossover." In December 2016, Mericle revealed that planning for next year's crossover had already begun, saying "We actually sort of do, believe it or not, have a concept for what we want to do for next year’s crossover. It’s crazy."

Constantine (live-action)

By May 2015, Amell had had discussions with DC Entertainment about portraying Queen on NBC's Constantine, starring Matt Ryan; saying, "The reason that I was going to guest star on Constantine...was an expert when it comes to the Lazarus Pit, which is now something that is a part of and will continue to be a part of Arrow." Amell stated that, even though Constantine was not renewed for a second season, a crossover "was and is still on the table". Guggenheim revealed a desire to integrate John Constantine into the Arrowverse, saying, "A lot of the pieces are in place, except for that one final piece, which is what’s the fate of Constantine? That’s the tricky thing. But it comes up in the writers’ room constantly — we have a number of ideas, one idea that’s particularly exciting to me. We’re in a little bit of a wait-and-see mode". In July 2015, Mericle added on the subject, "It's something we've been talking to DC about and it's just a question of some political things, but also 's schedule."

In August 2015, it was confirmed that Ryan would appear in Arrow's fourth-season episode "Haunted" for a "one-time-only-deal". Guggenheim said, "This is something the fans were clamoring for," praising DC for being so "magnanimous and generous in giving us this one-time dispensation." Due to Arrow and Constantine sharing the same studio, the producers of Arrow were able to use Ryan's original outfits: "The trench coat, the tie, the shirt...the whole wardrobe is being taken out for [sic] storage and shipped up to Vancouver ." John Badham, a director on Constantine, directed the episode that Constantine appears in. Mericle confirmed that this version of Constantine would be the same character that had appeared in Constantine. On filming the episode, Guggenheim referred to it as "a Constantine/Arrow crossover" and felt that "we got the chance to extend Matt Ryan’s run as Constantine by at least one more hour of television. I think you’ll see he fits very neatly into our universe. It never feels forced". In August 2016, Berlanti spoke to why Constantine was not used more in Arrow or the other Arrowverse series after the positive reception to Ryan's performance, saying, "Constantine exists in a certain place in the DC world and universe" and that he felt DC was "internally examining what they want to do with that character next." In January 2017, Constantine was revived as an animated web series, set to air on the CW Seed, with Ryan once again voicing the character.

Supergirl

In November 2014, Berlanti expressed interest in his CBS series Supergirl existing in the same universe as Arrow and The Flash, and in January 2015, The CW president Mark Pedowitz revealed that he was also open to a crossover between the series and networks. However, CBS president Nina Tassler stated that month that, "those two shows are on a different network. So I think we'll keep Supergirl to ourselves for awhile." In August 2015, Tassler revealed that while there were no plans at the time to do story crossovers, the three series would have crossover promotions. In January 2016, Tassler's successor Glenn Geller said "I have to be really careful what I say here" in regards to a potential Supergirl/Arrowverse crossover, so "Watch and wait and see what happens."

In February 2016, it was announced that Gustin would appear on the Supergirl episode "Worlds Finest", with Berlanti and Kreisberg, also Supergirl executive producers, thanking "the fans and journalists who have kept asking for this to happen. It is our pleasure and hope to create an episode worthy of everyone’s enthusiasm and support." In "Worlds Finest", Supergirl is established as being in an alternate universe where the Flash helps Kara fight the Silver Banshee and Livewire in exchange for her help in returning home. The events of the episode intersect with the events of the eighteenth episode of The Flash season two, "Versus Zoom". The crossover required "a lot more logistical trickery" than the usual Arrowverse crossovers due to Gustin filming The Flash in Vancouver alongside Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow, while Supergirl is produced in Los Angeles. The producers chose to use the Flash as the character to crossover, due to his ability to travel between various Earths, and because it was "a little more fun at first to bring the veteran from that show to the chemistry of a new show." Berlanti stated that "in a perfect world", the crossover would have featured both Gustin and Amell's Green Arrow, "but logistically that would have been a nightmare to try and do both shows. We had to facilitate one." Gustin was optimistic that the crossover in 2016 would allow another crossover the following year with the rest of the Arrowverse shows.

In May 2016, it was announced that Supergirl would move from CBS to The CW for its second season, as well as moving production from Los Angeles to Vancouver, where the CW Arrowverse series film. The second season premiered on October 10, 2016. It was also announced that Supergirl would appear on Arrow, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow during the 2016–17 season crossover episodes, though Guggenheim cautioned that "She is going to be coming over but we’re not going to do a full on Supergirl crossover". Kreisberg also confirmed that, despite the series moving to The CW, the title character's universe would not be integrated into the Arrowverse. The Earth the series inhabits is Earth-38 in the Arrowverse multiverse, and has been informally referred to as "Earth-CBS" by Guggenheim, named for the network where Supergirl first aired.

Marketing

In April 2015, to celebrate the season three finale of Arrow and season one finale of The Flash, The CW released a short promo titled "Superhero Fight Club". The short features characters from Arrow and The Flash battling each other in a hero vs. villain showdown. Characters include Arrow, Flash, Arsenal, Black Canary, Merlyn, Captain Cold, Heat Wave, Firestorm, Ra’s al Ghul, Reverse-Flash, and the A.T.O.M. in a cage match fight. In September 2016, The CW released the promo "Superhero Fight Club 2.0" to promote the start of the 2016-17 season with the addition of Supergirl to their lineup, as well as their new mobile app, where the promo could exclusively be viewed initially. The new Superhero Fight Club sees Green Arrow, Flash, Atom, Firestorm, White Canary and Supergirl go up against a new fight simulator created by Cisco Ramon and Felicity Smoak, while Diggle and Martian Manhunter observe. After defeating the simulator, Cisco releases Grodd into the arena for the heroes to face.

Reception

Ratings

Critical response

Commentary

After the first Arrow/Flash crossover, Brian Lowry of Variety talked about the spin-off series and the crossover, applauding the producers for replicating the success of Arrow but with "a lighter tone" and "a hero with genuine super powers" in The Flash, and calling the crossover an appropriate moment for everyone concerned to take a short but well-deserved victory lap." Lowry also said that the crossover "does a nifty job of bringing the two series together, although probably not in a manner likely to boost the shared audience between them much more than already exists." Meredith Borders at Birth.Movies.Death. called the crossover episodes "fun" and said positively that "too much happened that was unrelated to one show or the other – and that's a good thing. While the crossover episodes were definitely open to new viewers of either The Flash or Arrow (or both, presumably), with each episode wrapped up tidily by the end of its hour, plenty of show-specific plot stuff was advanced without spelling it out for newbies. New viewers to either show could follow along and have a good time, but veteran viewers were rewarded with major storyline motion."

Following the release of the first trailer for Supergirl, Paul Tassi wrote for Forbes about why he felt that series should be kept separate from the Arrowverse: He called the moment in the Arrow third-season finale where Barry Allen appears briefly, but abruptly leaves since "Arrow needs to let its own characters solve its problems", a "weird moment" that shows "the cracks form when it’s just two shows that have to work together on the regular." Tassi then noted the further complications of adding Supergirl, saying, "The more shows you have, the more heroes you introduce, the harder it is to keep explaining away why they’re not constantly around to help each other. Supergirl already has that problem built-in with Superman, who it seems will not be a regular fixture on the show, and I’m sure there will be many excuses as to why he’s too busy to help Supergirl fight her latest battle. Add in Arrow, The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow mythology, and it’s probably too much to juggle....I think Supergirl deserves to launch without Arrow and The Flash on its shoulders, and be allowed to find itself before being assimilated into an existing universe."

With the premiere of Legends of Tomorrow, ScreenRant's Alice Walker discussed how the series "has hurt Arrow and The Flash", noting that the latter required minimal setup when it was spun-off from the former and had an element of mystery surrounding its quality with "a "wait and see" attitude" from audiences, while Legends was instead met with much excitement long before its release leading to each piece of news concerning it being "publicized and met with fanfare – to the detriment of the other shows involved." Walker felt that audiences knowing which characters would appear in Legends, and how, took "the thrill out of the story" of the other series as such information spoiled some of their upcoming plot twists, including the resurrection of Sara Lance or the fact that Ray Palmer "could never really pose a threat to Oliver and Felicity ’s relationship, or run Palmer Technologies long term, since it was widely known that he would be a huge part of Legends." Additionally, the annual Arrow/The Flash crossover suffered from also trying to set up Legends, which was "too much to ask from the already crowded storylines and ended up feeling like an exercise in synchronicity, with producers planting more seeds than they could reap. The crossover event was no longer a fun way to contrast the two shows; it now had to serve the much larger purpose of setting up an entirely new world." Walker stated that the premiere of Legends "means that Arrow and The Flash can finally stop dedicating so much time and plot to laying the groundwork for the spin-off, and start focusing on the fundamentals of their own shows again."

Multiverse

In October 2014, Johns explained that DC's approach to their films and television series would be different to Marvel Studios' cinematic universe, stating that their film universe and TV universes would be kept separate within a multiverse to allow "everyone to make the best possible product, to tell the best story, to do the best world." The second season of The Flash began to explore this concept of the multiverse, by introducing Earth-2, which features doppelgängers of the inhabitants in the Arrowverse (or Earth-1). In the episode "Welcome to Earth-2" of The Flash, glimpses of the multiverse are seen, including an image of Supergirl star Melissa Benoist as Supergirl and an image of John Wesley Shipp as the Flash from the 1990 television series, implying that those two television series exist on alternate Earths to the Arrowverse; Supergirl was confirmed as an alternate Earth with The Flash crossover episode "Worlds Finest", and is designated as Earth-38.

References

1. Hibberd, Justin (January 12, 2012). "'Green Arrow' TV series near pilot order at The CW!". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
2. Goldman, Eric (January 18, 2012). "Green Arrow TV Pilot Ordered by CW". IGN. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
3. Andreeva, Natalie (January 31, 2012). "Stephen Amell Is Green Arrow: Lands Title Role In CW Drama Pilot 'Arrow'". Deadline. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
4. Strachan, Alex (October 11, 2012). "Stephen Amell brings Arrow to small screen". Canada.com. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
5. Andreeva, Nellie (July 30, 2013). "CW Eyes 'Flash' Series With 'Arrow's Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg & David Nutter". Deadline. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
6. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (July 30, 2013). "'Flash' Writers Preview the CW's Newest Superhero". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
7. Goldberg, Lesley (January 29, 2014). "'Supernatural' Spinoff, Rob Thomas' 'iZombie,' 'Flash' Ordered to Pilot at CW". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
8. "DC Comics' Vixen Coming To CW Seed". KSiteTV. January 11, 2015. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
9. ^ Brooks, Tamara (March 6, 2015). "GUGGENHEIM, BUTTERS ON "AGENT CARTER'S" FUTURE, "ARROW'S" ROGUES & MORE". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on March 7, 2015. Retrieved March 7, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
10. "The CW's Mark Pedowitz On Expanding Flash-Arrow Universe, 'Dixie's Future, Another 'Supernatural' Spinoff & More". Deadline Hollywood. January 11, 2015. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
11. Dyce, Andrew (May 2, 2015). "'The Flash/Arrow' Spinoff Going Straight to Series; Premieres January 2016". screenrant.com. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
12. Kondolojy, Amanda (May 7, 2015). "'DC's Legends of Tomorrow', 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend' & 'Cordon' Ordered to Series by The CW". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
13. Villarreal, Yvonne (August 11, 2015). "CW president Mark Pedowitz says 'no intention' for more DC spinoffs". Los Angeles Time. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
14. Foutch, Haleigh (January 11, 2016). "'Vixen' Renewed for Season 2 Ahead of Megalyn E.K.'s 'Arrow' Appearance". Collider.com. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
15. CW Seed (August 21, 2015). Vixen Series Premiere Featurette CW Seed. YouTube. Event occurs at 0:11. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
16. Bucksbaum, Sydney (December 3, 2015). "'Supergirl,' 'The Flash' EP Shoots Down Crossover Rumors". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
17. Bucksbaum, Sydney (July 23, 2016). "Comic-Con: 'Supergirl' Star Tyler Hoechlin Talks "Responsibility" of Playing Superman". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
18. "Will the Berlanti-verse spin Vixen off next?". Entertainment Weekly. February 25, 2016. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
19. "FLASHPOINT Officially Comes to CW's DC-Verse". Newsarama. July 20, 2016. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
20. Goldman, Eric (October 4, 2015). "ARROW SHOWRUNNER ON SEASON 4 INTRODUCING DAMIEN DARHK, "GREEN ARROW" AND MORE HUMOR". IGN. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
21. Mitovich, Matt Webb (April 26, 2012). "Matt's Inside Line: Scoop on Castle, Grey's, Once, Grimm, The Flash, Bones, Reign, P.D., Secrets and Lies and More". TVLine. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
22. ^ Dornbusch, Jonathan (August 11, 2016). "CW INTRODUCING DC'S THE RAY IN NEW ANIMATED SERIES AND, EVENTUALLY, IN LIVE ACTION". IGN. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
23. ^ Schwartz, Terri (January 8, 2017). "CONSTANTINE IS BACK WITH MATT RYAN AS A CW SEED ANIMATED SERIES". IGN. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
24. ^ Stanhope, Kate (January 8, 2017). "'Constantine' Resurrected as Animated Series by CW Seed". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
25. ^ Sullivan, Brian (August 12, 2016). "Hey folks, just to clarify: we are definitely doing 23 episodes again of #Arrow this year; same with #TheFlash. Honest mistake during TCA". Twitter. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
26. Burlingame, Russ (January 15, 2013). "Arrow Showrunners on the Rest of the Season". Comicbook.com. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
27. Mitovich, Matt (April 23, 2013). "Arrow Boss Talks Dark Archer's 'Epic' Master Plan, Tommy's Twisted Loyalty and a Spilled Truth". TV Line. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
28. Menza, Kaitlin (May 14, 2014). "ARROW'S EXECUTIVE PRODUCER SHARES THE SECRET TO FELICITY AND OLIVER'S CHEMISTRY". OK! Magazine. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
29. Glick, Martin (September 18, 2013). "ARROW SEASON 2'S BLACK CANARY "AVENGES WRONGED WOMEN"". SciFiNow. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
30. Brownworth, Victoria A. (March 12, 2014). "5 Reasons to Watch CW's Arrow and 'Quiver!'". Pride. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
31. Nicholson, Max (January 7, 2015). "ARROW SHOWRUNNER ON WHETHER BATMAN COULD EVER APPEAR, SUPERGIRL CROSSOVER POTENTIAL". IGN. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
32. Reilly, Travis (October 6, 2015). "'Arrow' Showrunners Reveal How Oliver Queen Suddenly Became Hilarious". MovieFone. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
33. Wickline, Dan (April 24, 2015). "Arrow Season Four Will Have New Co-Showrunner". BleedingCool. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
34. Topel, Fred (October 5, 2016). "Interview: 'Arrow' Showrunner Wendy Mericle on Dolph Lundgren, Metahumans, and What's Ahead in Season 5". Slash Film. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
35. Mitovich, Matt (January 10, 2017). "Arrow EPs Talk Laurel Promo, Planting of 'Seed' and Black Canary's Return". TV Line. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
36. ^ DeGray, Nick (March 13, 2017). "Season Finale dates for May". WWLP.com. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
37. ^ Mitovich, Matt (January 8, 2017). "The CW Renews The Flash, Supernatural, Crazy Ex and 4 Others". TVLine. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
38. Huver, Scott (September 11, 2014). ""THE FLASH" SHOWRUNNER ANDREW KREISBERG RACES BETWEEN TV & COMICS". CBR. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
39. Abrams, Natalie (September 10, 2015). "The Flash season 2: New characters revealed by showrunner Andrew Kreisberg: Spoilers". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
40. Goldman, Eric (October 2, 2015). "THE FLASH SHOWRUNNER TALKS JAY GARRICK, ZOOM AND MORE IN SEASON 2". IGN. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
41. H., Callum (April 29, 2016). "The Flash showrunner promises that Season 2's finale will be packed full of emotion and epicness". Melty. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
42. Topel, Fred (October 6, 2016). "Interview: 'The Flash' Showrunner Aaron Helbing on Evil Speedsters and Kevin Smith Directing". Slash Film. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
43. Mitovich, Matt (December 1, 2016). "Matt's Inside Line: Scoop on The Flash, Once, Supernatural, Five-0, Lucifer, S.H.I.E.L.D., Chicago Fire and More!". TV Line. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
44. Andreeva, Nellie (June 24, 2015). "'DC's Legends Of Tomorrow' Taps Phil Klemmer As Showrunner". Deadline.com. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
45. Andreeva, Nellie (September 14, 2016). "ABC Buys FBI Drama From Chris Fedak, Magician David Kwong & Berlanti TV". Deadline.com. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
46. Roots, Kimberly (August 11, 2016). "Gay Superhero Series 'Freedom Fighters: The Ray' Ordered at CW Seed". TVLine. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
47. Lam, Steve (June 28, 2015). "SDCC 2015: Comic-Con Schedule For Saturday, July 11, 2015". Bam! Smack! Pow!. Fansided. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
48. Beedle, Tim (May 7, 2015). "Breaking News: DC's Legends of Tomorrow, a New Arrow and Flash Spinoff Series, is Coming to The CW". DC Comics. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
49. Ching, Albert (May 14, 2015). "Vandal Savage Announced as "Legends of Tomorrow" Villain". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
50. Graser, Marc (November 8, 2013). "Bose and 'Arrow:' Sound Company Helps the CW Launch Superhero Spinoff 'Blood Rush'". Variety. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
51. Siegel, Lucas (April 19, 2016). "The Flash: Chronicles Of Cisco Part 1 Released". Comicbook.com. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
52. Marston, George (January 6, 2015). "JOHN BARROWMAN Writing ARROW: THE DARK ARCHER For DC". newsarama.com. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
53. "Exclusive: The Flash's Pilot Features an Arrow Crossover!". TV Guide. May 15, 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
54. Prudom, Laura (November 23, 2015). "Watch: 'DC's Legends of Tomorrow' Trailer Shows Time-Traveling Team in Action". Variety. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
55. Ching, Albert (March 16, 2015). "Wells Promises 'The Flash' Will Die in New Trailer for Upcoming Episodes". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
56. Foreman, Troy (November 17, 2015). "Interview: Katie Cassidy". thepcprinciple.com. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
57. Levine, Stuart (February 8, 2012). "Ramsey cast in CW's Arrow pilot". Variety. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
58. Radish, Christina (November 24, 2014). "THE FLASH VS. ARROW Crossover Interview; Stephen Amell, Grant Gustin, David Ramsey, Emily Bett Rickards, Danielle Panabaker, Carlos Valdes, and Producers Talk Two Night Crossover Event". Collider.com. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
59. ^ "Arrow/The Flash Crossover Photos". TV Line.
60. Goldman, Eric (March 31, 2015). "THE FLASH: NEW TRAILER REVEALS ANOTHER ARROW CROSSOVER". IGN. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
61. ^ Ratcliffe, Amy (March 27, 2016). "WonderCon: Legends of Tomorrow Footage Reveals Jonah Hex, Talia al Ghul and More". IGN. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
62. Marnell, Blair (February 12, 2013). "Emily Bett Rickards Promoted For 'Arrow' Season 2". CraveOnline. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
63. Ng, Philiana (May 15, 2014). "Arrow: John Barrowman Promoted to Series Regular for Season 3". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
64. ^ Abram, Natalie (July 18, 2014). "The Flash Casts Wentworth Miller, Plots Arrow Crossovers". TV Guide. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
65. ^ Lam, Steve (28 June 2015). "SDCC 2015: Comic-Con Schedule For Saturday, July 11, 2015". bamsmackpow.com. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
66. Abrahms, Natalie (2014). "DC's Legends of Tomorrow reveals Caity Lotz's character". Retrieved May 14, 2015.
67. Ching, Albert (February 21, 2014). "EXCLUSIVE: AMANDA WALLER UNLEASHES THE SUICIDE SQUAD ON "ARROW"". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
68. Burlingame, Russ (January 6, 2016). "EXCLUSIVE: Arrow's Diggle To Help The Flash Take On King Shark". Comicbook.com. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
69. Stoute, Scott (September 13, 2012). "11 Confirmed DC Comic Characters Appearing in CW's 'Arrow'". ScreenRant. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
70. Abrams, Natalie (February 9, 2016). "The Flash: 13 most shocking moments from Team Flash's trip to Earth-2". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
71. ^ Prudom, Laura. "'The Flash' and 'Supergirl' to Unite for Crossover Episode on CBS". Variety. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
72. ^ Abrams, Natalie (March 17, 2014). "Arrow Scoop: Which Flash Characters Are Heading to Starling City?". TV Guide. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
73. ^ Abrams, Natalie (October 18, 2016). "Arrow boss teases 100th episode, crossover catalyst". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
74. Abrams, Natalie (December 2, 2014). "'The Flash' drops a big 'Arrow' bombshell". Retrieved November 30, 2015.
75. ^ "'Arrow' Without Oliver? Producers Preview the Rise of Black Canary, Atom and Brick". Variety. January 21, 2015. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
76. ^ Damore, Meagan (July 20, 2016). "CASSIDY'S BLACK CANARY, ATOM & MORE WILL APPEAR IN "VIXEN" SEASON 2". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
77. Burlingame, Russ (December 18, 2015). "EXCLUSIVE: Matt Nable's Ra's al Ghul Coming to DC's Legends of Tomorrow". Retrieved December 18, 2015.
78. ^ Patten, Dominic (July 24, 2016). "'DC's Legends Of Tomorrow': Matt Letscher Joins Cast; Obsidian, Stargirl & Dr. Mid-Nite Coming In Season 2 – Comic-Con". Retrieved July 24, 2016.
79. Pavlica, Carissa (October 27, 2014). "The Flash Casts Malese Jow as Possible Love Interest". tvfanatic.com. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
80. Wickline, Dan (October 27, 2014). "Malese Jow Added To The Flash As Potential Love Interest". bleedingcool.com. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
81. Abrams, Natalie (August 26, 2015). "The Flash: Find out who's returning in season 2". ew.com. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
82. Swift, Andy (August 7, 2014). "Arrow's [Spoiler] Crosses Over to Flash". TV Line. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
83. Schedeen, Jesse (January 27, 2015). "Time To Pay The Piper". IGN. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
84. Dornbush, Jonathan (March 22, 2015). "Doug Jones teases The Flash appearance". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
85. ^ Goldman, Eric (August 12, 2015). "Arrow: Constantine Will Help Bring Sara Lance Back". IGN. Archived from the original on August 13, 2015. Retrieved August 13, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
86. Burlingame, Russ (November 4, 2015). "EXCLUSIVE: Legends of Tomorrow Casts Peter Francis James As Key Part of Hawkman/Hawkgirl Story". comicbook.com. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
87. Fowler, Matt (July 18, 2014). "The Flash: Prison Break Star To Play Captain Cold". IGN. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
88. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (February 26, 2015). "Arrow/Flash Superhero Team-Up Spinoff In Works At CW; Brandon Routh, Victor Garber, Wentworth Miller, Caity Lotz Star". Deadline. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
89. Ng, Philiana (September 3, 2014). "'The Flash' Stages 'Prison Break' Reunion (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 3, 2014.
90. Mitovich, Matt Webb (November 26, 2014). "Flash Scoop: The Voice of Gideon Is..." tvline. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
91. Mitovich, Matt Webb (January 21, 2016). "Legends of Tomorrow EP Spills a Secret Behind the Big Lie — Plus: Grade It!". tvline. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
92. Somosot, Janice (December 1, 2016). "'Arrow' 100th Episode Features A Shared Hallucination Between Oliver, Thea, Diggle, Ray & Sara". International Business Times Philippines. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
93. "'The Flash' Casting: Victor Garber To Recur As Dr. Martin Stein". Deadline.com. October 9, 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
94. Jayson, Jay (July 24, 2016). "Vixen Season 2 Sneak Peek Released". Comicbook.com. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
95. "DC'S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW SEASON FINALE RECAP: "LEGENDARY"". Nerdiest. May 20, 2016.
96. Ng, Philiana (March 7, 2014). "The CW's 'Flash' Adds Police Captain". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
97. Guggenheim, Marc (January 26, 2017). "Next week's Arrow features the fastest crossover with Flash we've ever done. #dontblink" (Tweet). Retrieved January 29, 2017 – via Twitter.
98. http://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/669951-emily-kinneys-bug-eyed-bandit-returns-in-new-arrow-photos
99. Damore, Meagan (May 7, 2015). "HAWKGIRL, OTHER "LEGENDS" STARS TO APPEAR IN "THE FLASH" SEASON FINALE". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
100. Couch, Aaron (July 15, 2015). "'The Flash' Casts Michael Ironside as Captain Cold's Father (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
101. Marnell, Blair (February 5, 2016). "DC'S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW RECAP: 'BLOOD TIES'". The Nerdist. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
102. Burlingame, Russ (October 7, 2015). "The Flash: The Fury of Firestorm Synopsis Revealed". Comicbook.com. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
103. Abrams, Natalie (April 23, 2015). "Edge of Tomorrow star joins the Arrow/Flash spinoff". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
104. Petski, Denise (August 3, 2015). "Falk Hentschel To Play Hawkman In 'Legends Of Tomorrow'". Deadline.
105. Byrne, Craig (August 22, 2015). "LEGENDS OF TOMORROW: PHIL KLEMMER TALKS HAWKMAN, ROMANCE, ATOM VS. ANT-MAN & MORE". DCLegendsTV.
106. ^ Burlingame, Russ (August 4, 2015). "Casper Crump to Play Vandal Savage on Legends of Tomorrow, Arrow and The Flash". Comicbook.com. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
107. Burlingame, Russ (August 23, 2015). "Hawkman Confirmed As Regular Part Of Legends Of Tomorrow". Comicbook.com.
108. Abrams, Natalie (August 19, 2016). "Spoiler Room: Scoop on Blindspot, Originals, SVU and more". EW.com.
109. Dyce, Andrew (February 1, 2017). "Black Flash's Return On Legends of Tomorrow Explained". Screen Rant. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
110. Tremeer, Eleanor (December 2, 2016). "'Legends Of Tomorrow' Made The Best 'Star Trek' Reference Ever — Easter Eggs From "Invasion!"". Movie Pilot. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
111. Abrams, Natalie (December 1, 2016). "The Dominators will return on Supergirl — here's why that's scary". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
112. Wagmeister, Elizabeth (2017-03-27). "Katie Cassidy Returning to 'Arrow' for Good as Black Siren". Variety. Retrieved 2017-03-28.
113. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knOt_obJJLM
114. Sands, Rich (July 2015). "Enter Vixen". TV Guide Comic-Con Special 2015: 17. "This is essentially a coming-of-age story," Arrow executive producer Marc Guggenheim says of the six-episode series, which will tell one complete 30-minute tale. A young woman named Mari McCabe (voiced by Megalyn Echikunwoke)... {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
115. Holbrook, Damian (December 18, 2015). "Exclusive: An Animated Vixen Comes to Life On Arrow". TV Insider. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
116. ^ Abrams, Natalie (February 25, 2016). "Legends of Tomorrow boss and Joseph David-Jones dissect Green Arrow reveal". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
117. Arrant, Chris (April 1, 2016). "Major BATMAN Character Debuts in DC'S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW". Newsarama. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
118. Mitovich, Matt Webb (November 2, 2016). "Arrow Casts Talia al Ghul With Continuum/Andromeda's Lexa Doig". TV Line. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
119. Andreeva, Nellie; Lincoln, Ross (June 15, 2016). "'DC's Legends Of Tomorrow': Nick Zano Joins As New Hero With Steel Pedigree". Deadline. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
120. Romano, Nick (November 10, 2016). "'Arrow,' 'Flash,' 'Supergirl,' and 'Legends' Casts Unite in New Crossover Images". Collider.com. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
121. Andreeva, Nellie (January 22, 2015). "Melissa Benoist Is Supergirl: CBS Pilot Casts 'Glee' Actress In Lead Role". Deadline.com. Retrieved January 22, 2015.
122. ^ Topei, Fred (July 27, 2016). "'Legends of Tomorrow' Season 2 Will Bring In Supergirl and Feature Major Historical Figures [Comic Con 2016]". /Film. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
123. ^ Schwartz, Terri (January 20, 2017). "The Flash / Supergirl Crossover Episode Details Revealed". IGN. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
124. Schedeen, Jesse (October 10, 2016). "SUPERGIRL: "THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERGIRL" REVIEW". IGN. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
125. Damore, Meagan (January 31, 2017). "THE FLASH STAGES A QUICK MINI-CROSSOVER". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
126. Gelman, Vlada (March 2, 2017). "Flash/Supergirl Musical Crossover's 'Alternate Reality' Plot Revealed". TV Line. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
127. Andreeva, Nellie (May 12, 2016). "'DC's Legends Of Tomorrow': Wentworth Miller Exits As Regular, Becomes Regular In The Berlanti Universe". Deadline.com. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
128. Mitovich, Matt Webb (July 8, 2016). "Arrow's John Barrowman Now a Series Regular Across All CW/DC Shows". TV Line. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
129. Holloway, Daniel (July 23, 2016). "'Arrow': Katie Cassidy's Black Canary Set to Return to CW's DC Universe". Variety. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
130. ^ "Spoiler Chat: Scoop on American Horror Story, Pretty Little Liars, Arrow, The Mindy Project and More!". E! Online. July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
131. Amaya, Erik (July 16, 2015). "SDCC INTERVIEW: CAST, CREW DIVULGE SECRETS OF "THE FLASH" SEASON 2". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
132. "Supergirl and The Flash team-up for the dawn of inspiring superheroes " from The A.V. Club (March 28, 2016)
133. "Supergirl-Flash crossover: Everything you need to know, straight from set - EW.com". Entertainment Weekly's EW.com.
134. Dominic Patten. "'Supergirl'-'Flash' Crossover: EP Andrew Kreisberg On How It Came Together - Deadline". Deadline.
135. Holmes, Adam (April 22, 2016). "Why Didn't The Flash Talk About The Supergirl Crossover At All?". CinemaBlend. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
136. Melrose, Kevin (September 29, 2016). "ARROW, FLASH, SUPERGIRL CW CROSSOVER VILLAINS REVEALED". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
137. Burlingame, Russ (October 23, 2016). "Marc Guggenheim Reveals the Title Of Arrow's 100th Episode". ComicBook.com. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
138. Damore, Megan (March 17, 2017). "THE FLASH & SUPERGIRL RAZZLE-DAZZLE IN NEW MUSICAL CROSSOVER POSTER". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
139. Bryant, Jacob (November 29, 2016). "Marc Guggenheim Teases Mega-Crossover, Celebrating 'Arrow's' 100th Episode". Variety. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
140. Avila, Mike (December 19, 2016). "EXCLUSIVE: Arrow showrunner talks Flashpoint, the future of Olicity and Season 6". SyfyWire. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
141. Moser, Cassidee (May 10, 2015). "Arrow's Stephen Amell on a Possible Constantine Crossover". IGN. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
142. Prudom, Laura (May 11, 2015). "Could Constantine Come to 'Arrow' Next Season?". Variety. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
143. Lawrence, Nathan (July 15, 2015). "COMIC-CON 2015: CONSTANTINE COULD STILL APPEAR ON ARROW". IGN. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
144. Holbrook, Damian (August 11, 2015). "Constantine's Matt Ryan Conjures Up Magical Return on Arrow". TV Insider. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
145. Perry, Spencer (September 14, 2015). "Marc Guggenheim on The Infinite Adventures of Jonas Quantum, Constantine on Arrow". SuperheroHype!. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
146. Osborn, Alex (August 11, 2016). "Arrow Creator On The Trouble In Bringing Constantine Back Into The Arrowverse". IGN. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
147. Stack, Tim; Brissey, Breia (December 5, 2014). "The Man Behind the Masks". Entertainment Weekly (1340). Time Warner: 42–46.
148. Cornet, Roth (January 12, 2015). "CBS PRESIDENT NINA TASSLER DOUBTFUL ABOUT A SUPERGIRL/FLASH/ARROW CROSSOVER". IGN. Retrieved January 22, 2015.
149. Abram, Natalie (August 10, 2015). "CBS edges closer to 'Supergirl,' 'Arrow,' 'The Flash' crossover". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
150. Ge, Linda (January 12, 2016). "CBS President Teases 'Supergirl'-'The Flash' Crossover". The Wrap. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
151. Goldman, Eric (March 9, 2016). "THE FLASH AND SUPERGIRL CROSSOVER POSTER AND PLOT DESCRIPTION REVEALED". IGN. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
152. ^ Abrams, Natalie (March 18, 2016). "On the set: Everything you need to know about the Flash-Supergirl crossover". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
153. Holbrook, Damian (February 3, 2016). "The Flash Heads to Supergirl". TV Insider. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
154. Bucksbaum, Sydney (March 25, 2016). "7 Things to Know About 'Supergirl's' Crossover With 'The Flash'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
155. Andreeva, Nellie (May 12, 2016). "'Supergirl' Moves To The CW, Renewed For Season 2". Deadline.com. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
156. "The CW fall TV 2016 premiere dates: 'The Flash' and 'No Tomorrow' kick off October rollout". June 17, 2016. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
157. "Supergirl boss goes in-depth about changes with show's move to CW". Entertainment Weekly. October 7, 2016. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
158. ^ Day, Carla (November 29, 2016). "'The Flash' Recap: "Invasion!" – The Gang's All Here". Collider.com. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
159. "'The Flash' & 'Arrow' Stars Battle in 'Superhero Fight Club' Promo". April 13, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
160. "Arrow introduces The Flash to the Superhero Fight Club". April 13, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
161. Damore, Meagan (September 29, 2016). "CW'S SUPERHERO FIGHT CLUB 2.0 PROMO WELCOMES SUPERGIRL TO THE JUNGLE". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
162. Francisco, Eric (September 29, 2016). "DC's 'Superhero Fight Club 2.0' Unleashes Gorilla Grodd". Inverse. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
163. Kondolojy, Amanda (October 11, 2012). "Wednesday Final Ratings: 'The X Factor', 'Survivor', 'The Neighbors' & 'Modern Family' Adjusted Up; No Adjustments for 'Arrow'". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
164. Kondolojy, Amanda (May 16, 2013). "Wednesday Final Ratings: 'Chicago Fire', 'Modern Family', 'American Idol', 'Criminal Minds' & 'Supernatural' Adjusted Up; 'Nashville' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 16, 2013.
165. Bibel, Sara (May 29, 2013). "Complete List Of 2012–13 Season TV Show Viewership: 'Sunday Night Football' Tops, Followed By 'NCIS,' 'The Big Bang Theory' & 'NCIS: Los Angeles'". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
166. Bibel, Sara (May 29, 2013). "Complete List Of 2012–13 Season TV Show Ratings: 'Sunday Night Football' Tops, Followed By 'The Big Bang Theory,' 'The Voice' & 'Modern Family'". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
167. Kondolojy, Amanda (October 10, 2013). "Wednesday Final Ratings: Survivor, Back in the Game, Modern Family and The Tomorrow People Adjusted Up; Nashville Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
168. Bibel, Sara (May 15, 2014). "Wednesday Final Ratings: Revolution, Arrow, Survivor, Suburgatory, Modern Family & Law & Order: SVU Adjusted Up; Chicago P.D. Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
169. "Full 2013–2014 TV Season Series Rankings". Deadline.com. May 22, 2014. Archived from the original on May 25, 2014. Retrieved May 25, 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
170. Bibel, Sara (October 16, 2014). "Revised Wednesday, October 8 Final Ratings: The Flash Encore Adjusted Up; The Middle, The Goldbergs, Modern Family, black-ish & Nashville Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
171. Bibel, Sara (May 14, 2015). "Wednesday Final Ratings: Law & Order: SVU, Survivor, The Middle & American Idol Adjusted Up; Supernatural, black-ish & Nashville Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
172. ^ de Moraes, Lisa (May 21, 2015). "2014–15 Full TV Season Ratings: Rankings For All Shows – Deadline". Deadline.com. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
173. Porter, Rick (October 8, 2015). "Wednesday final ratings: 'Empire', 'SVU' and others adjusted up, 'Arrow' holds, 'Nashville' adjusted down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
174. Porter, Rick (May 26, 2016). "Wednesday final ratings: 'SVU' finale adjusts up, 'Supernatural' finale adjusts down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
175. ^ de Moraes, Lisa (May 26, 2016). "Full 2015–16 TV Season Series Rankings: 'Blindspot', 'Life In Pieces' & 'Quantico' Lead Newcomers". Deadline.com. Archived from the original on May 27, 2016. Retrieved May 27, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
176. Porter, Rick (October 6, 2016). "'Empire,' 'Survivor,' 'SVU,' 'Chicago PD' adjust up, 'Black-ish' adjusts down: Wednesday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
177. Bibel, Sara (October 16, 2014). "Revised Tuesday, October 7 Final Ratings: 'Selfie', 'Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' & 'Forever' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
178. Kondolojy, Amanda (May 20, 2015). "Tuesday Final Ratings: 'The Flash', 'The Voice' & 'Hell's Kitchen' Adjusted Up; 'iZombie' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
179. Porter, Rick (October 7, 2015). "Tuesday Final Ratings: 'The Muppets', 'NCIS' and 'Scream Queens' Adjusted Up; 'Flash' and 'iZombie' Hold". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
180. Porter, Rick (May 25, 2016). "Tuesday final ratings: 'The Voice,' 'The Flash' and 'The Real O'Neals' finales adjust up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
181. Porter, Rick (October 5, 2016). "'NCIS' and 'The Flash' adjust up: Tuesday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 5, 2016.
182. Porter, Rick (January 22, 2016). "Thursday final ratings: 'The Blacklist' adjusts up, CW premieres hold, 'My Diet' adjusts down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
183. Porter, Rick (May 20, 2016). "Thursday final ratings: 'Bones' adjusts up, 'The Catch' finale and 'Game of Silence' adjust down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
184. Porter, Rick (October 14, 2016). "'Notorious' adjusts down, final NFL numbers: Thursday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
185. Porter, Rick (April 5, 2017). "'NCIS' and 'The Middle' adjust up: Tuesday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 5, 2017.
186. "Arrow: Season 1 (2012–2013) Reviews". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
187. "Arrow: Season 1 (2012–2013) Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
188. "Arrow: Season 2 (2013–2014) Reviews". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
189. "Arrow: Season 3 (2014–2015) Reviews". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
190. "Arrow: Season 4 (2015–2016) Reviews". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
191. "Arrow: Season 5 (2016–2017) Reviews". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
192. "The Flash: Season 1 (2014–2015) Reviews". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
193. "The Flash: Season 1 (2014–2015) Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
194. "The Flash: Season 2 (2015–2016) Reviews". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
195. "The Flash: Season 2 (2015–2016) Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
196. "The Flash: Season 3 (2016–2017) Reviews". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
197. "The Flash: Season 3 (2016–2017) Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
198. "Legends of Tomorrow: Season 1 (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 24, 2016.
199. "DC's Legends of Tomorrow : Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved September 24, 2016.
200. "Legends of Tomorrow: Season 2 (2016–2017)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
201. Lowry, Brian (December 2, 2014). "'The Flash' Keeps Hitting Its Stride With 'Arrow' Crossover". Variety. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
202. Borders, Meredith (December 4, 2014). "TV Review: THE FLASH And ARROW Crossover Episodes". Birth.Movies.Death. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
203. Tassi, Paul (May 14, 2015). "Why Supergirl Shouldn't Join The Flash/Arrowverse". Forbes. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
204. Walker, Alice (January 20, 2016). "How Legends Of Tomorrow Has Hurt Arrow & The Flash". ScreenRant. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
205. Wieselman, Jarett (October 23, 2014). "The Man At The Center Of DC's TV Multiverse". BuzzFeed. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
206. Holmes, Adam (August 2015). "The Flash Will Feature Earth 2 Earlier Than Expected". Cinema Blend. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
207. Couto, Anthony (February 9, 2016). "Surprising DC Superhero Makes Cameo On "The Flash"". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
208. Couto, Anthony (February 9, 2016). ""Flash" Teases DC TV Future, Retro Continuity With Multiple Surprise Cameos". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
209. Patten, Dominic (March 28, 2016). "'Supergirl'-'Flash' Crossover: EP Andrew Kreisberg On How It Came Together". Deadline.com. Retrieved May 19, 2016.

External links

• DC Comics dimensions
• Arrowverse
• Television franchises