The CWArrowverseproper is rapidly approaching its end, withThe Flashseries ending this year on an abbreviated ninth season. This would leaveSuperman & Loisas the only remaining Arrowverse related series on the air (it takes place on an alternate Earth, butTyler Hoechlin’s Superman has appeared in the Arrowverse), with one more series,Gotham Knights, set to premiere on the CW sometime in 2023 (not an Arrowverse show, apparently,but if reaction to the trailer is any indication, it won’t be around long enough to form a debate about it). For some of the heroic characters, it’s a merciful end to the agony of having them on air. For others, it would be a shame if the end of the popular run of series meant an end to the characters and the actors which brought them to such vivid life. But what if itwasn’tthe end?What if there was a home for them in the DCU? So for kicks, let’s take a look at which of the Arrowverse heroes should be on that short-list, from least deserving to most.
15. Hawkman/Hawkgirl (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow)
Kendra Saunders (Ciara Renée) and Carter Hall (Falk Hentschel) appeared in Season 1 ofDC’s Legends of Tomorrowas Hawkgirl and Hawkman, respectively. Do you remember them? Probably not. Despite being integral parts of the Vandal Savage storyline, the characters didn’t really stick out. This, combined with costumes that simply looked ridiculous on the small screen? Let’s just say thatAldis Hodge’s significantly better Hawkman fromBlack Adamshould be higher onJames Gunn’s list.
14. Rip Hunter (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow)
Arthur Darvill’s Rip Hunter, Time Master, assembled the Legends of Tomorrow, leading the motley crew as the main protagonist of Season 1. In Season 2, he was a supporting protagonist, and come Season 3, Rip Hunter was a supporting character. Then the gang he brought together moved on without him, makingLegendsa much better show in the process. Coincidence? Doubtful. DCU, no Rip for you.
13. Killer Frost (The Flash)
Killer Frost is the dual personality that lives inside Caitlin Snow (Danielle Panabaker), or at least did until Caitlin and her became two separate people. Frost may have started out as a villain, partnering up withSeason 3’s big bad Savitar, but over time the Chiller Queen turned hero. Confident, quick sarcastic wit, and powerful (and should mention currently dead, for what that’s worth), Killer Frost is the first on this list that one could see making the jump into the DCU.
12. White Canary (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow)
Sara Lance (Caity Lotz) first appeared inArrow, on board the Queen family yacht when it shipwrecked. After returning to Star City, she fights crime as ‘The Canary’, dies in Season 3, resurrected without a soul in the Lazarus Pit in Season 4, gets her soul back, and finally joins the Legends along with Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh). She’s given the ‘White Canary’ moniker by Laurel (Katie Cassidy) before she leaves. White Canary is well-trained in hand-to-hand combat, and would eventually lead the Legends in their time-traveling antics. If theDCU needs a more grounded heroand one that can lead others, she’d be a great addition.
11. Ray Palmer/Atom (Arrow)
Ray Palmer, rich businessman, former CEO of Palmer Technologies (aka Queen Consolidated), philanthropist, and the man responsible for rebranding Starling City as ‘Star City’. Oh, and he built himself a really sweet, powerful exosuit in which he could shrink to a miniature size. Routh really was given a chance to shine, and he ran with it over the course of his time onArrowandLegends, one of the more endearing characters in the Arrowverse. He already proved he could hold his own on film inSuperman Returns, and there is no current Atom in the DCU (Atom, by the way, predates Marvel’s Ant-Man by four months, October 1961 vs. January 1962), so he’d be a perfect fit in the DCU.
10. Leonard Snart/Captain Cold and Mick Rory/Heat Wave (The Flash)
One thing thatThe Flashdid well was bring the hero’s iconic Rogue’s Gallery to life, and Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller) and Heat Wave (Dominic Purcell) are prime examples. First appearing together in Season 1, Episode 4 “Going Rogue” as villains, both would find themselves on the other side of justice, with Mick finding extended, and hilarious, life onLegends. The two actors have a great chemistry, having appeared as brothers on the TV seriesPrison Break, and it would be difficult to envision any others in those roles. For breathing life into what could have been full-on campy characters, the pair should get a shot in the DCU.
9. Firestorm (The Flash)
That damn S.T.A.R. Labs particle accelerator explosion and its meta-human creating ways. One victim, actually two victims, were Ronnie Raymond (Robbie Amell), structural engineer, and Professor Martin Stein (Victor Garber), who were merged into one being, with Stein’s brain and Raymond’s body forming Firestorm. The two co-existed for a time until Raymond’s death, after which Jefferson “Jax” Jackson (Franz Drameh) willingly merged with Stein to not only save Stein’s life but keep Firestorm alive. The pair moved onfromThe FlashtoLegends, which did an admirable job in showcasing their unique dynamic. Again, Firestorm is another character that hasn’t appeared in the DCU as of yet, so the Arrowverse Firestorm would slot in nicely.
8. Black Lightning (Black Lightning)
Despite being told thatBlack Lightningwas not part of the Arrowverse, the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event brought the character into the fold. When we first meet the hero, Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams) is a principal in a charter high school, a place where the students can find safety from the gang violence in the neighborhood, and also a superhero, Black Lightning, who hung up the tights nine years previously. Yet crime, corruption, and the arrival of local gang The One Hundred, Pierce takes up the mantle again and uses his ability to harness and control electricity to rise against it and provide the people hope. Williams aced the character, showcasing his weariness, his strength, his anger, and his commitment to the innocent flawlessly. In a DCU that largely lacks a diverse group of race, Williams' Black Lightning is deserving of getting into the big leagues.
7. John Constantine (Constantine)
If anyone deserves a shot at the DCU, it’s John Constantine (Matt Ryan). First appearing in his own NBC DC showConstantine, we learn that the NBC version of the character exists in the same universe as the Arrowverse, when Constantine shows up in the fourth season ofArrow. The demonologist and master of the occult was a key part of the Arrowverse, particularly when the character was brought ontoLegends. Matt Ryan is the definitive Constantine, with Ryan absolutely perfect in the role (no offense toKeanu Reeves, however). Although unlikely, especially given thatReeves' Constantineis being given a sequel, it would serve the DCU well to bring Ryan on board.
RELATED:The Arrowverse Showed Us What Multiverses Could Look Like
6. Martian Manhunter (Supergirl)
D.E.O. director Hank Henshaw (David Harewood) isn’t who he seems to be, and the buildup to the reveal of his true identity centered on him being a supervillain. But when he was revealed to be DC Comics legend Martian Manhunter, aka J’onn J’onzz, people went bat-s**t crazy. His look was comic book accurate, and Harewood was exceptional in delivering the deep emotions of the character: his loneliness as the last of his kind, his fatherly love of Kara (Melissa Benoist) and Alex (Chyler Leigh), his joys and his sorrows. His is the best depiction of Martian Manhunter in media, and althoughHarry Lennixshowed up as the character inZack Snyder’s Justice League, the DCU should move forward with Harewood in the role.
