It all started with Arrow, a series about Oliver Queen returning to his home after being presumed dead and trying to save it from itself. From that one show the Arrowverse was born, spawning a universe of DC Comics-based TV series covering the lives of numerous heroes and villains.
For the most part, it's all been incredibly well cast. Some characters depicted in these shows are both historic and iconic, meaning the actors and actresses filling these roles have intimidatingly big shoes to fill. Inevitably, some of them miss the mark, leaving fans feeling uncertain about the character. Meanwhile, other actors capture their character's comic essence and truly bring them to life.
Updated on April 30, 2023 by Ajay Aravind: The current Arrowverse includes a wide range of comic book characters and crossovers, making it one of the largest TV superhero franchises out there. As such, we've revamped this list of actors who were either perfectly cast or had trouble fitting into their respective roles.
Actors Who Nailed Their Roles
Tom Cavanagh As Harrison Wells/Reverse-Flash
It became very clear to The Flash fans that Tom Cavanaugh was a unique talent, as he kept returning to play different characters over the years. The first appeared as Dr. Harrison Wells, but was ultimately revealed to be a deception created by Eobard Thawne/Reverse-Flash.
Cavanagh shared the role of Reverse-Flash with Matt Lanter, but it was his presence as Wells which really stood out to fans. The introduction of the DC multiverse allowed Cavanagh to bring different versions of Harrison Wells to the small screen and gave the actor a chance to flex his talent.
Manu Bennet As Slade Wilson/Deathstroke
One of the biggest threats Oliver Queen faced on Arrow was the highly-trained assassin Deathstroke. Manu Bennet played Slade Wilson on Arrow, and viewers soon learned that the assassin shared history with Oliver Queen — both had been exiled to the same island for five years.
Bennett impressed fans as both the corporate villain Slade Wilson and the masked assassin Deathstroke, becoming a perfect foil for Oliver Queen/Green Arrow. A few different actors took on the role of Deathstroke over the years, but Manu Bennet's portrayal of the character remains one of the best.
Caity Lotz As Sara Lance/White Canary
While she wasn't the first actor to portray Sara Lance in the Arrowverse, Caity Lotz quickly made the character her own when she debuted in the second season of Arrow. Lance returned to Starling City after years spent training with the League of Assassins, donning her new role as The Canary.
Caity Lotz's performance was such a fan-favorite that she became one of the characters chosen to lead Legends of Tomorrow. Her role as the White Canary helped carry the series, and she became an integral part of the various Arrowverse crossovers.
Grant Gustin As Barry Allen/The Flash
One of the most beloved comic book superhero characters of all time is the legendary Barry Allen. As The Flash, Allen established himself as an incredible hero who sacrificed himself to save reality itself. As such, his return to the comics was a massive deal.
Grant Gustin first appeared as Barry Allen in Season 2 of Arrow. He would go on to star in The Flash as its titular character, becoming a core element of the Arrowverse. Gustin proved perfect for the role, successfully embodying all the aspects of The Flash that make the character so beloved in the first place.
Dominic Purcell As Mick Rory/Heat Wave
The Flash has one of the best rogues galleries in comics. Naturally, that includes an impressive array of speedsters as well as some very odd and creative evil villains. Some of them quite literally just want to watch the world burn, not unlike Batman's face painted nemesis.
Dominic Purcell has been playing Heat Wave in a variety of Arrowverse series for years. He brings the right amount of menacing looks combined with reluctant hero behavior to make him exactly as endearing as fans want.
Stephen Amell As Oliver Queen/Green Arrow
The entire Arrowverse hinges around Oliver Queen's journey as he grows and evolves into Green Arrow. He becomes the first hero in the Arrowverse and is pivotal in establishing the interweaving web of stories that follows Arrow.
Right up until Oliver Queen's death, Stephen Amell absolutely nailed every aspect of the character and his personal backstory. It's hard to imagine anyone else playing the part and doing anywhere near as well. Without Amell, there wouldn't be an Arrow, let alone an Arrowverse.
David Harewood As Martian Manhunter
When it comes to well-known DC heroes, names like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and The Flash are usually at the top of the list. But for a lot of comic book readers, Martian Manhunter is the all-time greatest. His powerset is unreal, and he has an incredibly poignant backstory.
David Harewood was secretly playing the character for the first part of Supergirl, making the Martian Manhunter reveal a huge moment for the series. Harewood did an outstanding job portraying the character, infusing the Manhunter with the perfect amount of wisdom and emotion.
Melissa Benoist As Kara Danvers/Supergirl
Being Superman's cousin is no easy task. The Man of Steel is the world's greatest, most famous superhero, and trying to live up to that reputation is nearly impossible. But Supergirl has always found a way, putting her life on the line to save her adoptive home planet.
Melissa Benoist has been playing Supergirl for several years, starring in a series focusing on her adventures. Benoist has done a superb job balancing the heroics of Supergirl with the personal life of Kara Danvers.
Actors Who Fell Short
Rick Cosnett As Detective Eddie Thawne
While Tom Cavanagh may have won over fans with his take on Eobard Thawne, they weren't as impressed with Rick Cosnett's performance as Eddie Thawne. A detective with the Central City Police Department, Eddie dates Iris West before Barry Allen can reveal his true feelings to her.
Eddie Thawne's character was integral in the larger Reverse-Flash arc, and it ultimately led him to sacrifice himself to protect Iris. His time in the Arrowverse was short, and while some fans hoped to see Costnett reprise the role, others were glad he only appeared as one of Deathstorm's torturous illusions.
Jessica De Gouw As Helena Bertinelli/Huntress
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Arrow introduced a few characters who were better known as Gotham City mainstays from the Batman comics. Jessica De Gouw played Helena Bertinelli, the daughter of a mob boss who watched her family get murdered in front of her eyes.
Helena trained for years and created the masked Huntress identity to exact revenge on the criminals responsible.
Green Arrow faced Huntress on more than one occasion, and the two formed a close relationship over time. Unfortunately, De Gouw's performance didn't bring much to the character, making her few appearances in the Arrowverse forgettable.
Hartley Sawyer As Ralph Dibny/Elongated Man
Ralph Dibny, aka the Elongated Man, was an unexpected addition to the Arrowverse, but a welcome one. He was originally killed by the particle accelerator explosion in Season 1 of The Flash but was returned to life thanks to Season 3's timeline tampering.
Portrayed by Hartley Sawyer, the Arrowverse version of the character wasn't particularly compelling and came across as more of a used car salesman than a hero. And while the character was meant to add more comedy to the show, sometimes it felt like Elongated Man just got in the other characters' way.
Josh Segarra As Prometheus
Prometheus' underwhelming performance is as much Arrow's fault as it was Josh Segarra's. In the comics, Prometheus was a tough villain who gave himself some massive upgrades that allowed him to take on the entire Justice League and all but defeated them — a feat he managed all by himself.
On Arrow, Prometheus was nothing like his comic book alter ego. He was reduced to being yet another evil archer, one in a long line of antagonists that Oliver Queen faced. Josh Segarra didn't have much to work with, and he didn't exactly do a lot with what he was given.
Falk Hentschel As Carter Hall/Hawkman
Trying to sort through Hawkman's entire history in the comics is overly complicated. Maybe not X-Men complicated, but it still gets really confusing. He keeps getting reincarnated over and over again, alongside the love of his many lives.
Falk Hentschel used to portray the Carter Hall version of Hawkman in the Arrowverse. His flat, wooden performance was devoid of any emotional connection to the character, which was probably why his version of Hawkman quickly disappeared.
Casper Crump As Vandal Savage
Vandal Savage was a former caveman infused with superhuman powers, heightened intelligence, and immortality. He would go on to become one of the most menacing forces in DC Comics, due in no small part to how he never really goes away.
Unfortunately, Casper Crump's portrayal of the classic villain in the Arrowverse fell short of capturing everything that made him so compelling in the comics. Arrowverse's Vandal Savage came across more as a whiny, arrogant jerk than anything close to a Machiavellian evil genius.
Matthew Nable As Ra's Al Ghul
Batman has an incredibly complicated relationship with Ra's al Ghul. The leader of the League of Assassins wants Batman to succeed him, but the Caped Crusader has zero to no interest in fulfilling that post. In the Arrowverse, Ra's al Ghul becomes an Arrow villain, with Green Arrow filling in for Batman in their stories.
Matthew Nable's interpretation of the character lacked any of the gravitas Ra's should have had. Even worse, fans couldn't help making the comparison to Liam Neeson, who portrayed Ra's in Batman Begins. Knowing what could've been just made things worse.