While the Arrowverse isn’t perfect, it is fair to say that it has enjoyed more critical success than DC’s last several movies (excluding Wonder Woman). Arrow and The Flash rapidly became popular shows and they are just the building blocks of what has become a full-fledged connected universe. Under the direction of Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg, the Arrowverse has brought in countless DC characters in an interconnected line of shows that continues to expand. Throughout the years, many fans have wished that DC would tie their movies to these successful shows. Many fans were disappointed when, rather than brining Grant Gustin to the big screen, DC cast Ezra Miller as the Flash. In some ways, some divide is inevitable; it wouldn’t make sense to have Henry Cavill show up on Supergirl. Still, fans have often wished the two universes were more connected.
Linking the heroes on the TV shows to the ones in the movies could have allowed DC to separate its universe from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has largely separated its Netflix line from the big screen. Some characters, like the Flash, Arrow, and Supergirl, are guaranteed to make the leap. Other characters are likely to remain confined to the small screen. We’ve decided to make a list of the ten characters The Worlds of DC could take from the Arrowverse and ten characters we think are safe. In doing so, we tried to focus on characters that could, or could not, be in DC’s films in the short-term future. Any character on this list could conceivably make the transition at some point.
20 TAKE: SUPERGIRL
As rumors continue to swirl about Superman’s future in DC’s cinematic universe, Supergirl’s role remains in less doubt. Regardless of the Man of Steel, DC will likely include Kara Danvers in the Worlds of DC. Supergirl is the star of her own show in the Arrowverse but the character is still a likely candidate to make the leap to the big screen.
Danvers is a heavy hitter and would be an appropriate choice as a star of DC’s future movies. As with other characters, featuring Supergirl could allow DC to get a leg up on Marvel in the diversity department.
19 SAFE: VIGILANTE
Sure, the Arrowverse made Vigilante an intriguing character, but it doesn’t seem like Vincent Sobel has a place in the Worlds of DC. Sobel is one of the many characters who, after getting the spotlight on The CW, doesn’t need further development on the big screen. If there ever is a Green Arrow movie, Vigilante is fairly low on the list of characters that should be featured.
It’s unclear what kinds of stories the Worlds of DC wants tackle. However, based on the scope of Justice League, the Worlds of DC may want to start with more high-stakes villains. As an unpowered, street-level villain/antihero, Sobel does not easily fit into that world.
18 TAKE: OLIVER QUEEN
Oliver Queen could fit into either section of this list. On one hand, Green Arrow is one of DC’s most recognizable heroes after the success of the interconnected line of CW shows. On the other hand, it feels like the character has been in the public eye for a long time.
Arrow premiered in 2012 and is entering its seventh year on the air. If the Worlds of DC makes Oliver Queen a notable character in its nascent universe, some fans might feel that the company is overexposing Green Arrow. However, it seems more likely that the Emerald Archer will have a presence in some of DC’s future movies.
17 SAFE: MON-EL AND IMRA
The Legion of Super-Heroes is currently one of DC’s most underrated teams, although it used to be one of the most popular groups in comics. As a result, the Arrowverse’s iteration of the team, especially Mon-El and Imra, could fall under either category in this list. Supergirl has a strong link to the Legion, which is why we could see the team on the big screen in the future. DC plans to feature Supergirl in its future movies, bringing in this expansive team may not be high on the company’s priority list.
However, if the Worlds of DC decides to bring the Legion of Super-Heroes to the big screen, the company might want to approach the group with a clean slate by using other characters.
16 TAKE: LAUREL LANCE
Laurel Lance will likely play an important role in the Worlds of DC. Beyond being Green Arrow’s most famous love interest, Black Canary is a prominent hero in her own right. Like Oliver Queen, Laurel has almost always been a part of Arrow. Some fans may think that bringing the character to the movies could be overkill but the CW barely scratched the surface of the Black Canary’s potential.
A Birds of Prey movie has been rumored for a while and Canary seems primed to be one of the film’s main characters. Like some of the other characters on this list, Laurel’s move to the big screen seems like a lock.
15 SAFE: PROMETHEUS
Prometheus got his time to shine in Arrow’s fifth season. The character’s role as Oliver Queen’s big bad was polarizing, and not many viewers are clamoring for the villain’s return in the show, let alone in a cinematic setting. To be fair, the comic book versions of the character have potential that viewers haven’t seen yet -- Arrow presented a simplified and watered down version of the villain.
For example, in the comics, Curt Calhoun has cybernetic implants that augment his physical strength which he doesn't have on the show. While Prometheus can be a good foil for Queen, there are several other villainous archers that are more likely to oppose the Green Arrow on the big screen.
14 TAKE: REVERSE-FLASH
The Flash has featured a lot of the Scarlet Speedster’s villains. When the hero finally returns to the big screen, his nemesis, the Reverse-Flash, is almost guaranteed to join him shortly thereafter. The rivalry between these two speedsters has become one of the most heated conflicts in DC Comics -- Barry Allen and Eobard Thawne hate each other. In the TV show, Thawne carried the bulk of the detestation while Allen was concerned with stopping him.
However, in the comics, Allen has made it clear that he loathes Thawne. These two characters have done terrible things to each other and it’s only a matter of time before we see Thawne oppose Allen in the Worlds of DC.
13 SAFE: MR. TERRIFIC
Arrow fans may be surprised to hear that Mister Terrific is one of the most notable geniuses in the DC Universe. While the show captures Curtis Holt’s intelligence, the character is frequently pushed to the sideline, even among his fellow members of Team Arrow. In the comics, Michael Holt is a heavy hitter; he’s been a member of the Justice Society of America and the Justice League.
Despite these accolades, it doesn’t seem likely that Mister Terrific will be a priority in the Worlds of DC. There are other heroic geniuses that could fill in for him, so DC may choose to emphasize other characters.
12 TAKE: CAPTAIN COLD AND HEAT WAVE
The relationship between Leonard Snart and Mick Rory quickly became one of the best parts of the Arrowverse. Plus, both characters shined on their own. It’d be heartbreaking to see these former Rogues leave one shared universe behind in favor of another. However, as two of the Flash’s most famous antagonists, Snart and Rory are likely to be on the big screen before long.
Snart has already left the CW line of shows; Wentworth Miller, the fan-favorite actor who brought him to life, seems to be done with the role. It’s certainly possible that Rory could also be on his way out in the future.
11 SAFE: BROTHER BLOOD
Sebastian Blood is one of the characters who doesn’t need to be brought into the Worlds of DC. Arrow gave Blood plenty of time to shine and, at least for now, his story is over. Blood, the mayor of Starling City, opposed Oliver Queen even before they met as Brother Blood and Green Arrow.
As a result, this multifaceted rivalry shows some promise. But, as with other characters on this list, DC may wish to use a villain that casual fans are more familiar with. Plus, the Worlds of DC may wish to avoid Blood, the leader of a sometimes-vampiric cult, who could be off-putting to some fans.
10 TAKE: MARTIAN MANHUNTER
Martian Manhunter is one of the founding members of the Justice League and he’s often viewed as the heart and soul of the team. But Supergirl sometimes make J’onn J’onzz look like just another hero in a universe that’s full of them. As Manhunter continues to return to an important role in the comics, the Worlds of DC will likely wish to bring that success to the movies.
While DC has plenty of alien heroes, Martian Manhunter outranks them all. The relationship J’onzz and the Danvers sisters has been one of the best parts of Supergirl, so many viewers would be sad to see him go, but Manhunter belongs in the Worlds of DC.
9 SAFE: GRODD
In many ways, Gorilla Grodd is an intriguing character; he’s a huge gorilla with telepathy, telekinesis and mind control. As a result, Grodd has the brains to match his brawn, and he also has an impressive resume; Grodd is one of the founding members of the Legion of Doom.
That being said, like other Arrowverse characters, Grodd keeps coming back, so he’s had a consistent presence. The character has been featured in both The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow. Though Grodd is one of the most notable antagonists of the Scarlet Speedster, The Worlds of DC may be reluctant to bring in a character who has gotten so much exposure in recent years.
8 TAKE: IRIS WEST
Iris West has always been one of the stars of The Flash and that will likely continue to be the case. When Barry Allen does have his own movie in The Worlds of DC, though, it’ll likely be with his soulmate at his side. DC will probably elect to have one version of the characters on the screen; the company has previously made it a priority to separate its movies from the TV shows.
West is to Allen as Lois Lane is to Superman -- they’re permanently linked together, so West is guaranteed to transition to the Worlds of DC once Barry gets more of the spotlight.
7 SAFE: GYPSY
With the power to open dimensional portals and explore the multiverse, Gypsy could be a useful character in the Worlds of DC. There are a few problems with her potential incorporation into this budding cinematic universe. First, in the Arrowverse, the character’s powerset differs starkly from her comic book counterpart. While that discrepancy isn’t a deal-breaker, her name may be.
“Gypsy” is a term that can have bad historical and judgemental connotations attached to it. For this reason alone, DC may choose to leave this character out of its future movies. Plus, Cisco Ramone, or Vibe, could fulfill the same purpose of helping other heroes travel the multiverse.
6 TAKE: CAITLIN SNOW
The human half of Caitlin Snow isn’t a lock to make the leap to DC’s future movies. Sure, it’s always nice to have another brilliant scientist available but Snow, on her own, isn’t that remarkable. That being said, her metahuman half, Killer Frost, could definitely make her live-action movie debut in the future.
In the comics, Frost is a member of the Suicide Squad, and, more recently, the Justice League of America. DC has the opportunity to feature superheroines and villainesses from the get-go, which could allow it to stand apart from the MCU. Frost is one of the many characters that would allow DC to do that.
5 SAFE: VIXEN
You may wonder why we’d put Caitlin Snow under one section and Vixen under the other. Amaya could be used in the Worlds of DC for the same reasons as Killer Frost, however, Vixen has consistently been one of the stars of Legends of Tomorrow, so DC doesn’t need to retell her story in the movies. While Amaya provides the opportunity to explore time travel, plenty of other characters do, too.
Additionally, Vixen’s power-set doesn’t seem like it would translate well to the big screen. The ability to imitate animals is well and good but it’s hard to see how that power would fit in with other skills that are more potent.
4 TAKE: HAWKGIRL
In some ways, DC may wish to imitate the comics as the company creates a new cinematic universe. If that’s the case, Hawkgirl could be one of the characters that becomes an important part of the Worlds of DC.
Hawkgirl, or Kendra Saunders, returned to the DC Universe in the prelude to Dark Nights: Metal. Since that universe-changing event, Saunders has become a key member of the new Justice League lineup. This return to relevance could signal that DC plans to push Hawkgirl in its future movies. With the character already having exited the Arrowverse, it’d be a smooth transition.
3 SAFE: HUNTRESS
For a while, Helena Bertinelli, or the Huntress, just couldn’t quit Oliver Queen in Arrow. Bertinelli kept coming back into Queen’s life despite both parties experiencing a lot of heartache. The Huntress could be a part of DC’s future movies -- she would certainly belong in a Birds of Prey movie. However, her recurring role in Arrow may for DC to look elsewhere to complete the team’s lineup.
Bertinelli, the daughter of a mobster, could be a good addition to the cinematic universe, but there are plenty of other characters that don't have controversial backgrounds, which could leave the Huntress without a spot in DC’s future movies.
2 TAKE: CONSTANTINE
Constantine could be DC’s cinematic answer to Marvel’s Doctor Strange. Sure, Constantine isn’t a Sorcerer Supreme but he’s one of the most knowledgeable mystics DC has at its disposal. Constantine had a small role in Arrow before slowly gaining a bigger role in Legends of Tomorrow. The character also had one ill-fated season of his own TV show in 2014.
While Constantine has gotten a lot of exposure, he still deserves a role on the big screen. A long-rumored Justice League Dark film would be incomplete without him. Many fans would like to see this wisecracking anti-hero in DC’s future movies.
1 SAFE: FIRESTORM
In the comics, Firestorm has been a member of the Justice League, and he’s been a popular character throughout his 40 years of existence. However, outside of the Arrowverse, Firestorm has fallen into recent obscurity. Other than a brief reference in Doomsday Clock, the character has not been a part of DC Rebirth and the company’s subsequent line of comics.
The character received some revitalization in Legends of Tomorrow; Martin Stein and Jefferson Jackson brought the character to life. Subsequently, Firestorm was a crucial member of Sara Lance’s team. However, in its future movies, DC might not prioritize a character who has fallen by the wayside.