After the announcements of the new management of the DCU by James Gunn and Peter Safran, one of the creators of the Arrowverse, Marc Guggenheim, expressed himself with annoyance regarding the lack of interest of the new franchise board for the work done in the universe built for The CW.
In his statements, Guggenheim declared that he expected at least one call, a pat on the back for having been part of one of the greatest successes for DC Comics on the small screen, some recognition for having achieved what in the cinema seemed so difficult to do: a truly unified universe.
Now, after his comments went viral, the producer came out to clarify his own words, mad at the media outlets that picked up the story:
“It’s taken as an axiom that ‘there’s no such thing as bad publicity’ but the problem is that with virtually no exceptions, the coverage focused on my statement that ‘I really wasted my time’ with the Arrowverse while conveniently leaving out the important modifier ‘at least on a career level.’ They also managed to leave out how I was explicit in being ‘deeply grateful’ for all the fan engagement over the years. Ah well. Never let the facts get in the way of a good story (or clickbait headlines), I guess. My only regret is that articles like these give aid and comfort to the Arrowverse’s small contingent of trolls. (As if Mr. Gunn cares a whit about their objections to character romances or deaths.) Then again, such folk have always insisted on making themselves the subject of the narrative and that’s not likely to change anytime soon.”
The History of the Arrowverse
Created in 2012 by Guggenheim and Greg Berlanti with Arrow‘s debut on The CW, the Arrowverse quickly won over DC audiences, especially after the release of The Flash in 2014. The purchase of Supergirl from CBS and the creation of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow finished shaping the shared universe, which presented its first official crossover in 2016.
Invasion! was a resounding success, attracting audiences to the series that were not so watched, thanks to the fact that all the plot lines converged on a bigger one. This was followed by Crisis on Earth X and later Elseworlds, which would be the first step towards the most ambitious adaptation. Finally, in 2019, before the end of Arrow, Crisis on Infinite Earths was released, one of the most popular events in DC Comics.
Weeks later came the farewell to the show that started everything and began the road to the end. Supergirl, Black Lightning, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, and Batwoman all said their goodbyes in the years that followed, with The Flash remaining the sole heir to the Arrowverse. This year, the Grant Gustin-starring series will also end, marking the definitive end of the Arrowverse.
Once the Scarlet Speedster says goodbye, only two DC shows will remain standing on The CW: Superman & Lois, which, although it started as part of the Arrowverse, has already moved away from that path, and Gotham Knights, the most recent production between the network and comic company.
