TMC
02-08-2023, 10:41 PM
Irrelevance
https://www.looper.com/1192425/the-arrowverses-long-agonizing-death-is-a-lesson-in-how-to-achieve-cultural-irrelevance/
BY PAULI POISUO/FEB. 8, 2023 12:20 PM EST
Remember how original and unique "Arrow," "The Flash," and the slew of superhero shows that grew around them were back in the day? When Zach Snyder was still yanking the nascent DCEU's pull cord with "Man of Steel," Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) was fighting the street-level fight in Starling City, and not too long afterwards, Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) started outrunning supervillains in Central City. The entire timeline of Arrowverse (https://www.looper.com/369060/the-entire-arrowverse-timeline-explained/) grew into a sprawling small-screen mythology with numerous crossovers and team-ups, and gave many otherwise obscure heroes and villains a massive popularity boost. And then, just like that, the honeymoon was over.
Over the years, the Arrowverse became wallpaper. It was always just ... there, as opposed to the numerous inventive superhero shows and movies competing for the viewers' attention. The shows started ending, one by one. Right now, "The Flash" is the sole Arrowverse show still standing. With Amell's Green Arrow donning his hood one last time (https://www.looper.com/1156338/stephen-amells-green-arrow-will-don-his-hood-one-last-time-in-the-final-season-of-the-flash/) in the show's final season, it appears that the Arrowverse is well and truly ending ... and the season needs to deliver a mighty big bang if it hopes to counter the quiet whimper the franchise's slow demise has been so far.
How did The CW's once-influential DC superhero universe manage to become so irrelevant? Let's look at what happened.
https://www.looper.com/1192425/the-arrowverses-long-agonizing-death-is-a-lesson-in-how-to-achieve-cultural-irrelevance/
BY PAULI POISUO/FEB. 8, 2023 12:20 PM EST
Remember how original and unique "Arrow," "The Flash," and the slew of superhero shows that grew around them were back in the day? When Zach Snyder was still yanking the nascent DCEU's pull cord with "Man of Steel," Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) was fighting the street-level fight in Starling City, and not too long afterwards, Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) started outrunning supervillains in Central City. The entire timeline of Arrowverse (https://www.looper.com/369060/the-entire-arrowverse-timeline-explained/) grew into a sprawling small-screen mythology with numerous crossovers and team-ups, and gave many otherwise obscure heroes and villains a massive popularity boost. And then, just like that, the honeymoon was over.
Over the years, the Arrowverse became wallpaper. It was always just ... there, as opposed to the numerous inventive superhero shows and movies competing for the viewers' attention. The shows started ending, one by one. Right now, "The Flash" is the sole Arrowverse show still standing. With Amell's Green Arrow donning his hood one last time (https://www.looper.com/1156338/stephen-amells-green-arrow-will-don-his-hood-one-last-time-in-the-final-season-of-the-flash/) in the show's final season, it appears that the Arrowverse is well and truly ending ... and the season needs to deliver a mighty big bang if it hopes to counter the quiet whimper the franchise's slow demise has been so far.
How did The CW's once-influential DC superhero universe manage to become so irrelevant? Let's look at what happened.