13 Years Ago, the Arrowverse Changed a DC Hero Forever (Will They Ever Recover?)

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The Arrowverse has a distinct style all its own. While it uses characters from DC Comics, it isn’t afraid to change things up and get creative. Instead of focusing on the most famous heroes like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, shows like *The Flash* and *Supergirl* take center stage. The franchise is so confident in its approach that it even created *Legends of Tomorrow* to showcase lesser-known characters. Of course, all of this started with Oliver Queen – his journey after returning from Lian Yu ultimately led to the massive “Crisis on Infinite Earths” event.

The Green Arrow we see in the Arrowverse TV shows isn’t quite the same as the one from the comics. While they have different approaches, the live-action version is actually making a bigger impression. Viewers familiar with the comic book character might have expectations about how he’ll behave, and that could create challenges for the show in the future.

The Arrowverse’s Oliver Queen Is More Like Batman Than Green Arrow

Oliver Queen’s story in the Arrowverse starts much like it does in the comics: he lives a carefree life funded by his family’s wealth, facing no real consequences for his actions. This eventually leads to tragedy when a boating trip with his girlfriend’s sister goes wrong during a storm. Oliver’s father, Robert Queen, sacrifices himself and another man to save his son. Oliver then spends the next five years struggling to survive. Driven by a desire to honor his father, he returns to Starling City with the goal of eliminating corruption. This mission is remarkably similar to the one undertaken by Bruce Wayne, and Oliver actually draws inspiration from the Dark Knight in several ways.

Returning to his city, Oliver becomes a masked vigilante, quickly gaining a frightening reputation through his brutal methods. Despite police efforts to stop him, he continues his one-man war on crime and eventually builds a team of allies. Within a few years, his group rivals even the well-established Bat-Family. The show clearly intends to create a hero similar to Batman without actually using the character, a smart approach. However, with no Green Arrow movie in sight, the core of what makes the character special seems to be getting lost.

The DC Universe Must Put Green Arrow Back in His Place

Interestingly, Green Arrow originally began as a copy of Batman. Batman was incredibly popular, and other comic creators wanted to create similar characters. However, that didn’t last. Artists Neal Adams and writer Dennis O’Neil completely changed Green Arrow, turning him into a character who fought for social justice and backed up his beliefs with action. He even openly challenged wealthy figures like Bruce Wayne, believing they weren’t doing enough to help others. Oliver Queen also had a witty and sarcastic personality, which helped him stand out among the many serious heroes. Reading a Green Arrow comic felt distinctly different from reading a Batman one, and that was key to his success.

Although Green Arrow is still popular in comic books, he’s currently not featured in any TV shows. While the old Arrowverse series can be streamed, allowing fans to still enjoy that version of the character, the DC Universe needs to refresh the Green Arrow story soon. Especially with plans for two different Batman movie universes, it’s important that Green Arrow finds a place in the new DCU – either on a streaming service like HBO Max or in a film – and establishes his own unique identity, rather than simply mirroring the path of another, more established hero.

The Arrowverse shows are streaming on Netflix.

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2025-10-07 00:18