San Diego Comic-Con 2013: DC Comics and Warner Bros announced the production of a Batman vs Superman film. Two years later: we still have to wait another year. This film will continue DC's Cinematic Universe that started with Man of Steel back in 2013. However, by the time WB gets their second DC movie out starring Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman the world will have already spent four years becoming attached to Green Arrow, The Flash, the Atom, and a lot of other DC characters that aren't considered the "World's Finest."
Yesterday, a trailer dropped for the new CW series, DC's Legends of Tomorrow. This will be the second spin-off series that takes place in the shared universe that Arrow started in 2012. In it's third season, Arrow was joined by it's first spin-off, The Flash. With only one season under it's belt The Flash has become enough of a hit too green-light another Arrow spin-off. And why not? This season, between the two shows, we were introduced to DC alumni like Atom, Black Canary, Firestorm, and Captain Cold. This universe is expanding like the big bang, and it's only going to get bigger.
Man of Steel wasn't DC and WB's first attempt to make a shared universe. In 2011, Green Lantern was supposed to ignite the DC Cinematic Universe, but the film was a social disaster. As Warner Bros regrouped to try again, Marvel Studios released The Avengers, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and has enough of head start to take a multi-year nap while DC tries to catch up. Green Lantern writer, Greg Berlanti, along with several others, turned their focus to television. In season two, Arrow introduced a young Barry Allen, which hit new ratings highs for the series. Soon a Flash spin-off was in production. With the success of The Flash, Berlanti has become a TV genie, and created a grand shared universe the DC films have yet to accomplish.
Last Fall, several other TV series were released with other DC characters. NBC's Constantine has been cancelled, and while Fox's Gotham has been renewed for a second season I stopped watching after episode two. Constantine sadly wasn't superhero-ish enough for today's audience, and who wants to watch a Batman show without Batman? Greg Berlanti has another show coming out this Fall; CBS's Supergirl. The first extended preview did not impress me, but the second, shorter, trailer made it seem a little better. But so far, it is said that Supergirl will not connect to The CW's Arrow-verse.
In my opinion, Marvel is succeeding in their shared universe because they are making movies everyone can enjoy. Some people like the Captain America films, while others prefer the Iron Man trilogy. And each Marvel film expands the mythology of the universe. The CW's DC shows are also doing this. Arrow has a darker, more serious, tone with a few jokes thrown in. While The Flash has a lighter tone. Both of these are reflective of their main characters; Oliver Queen and Barry Allen. DC's Legends of Tomorrow will expand the Arrow-verse even more. And 22 episodes gives us a lot more time to learn and love characters than a two hour movie.
While I will admit these shows aren't quit the same quality of Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, or Breaking Bad, the characters and story lines are good enough to suck anyone into this universe. So the big screen can have their Dark Knight, Man of Steel, and Amazon Princess. I'm more excited to see what Berlanti has in store for the Emerald Archer, Scarlet Speedster, and the rest of DC's B-team . I would have loved to have see this new series be called something along the lines of "Justice Society" because I know a "Justice League" movie is already planned, but I'm itching to see a 3-episode crossover with all 3-shows that run like a big 3-hour film. This is what shared universes are all about, and The CW is hitting their mark better than even Marvel TV.
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