Arrowverse DC Creator Says He Wasted His Time On The Superhero Universe
Arrowverse co-creator Marc Guggenheim says that James Gunn and Peter Safran have ignored him and that he wasted his time working on The CW's DC shows.
DC’s massive CW-based collection of superhero TV shows, collectively known as the Arrowverse, is one of the casualties of the new plans for the DCU going forward. Marc Guggenheim, one of the major creators involved in the Arrowverse, feels like he’s not getting his due for years of effort. Deadline reported on Guggenheim’s public blog post where he revealed James Gunn and Peter Safran have not contacted him, leading him to say, “Simply put, the Arrowverse hasn’t led to any other gigs, so it feels — at least on a career level — that I really wasted my time.”
Marc Guggenheim was a co-creator of Arrow, which kicked off the Arrowverse. He also was a creator of the CW crossover event Crisis on Infinite Earths which brought together shows like Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Batwoman, and Legends of Tomorrow. Guggenheim also served as an executive producer on many of these series.
The Arrowverse creator also said how he at least wanted the new DCU heads to reach out, saying “Not a job, mind you. A meeting.” As for what remains of the CW shows, The Flash will be ending in May, and Superman & Lois has one or two more seasons left.
While it seems Marc Guggenheim won’t be playing a part in the new DCU regime, fellow Arroverse co-creator Greg Berlanti has a spot at the table. Berlanti is wrapping up his Doom Patrol and Titans series but will also be debuting a new Gotham Knights series. However, reports do indicate that he’ll be taking a bit of a step back from DC overall.
It does make sense that James Gunn and Peter Safran are wanting to leave the Arrowverse behind, as their new plan intends to cast actors who will play their roles across mediums. Meaning whoever plays Green Lantern in a DCU show would play Green Lantern in any DCU movies or video games. This interconnected fabric would be untenable with all the major superhero roles played by the CW stars.
However, Gunn and Safran’s plans do leave a little wiggle room for alternate storylines, as Matt Reeves is still making his Batverse and the Joker sequel is still on track. However, projects like these will fall under the ‘Elseworlds’ banner, which is separate from the DCU proper. It seems like there wasn’t room for the Arrowverse in Elseworlds.
James Gunn and Peter Safran revealed their extensive DCU plans which include a Superman movie, a Green Lantern TV show, a Batman movie, a Supergirl movie, and much more. Along with wrapping up the Arrowverse shows in the coming years, they will also be wrapping up the storylines from the defunct DCEU with films like Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Blue Beetle, and The Flash. It’s not quite clear if all of these actors from the previous lineup will reprise their roles in the DCU.
The Flash film is reported to reset everything and help kick off Gunn’s and Safran’s grand plans. We’ll have to wait and see if their plans and nixing the Arrowverse (and its creators) end up being the right movie. Stay tuned for more news about the DCU.
