The Arrowverse walks to the beat of its own drum. Despite borrowing characters from the pages of DC Comics, the franchise isn’t afraid to take creative liberties. Instead of building a universe around icons like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, The Flash and Supergirl do a lot of the heavy lifting in the hero department. The Arrowverse is so confident in its unique direction, in fact, that it provides a vehicle for its B-list characters to shine in Legends of Tomorrow. Of course, no hero would have the chance they have without the man who paved the way, Oliver Queen. The former playboy returning home from Lian Yu sets off a chain of events that leads all the way to “Crisis on Infinite Earths.”
The version of the Green Arrow that roams around the Arrowverse isn’t like his comic book counterpart. No, they have very different styles, but the live-action one is becoming more impactful than its predecessor. Fans who know the character from The CW expect him to act a certain way, which could pose problems down the line.
Oliver’s life in the Arrowverse begins similarly to his on the page, with him using his family’s money to live a lavish lifestyle without consequences. All the mistakes come back to bite him when he takes his girlfriend’s sister on the family’s boat, which gets caught in a storm and sinks. Robert Queen does what he can to ensure his son’s survival, killing himself and another man to preserve rations. For the next five years, Oliver fights to survive. The sole thing still driving the young man is his need to right his father’s wrongs by returning to Starling City and rooting out corruption. If that sounds like another character’s motivation, it’s because it is. Bruce Wayne takes on the same mission, and that’s not the only thing Oliver borrows from the Dark Knight.
When he’s back home, Oliver takes to the streets as a vigilante, knocking around enough heads to gain a reputation as a psychopath. The cops try to bring him down, but the Arrow pushes on, even recruiting other people to join his crusade. After only a few seasons, Oliver has a big enough crew to give the Bat-Family a run for its money. It’s clear from the start that the Arrowverse is aiming to have a Batman-like character without actually using the Caped Crusader, which is a clever move. However, with Green Arrow still yet to make the jump to the big screen, it’s starting to feel like the real heart of the character is becoming an afterthought.
Funnily enough, Green Arrow did start out as a Batman clone. The Dark Knight was so popular that other creators wanted to get in on the fun. That didn’t last forever, though, as Neal Adams and Dennis O’Neil completely reinvented the character, making him a social activist who always put his money where his mouth was. He would call out wealthy men like Bruce Wayne, whom he thought weren’t doing enough. Oliver also had a wise-cracking attitude that made him stand out in a universe full of brooding heroes. Picking up a Green Arrow comic didn’t feel like picking up a Batman one, and that was important.
These days, while Green Arrow is still going strong in the comics, he doesn’t have much of a presence on TV. The Arrowverse shows are available on streaming, which means the franchise’s take on the character lives on in a major way. However, the narrative needs to shift in the near future if James Gunn really wants to put his stamp on DC, especially if the plan is to move forward with two big-screen Batmen. There must be a place in the DCU, whether it’s on HBO Max or in a movie, for Green Arrow to embrace his comic book roots and not follow in the footsteps of a different hero who’s already done it better.
The Arrowverse shows are streaming on Netflix.
How do you feel about the Arrowverse’s take on Oliver Queen? Do you think Green Arrow will appear in the DC Universe? Let us know in the comments below!
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