The Arrowverse is one of the major superhero universes, along with the MCU and the DCEU/DCU. What makes it unique is that it’s a set of TV series, not movies. So, characters and their stories are explored in-depth compared to movies.
The success of Arrow led to more shows in the franchise – The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Batwoman, Black Lightning, and even Superman & Lois (although it was later on established as not taking place in the same universe as the other shows).
There was a time when the Arrowverse dominated everyone’s screens. Many became interested in these DC shows and found themselves waiting for the next episodes weekly or upcoming seasons.
But in the long run, the Arrowverse started losing viewers, and ratings went down. The Flash’s series finale, which officially marked the end of the Arrowverse, didn’t really meet expectations either.
So, what went wrong with the Arrowverse?
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First, there were just too many shows, and with lengthy seasons, which could be the reasons for the decline in quality. If you’re someone who watches all the shows in the Arrowverse, you will start noticing patterns and formulas in the storytelling.
Supergirl and Flash start dealing with similar villains, the story arcs become predictable, and the shows have a villain of the week scenario that didn't really work well in the long run.
The shows were no longer offering something new or exciting, causing viewers to lose interest.
Additionally, there are strengths and weaknesses for having a bunch of shows in a shared universe. It works well for super fans who can’t get enough of their favorite series and want more seasons or spinoffs.
However, to some, it can be exhausting to catch up with each show set in the same continuity. To keep up with the events of the timeline, essentially, one has to watch all of the shows – most of which have lengthy seasons. The fact that the stories become predictable doesn’t help either.
So, some who started watching the Arrowverse don’t continue until the end (as in from Arrow Season 1 to The Flash Season 9). And maybe even those who continued watching only did so for the sake of finishing what they started.
Second, the Arrowverse was never the same after Arrow ended. This is also tied with Crisis on Infinite Earths, where Oliver Queen’s death occurred.
Crisis on Infinite Earths felt like a conclusion to the Arrowverse. The end of Arrow seemed to mark the end of the franchise as well. Things were never the same post-Crisis, and post-Arrow, really.
Perhaps the majority will agree that Arrow is the best series in the franchise. It had compelling storylines and a very interesting lead character – Oliver Queen. What people were looking for in a superhero series was essentially in Arrow, which is why it became really popular.
Arrow certainly left a mark on the superhero genre, and is the Arrowverse’s legacy. So, after the series that started it all ended, and because Crisis on Infinite Earths felt like an ending already, many lost interest in continuing to watch what’s left of the Arrowverse.
The Flash, which also started out as a really good series, started having a decline in quality. Even in its final season, the best episode was the one where the Green Arrow was in. For a shortened final season, it had a couple of filler episodes too.
What happened with the Arrowverse with Crisis is similar to what happened with the MCU with Avengers: Endgame. To some, Endgame served as a conclusion to the franchise, and others no longer watched the post-Endgame movies and series.
Third, the Arrowverse was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the pandemic, the shows weren’t able to give proper conclusions to their seasons. So, storylines had to be rushed, and things crammed in one season.
Because of the pandemic too, major crossovers were no longer possible. We never got to see “The League” back together again. Crossovers are what fans look forward to in the Arrowverse, and the lack of crossovers may have affected the viewers’ interest in the shows.
Sadly, in the long run, the Arrowverse didn’t get any better. In fact, two of its series – Legends of Tomorrow and Batwoman, weren’t able to conclude properly given their cancellation.
But maybe, it was really time for the Arrowverse to go anyway. James Gunn’s DCU is coming, so that’s another thing DC fans can look forward to.
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