The Arrowverse is a universe on The CW, which the network launched in 2012. It has now ended with the final episode of Superman & Lois. It started gaining popularity years ago and is gradually changing how superhero stories are brought to screens on TV.
It brought the DC Comics' spirit onto television by linking different stories, making real comic adaptations, and creating new crossovers to the franchise, including shows like The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, and many more, showing what superhero stories could do in a series.
Tonight's final episode of Superman & Lois not only wraps up this story but also shows how important the Arrowverse is. As fans bid farewell, the show likely changed superhero media for good, inspiring creators and viewers alike.
Here is how it changed superhero TV forever!
Creating a shared universe on TV
Before the Arrowverse, shared TV universes were not quite used. Beginning with the show Arrow, the CW set up ideas for connected shows. The success of The Flash in 2014 was a key point, for example, with all the good praise for shows like "Crisis on Earth-X" and "Elseworlds.".
These were huge and meant to be as epic as a movie in how they were narrated. The most famous was Crisis on Infinite Earths, 2019, which included Arrowverse characters and guest appearances from Smallville, Birds of Prey, and even the DCEU. This crossover marked a new level for connected stories on TV.
Two years ago, Reddit user u/Lyon_Wonder noted,
“It would be nice if Nexstar-CW affiliates air syndicated reruns of early seasons of Arrow and The Flash since their older seasons were the best anyway.”
These early seasons showed the Arrowverse probably at its best, showing how strong storytelling can be when it is used on many shows.
Pioneering representation and diversity
Some important things the Arrowverse did was support diversity and representation. Its shows included Supergirl, which promoted feminism and LGBTQ+ rights, while its show Black Lightning dealt with systemic racism. These shows did not avoid real-world problems.
The franchise also concentrated on lesser-known heroes. For example, Legends of Tomorrow brought together an oddball team of misfits, like Sara Lance, one of TV's first openly bisexual superheroes. Then, Batwoman introduced viewers to Ryan Wilder, played by Javicia Leslie, the first Black actress to don the iconic cape and cowl.
Both the viewers and the critics have enjoyed it. According to Reel 360, Superman & Lois presented an actual human story in super stories. The story pursues ideas like legacy, identity, and resilience. Therefore, in storytelling, so-called exciting heroic action was connected to relatability.
The Arrowverse legacy on The CW
The Arrowverse not only told superhero tales but also showed the way to do so on television. It presented ideas about the multiverse, and it adapted the most famous comic book stories, notably Flashpoint, which became a model for the subsequent ones.
This is also what made it important to create new ideas without disrespecting the original material. Realistic costumes were one of the features of the franchise. One good example is Tyler Hoechlin's Superman suit in Superman & Lois. They stayed faithful to comic book designs but included modern styles.
Screen Rant appreciated this work and pointed out how it made big-screen versions rethink how they showed superheroes.
It was also a playground to experiment with DC heroes and allow mostly unseen heroes like Stargirl and Ragman to appear. It extended beyond the screen, as The Flash found himself in Justice League during "Crisis on Infinite Earths," a special crossover event for TV and movies.
As Reddit’s u/Definitivamente1400 summarized,
“The only hope CW had was Superman & Lois and Stargirl. It sucks to see it all coming to an end.”
As the Arrowverse comes to an end, its impact on TV television is clear. It proved that superhero stories can be big and personal, taking common themes and keeping their originality core.
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Catch the final episode of Superman & Lois tonight on The CW or stream the iconic Arrowverse series on platforms like Netflix and HBO Max.
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