From Zatanna to 'Batman Beyond', with The CW looking at a new DC property to add to Arrowverse, here are our top picks
‘Arrow’, the first of The CW’s DC superhero shows, is now entering its final season while Ruby Rose’s ‘Batwoman’ is set to start off a whole new era for the network. Now, it would seem that the CW has plans for another show to add to the ever-expanding multiverse.
While making an appearance at the Television Critics Association summer press tour on August 4, The CW President Mark Pedowitz told reporters that the network is looking to add another DC property to its slate for the 2020-2021 TV season.
“The fact that seven years ago, we introduced Arrow, who would have thought it would have spawned six shows, a whole universe that they managed to create,” he added. “It’s quite a remarkable feat. Pedowitz declined to drop any hints as to which property they are looking at, but we have a few ideas for the network.
Here are our top picks for which DC property the CW should adapt next:
Blue Beetle and Booster Gold
The CW has been toying with the idea of a Blue Beetle and Booster Gold series for a very long time. Ted Kord, the second and most popular Blue Beetle, has been referenced multiple times on both ‘Arrow’ and ‘The Flash’ and the character was actually supposed to make an appearance played by Brandon Routh before he was swapped out in favor of Atom.
"I will say, both those characters [Booster Gold and Blue Beetle] are characters we've talked about", ‘Arrow’ showrunner Marc Guggenheim said during the DCTV panel at ACE Comic-Con 2017. "Originally Ray Palmer, who was introduced on Arrow, he was supposed to be Ted Kord and we went another way. So, you know, Booster and Blue Beetle, all the 'B' characters really, we're always talking about but nothing I can announce or speak to at the moment."
Zatanna
Except for Matt Ryan’s Constantine, the Arrowverse is a bit short on magical superheroes. Zatanna would be the perfect property to help the CW tip the magical scales in favor of the good guys. The accomplished sorceress is a member of the Justice League in the comics and has been a popular character on both the Arrowerse predecessor ‘Smallville’ and the hit animated show ‘Young Justice’.
Bringing in Zatanna would definitely help our heroes in their upcoming fight against the Anti-Monitor during ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’, not to mention she could form quite a popular trio with Supergirl and Batwoman.
'Batman Beyond'
Easily the most underrated ‘Batman’ property out there, ‘Batman Beyond’ is a tale set in the future of Gotham City where Bruce Wayne has retired from crime-fighting and passed on his mantle to a high school student named Terry McGinnis. The animated show ran for three seasons and was praised by both critics and fans for its innovative villains and darker plotlines.
Kevin Conroy, who voiced Bruce Wayne on the show, is set to play a version of Batman during ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’. While we don’t yet know which version of the character he will be bringing to the screen, Conroy’s appearance is the perfect opportunity to lay the groundwork for a possible live-action adaptation of the futuristic Batman show.
The Robins
Brenton Thwaites’s Dick Grayson has been killing it over on DC Universe’s ‘Titans’ but The CW is yet to actually bring in much of Batman’s extended family, outside of his cousin Kate Kane in ‘Batwoman’, of course. However, the Boy Wonder -- or rather Wonders -- is easily one of the most popular characters to come out of DC comics.
While most adaptations of the character have chosen to focus on Dick Grayson’s time as Robin, there is a lot of potential for a show featuring all four Boys Wonder including Dick’s adoptive siblings Jason Todd, Tim Drake and Damian Wayne. Each of these characters has a very unique appeal and the banter between Bruce’s boys has been the highlight of the ‘Batman’ comics in recent years. Seeing these four bring their fun dynamic to the screen would be a genuine treat for the fans.
Doctor Fate
Doctor Fate in the comics is an immortal Lord of Order, a magical being called Nabu who possesses the body of a mortal being in order to exist on our plane of existence. The Helmet of Nabu, the source of Fate’s power, has already appeared as an easter egg on NBC’s canceled ‘Constantine’ but seeing as Constantine is now a part of ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ the door is still open on bringing the character to the Arrowverse.
While we wait to find out who or what might be featured in the new show, here's a video to prepare you for the upcoming final season of 'Arrow'.