Despite its humble beginnings, The CW's Arrowverse has become a powerhouse of modern superhero entertainment. Starting as a simple platform to tell Oliver Queen's (Stephen Amell) grounded crime drama, the network has slowly branched out and introduced major DC icons like Barry Allen a.k.a The Flash (Grant Gustin), Ray Palmer a.k.a The Atom (Brandon Routh), and many more are on the way from all eras of the comcis. However, for all the progress that the Arrowverse has made in recent years, there's still one major character that has remained decidedly absent from the modern lore: Bruce Wayne.
It's not hard to understand why The CW has steered clear of the endlessly popular Bruce Wayne (and his alter ego) for so long, but we think it's finally time for all agreements to be made to bring him into the fold. We've compiled a list of reasons why the Arrowverse should finally embrace Gotham's favorite billionaire playboy, and give him a proper introduction. Now let's get started with one of the most obvious reasons of all...
He Has Been Hinted At For Years
We've seen Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) face off against Ra's Al Ghul (Matt Nable) on top of a mountain without a shirt on. We've watched The Arrow do battle with the Clock King, as well as The Dollmaker. We've even picked up on references to Nightwing's home in Bludhaven, the existence of Barbara Gordon a.k.a Oracle, and The Joker's girlfriend, Harley Quinn. These are just a few examples of how The CW has teased Bat fans for the better part of four years. Arrow has danced around the idea of Bruce Wayne, Batman, and Gotham City long enough, and after four whole seasons we're ready for concrete confirmation of the existence of Gotham's favorite son, and DC's most popular character.
It's Legally And Financially Possible
Up until recently, the idea of Bruce Wayne or Batman appearing on The CW would have seemed like a pipe dream, but then the Superman deal happened. Now it seems likely that, given the right amount of money and cooperation between networks, multiple versions of the same iconic DC character could easily pop up on different TV series. An unconfirmed (but enticing nonetheless) recent rumor seemingly suggests that FOX has opened up the possibility of sharing Bruce Wayne and Batman with The CW -- for a major fee, of course. The CW already shelled out plenty of dough to CBS for the Man of Steel to come over and play with Oliver Queen and Barry Allen, which means that there's now precedent and groundwork for a similar deal to occur with FOX. Don't get cheap on me now, Greg Berlanti.
Superman Is Already On The Way
There was a time when DC's small screen efforts felt specifically reserved for second-tier, B-list characters. However, the immense popularity of the Arrowverse eventually paved the way for Grant Gustin's Flash, and even the upcoming debut of Tyler Hoechlin's Superman (and Clark Kent) on Supergirl. The CW clearly no longer seems to have any trepidation about introducing top-tier DC superheroes into the fray, and there are clearly powers that be that can make it work on a financial level. Having a fully fleshed out Superman more or less comes with the implication that Bruce Wayne's out there somewhere and to introduce the brighter half of the World's Finest duo without making any effort to acknowledge the darker side simply doesn't feel right.
You Can Have Bruce Wayne Without Batman
Most importantly, we need to emphasize that just because we're asking for Bruce Wayne doesn't necessarily mean we need to see a cape or cowl anytime soon. For all the popularity that Batman has experienced in recent years, his alter ego of Bruce Wayne has often fallen by the wayside. Introducing Bruce Wayne to the Arrowverse could allow The CW to flesh out The Dark Knight's daytime persona in unprecedented ways while still providing hints (if not explicitly showing) how he spends his nights. Even if we never see the pointy ears or the Batmobile, establishing the existence of the billionaire playboy feels like something we need to see happen.
It Takes Full Advantage Of The Multiverse
Unlike Marvel's singular cinematic universe, DC has more or less endeavored to craft a wide variety of superhero universes centered on the idea of the multiverse -- multiple realities separated by different dimensions. This means that DC can have numerous versions of the same characters across different properties, and they never have to worry about crossing them over unless they so choose. We have Ben Affleck's cinematic Bruce Wayne, and we have David Mazouz' young Bruce Wayne on Gotham; adding another Wayne to the Arrowverse would take full advantage of the multiverse concept and further establish that idea that numerous DC realities exist. This could even lay the groundwork for an eventual Crisis On Infinite Earths adaptation.
He Can Be A Reminder Of Oliver's Darker Days
Oliver Queen has gone through an incredible character arc since Arrow first premiered in 2012, but the show has sometimes struggled to properly convey how much he has lightened his approach to crimefighting over the last four years. This is because Mr. Queen firmly remains the darkest DC hero within the Arrowverse, and the one to which the lighter heroes are often compared. Bruce Wayne definitively embraced the darkness in the wake of his parents deaths, and juxtaposing him with Oliver Queen could provide the quickest and cleanest means of showing how Green Arrow has learned to embrace optimism and hope since his return to Star(ling) City. Some have accused Arrow of being a knock-off Batman story in recent years, and this would be an effective way to disprove the naysayers.
