Over the course of its run, Arrow has introduced a variety of characters from DC Comics for Oliver Queen to interact with. While the casual viewer might not recognize villains like Brother Blood or allies like Black Canary, the show has been a gift for fans wanting to see favorites who may never make it to the movies. However, it always helps to think big, and executive producer Marc Guggenheim has his mind set on someday having a certain Bat-dressed A-lister stop by for a visit.
Agent Carter showrunners Tara Butters (who is Guggenheim's wife) and Michele Fazekas had a discussion with Guggenheim through THR, and he was asked how many Justice League members he’d like to see appear on Arrow. He earnestly expressed his excitement for someday seeing Batman, the only non-powered DC superhero more famous than Green Arrow.
“At the end of the day it'd be so awesome to have Batman on the show. That'd be really cool. I don't think that will be happening anytime soon, but you never know…one day.”
The executive producer also pointed out that when the show was being planned, they never imagined that they would include characters like Huntress, Deadshot and Deathstroke. Now in its third season, Arrow has had comic book favorites like Ray Palmer, Katana and the Suicide Squad, not to mention The Flash and all the characters introduced in that series. Because of all this, the executive producer has learned not to make any predictions because “the reality has far exceeded any of our initial predictions or initial conceptions.”
While Guggenheim does bring up a good point about how accessibility to characters can always change, there are two key obstacles that currently prevent Batman from showing up on Arrow. The first is Fox’s Gotham. Although Bruce Wayne won’t put on the cape and cowl during the series, he’s still being contained to the prequel. In fact, outside of Ra’s al Ghul and a few minor villains, most of Batman’s supporting cast is limited to Gotham on the TV front.
Second, and most importantly, are the DC movies. Ben Affleck will debut as the DC Cinematic Universe’s Caped Crusader in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and will also appear in both Justice League movies. With the films covering an older Batman and Gotham following a tween Bruce, DC has their bases covered on both the big and small screen.
Still, as Guggenheim noted, nothing’s impossible, and perhaps one day DC and Warner Bros. will adjust their rules on which character can appear where. Besides, if any two superheroes are perfect for working together on TV, it’s DC’s most well-known non-powered vigilantes. Few visual effects would be required, and you’re guaranteed a lot of amazing action. If you want an idea of what a team-up between Arrow and Gotham City’s Dark Knight might look like, check out the fan trailer of Oliver Queen joining forces with the Christopher Nolan Batman.
