Of all the spin-offs in the Arrowverse that are currently airing, it is clear that Superman and Lois is at the top when it comes to consistent quality at the moment. With the show returning for a second season, it seems that the series is still doing very well with its writing, pacing and characters. However, while Superman and Lois continues to be a great show, I can’t help but feel that the other Arrowverse spin-offs aren’t as successful when it comes to keeping a consistent quality. Shows like The Flash and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow haven’t been nearly as entertaining and instead seem to have doubled down on their lackluster writing, poor storytelling and unfunny humor. Even the many spin-offs that were previously announced for the Arrowverse like Painkiller and Green Arrow and the Canaries have been canceled before even airing because the CW did not feel that they would be successful. With the announcement of the “Gotham Knights” series, I have decided to give my top 5 choices for characters who could have an amazing spin-off if they were given the opportunity:
5. Kingdom Come Superman: I’m well aware that Superman already has a show within the Arrowverse at the moment. I’m even more aware that we have had several shows that focus on Superman or a character who is related to him as of recently. However, Brandon Routh was absolutely incredible as the Kingdom Come Superman in the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover, that it would be an absolute waste to not use him more. Not only is the actor terrific as the character, but revisiting the universe of Christopher Reeve Superman movies would be fascinating, especially now since it seems that Routh has clearly grown into the character years after the lackluster Superman Returns. You could also bring in iconic Superman villains who did not get to be seen in the Christopher Reeve Superman movies like Brainiac, Metallo or Parasite. There are so many opportunities that could be in store for this series if it ever became a reality, and I doubt that anyone would have a problem with it.
4. Deathstroke: Arguably the most popular villain from the entire Arrowverse, Slade Wilson/Deathstroke has been a fan favorite from the moment he was introduced. Manu Bennett proved to be a phenomenal Deathstroke even though he wasn’t the most accurate to the comics. It was a massive shame that he was written off during Arrow’s sixth season because the CW didn’t have the rights to the character anymore. While Titans used the character well enough during its second season, Slade’s absence was definitely felt during the last three seasons of Arrow. With it being confirmed that the version from the DCEU will not continue, why not bring Bennett’s Deathstroke back? A series revolving around Deathstroke holds so many possibilities. You could have Slade dive into his past a lot more, you could bring in more characters from the comics who hold a strong connection to the character and you could tell a very intriguing story by just having the character alone. You would have to be a very poor writer to mess up a show that focuses on Manu Bennett’s Deathstroke. I say give the character another go.
3. Rip Hunter: When DC’s Legends of Tomorrow’s first season concluded, most people didn’t really have many positive things to say about it. Criticism was reserved for the overly dark tone, slow pacing and boring characters. However, Arthur Darvill as Rip Hunter was one of the few aspects that people didn’t seem to have a problem with. I wish the writers of this show had realized this because it seems that they felt that Rip was one of the main problems with the show’s first season. Rip’s role had been reduced from the main character to a recurring extra in the following seasons, before they just completely wrote off Darvill’s character and killed him off. While I absolutely love the second season of this show and greatly enjoy the third, the show has lost much of its charm with each season, with all of its original cast aside from Caity Lotz and Amy Pemberton having been written off. I think Caity Lotz is a very talented actress but I very much would have preferred that Darvill stayed as the lead. I personally think that Rip should be given his own new show. Darvill was phenomenal as the character and deserved much better. Rip is also the son of the iconic character Booster Gold, who has yet to make an appearance in the Arrowverse. You could make an entire show simply around that connection. It’s also not like Legends of Tomorrow is solely allowed to be the time travel show within the Arrowverse. The Flash has tackled that plot point numerous times, so there is no reason as to why a Rip Hunter series can’t as well.
2. The Legion of Doom: One of the best aspects about Legends of Tomorrow’s second season was its villains, which was a team up consisting of Damien Darhk, Malcolm Merlyn, Leonard Snart and Eobard Thawne. The Legion of Doom was an absolute delight to watch during Legends of Tomorrow as the four villains had terrific chemistry with one another and managed to be very intimidating when on screen. While they were eventually defeated at the end of the second season, they each all managed to come back one way or another in the Arrowverse. The fact that these characters constantly come back even after it seems like they are killed off for good just proves that the writers would not be willing to permanently get rid of them and could absolutely make their own show work. Not only would it be great to see these villains interact once again but it would be an amazing opportunity to see an Arrowverse show from the perspective of the antagonists. You could also add more of the previous big bads from the Arrowverse into the main cast. Wouldn’t it be amazing to see characters like Jon Cryer’s Lex Luthor and Josh Segarra’s Prometheus working with Matt Letscher’s Eobard Thawne and John Barrowman’s Malcolm Merlyn? Villains who weren’t used to their full potential in the Arrowverse could also be incredible in this possible series like Neil Sandilands’ Thinker and Sendhil Ramamurthy’s Bloodwork. The possibilities would be absolutely endless.
1. Jonah Hex: I put this choice at the top spot because it absolutely baffles me as why we haven’t gotten a Jonah Hex series yet. Just because the 2010 movie surrounding the character was terrible doesn’t necessarily mean that a show would be. A Jonah Hex series would be absolutely perfect. Jonathan Schaech was practically flawless as the character, with him perfectly capturing his gruff tone and stone cold demeanor. A western series within the Arrowverse would also be a tremendous amount of fun and can be completely different from what we have seen so far. They already have the western village set from Legends of Tomorrow that they can use. I highly doubt that they are unable to secure the rights to the character as it seems that the DC Extended Universe has no interest in using Jonah Hex for their movies. Why not allow Schaech to continue playing the character? Doing a Jonah Hex show could not only be greatly entertaining and fascinating but it could also introduce the character to more people who may have been unaware of him. He is not very well known but he isn’t too obscure either. I would personally love to see a show focusing on Jonah Hex were he does his job as a bounty hunter tracking down the worst of people and bringing them to justice or killing them. The premise is already there for the CW. Nobody is stopping them. The character could absolutely work for a series and definitely should have been given one already. I think it’s about time Jonah Hex got his due.
