Since 2011, the Arrowverse has brought our favorite DC heroes to life on the little screen. Whether it’s getting their own show or playing a small recurring role, fans are surprised by the vast knowledge by the CW showrunners.
The DCEU has tried to compete with the likes of MCU to create their own super universe. With both working with Warner Bros., were bound to get characters that make appearances on both the little and the big screen. Here are 10 characters we’ve seen in the Arrowverse and the DCEU.
The Flash/Barry Allen
Kicking off our list is one of the most obvious connections. The fastest man alive has his own CW show and plays a very big role in the Arrowverse itself. Played by Grant Gustin, the show is in its sixth season and is one of the highest-rated shows on the CW.
In the DCEU, Barry Allen/The Flash is played by Ezra Miller who plays a young and clumsy hero, often being the comic relief in the Justice League Movie. Like Gustin’s Flash, Miller is an optimistic and hopeful hero, serving as a source of inspiration for his city and the heroes he works alongside.
Superman/Clark Kent
Unlike The Flash, the last son of Krypton only has a recurring role on his cousins’s show an occasional cameo in the yearly crossover, at least for now. Tyler Hoechlin plays Superman and he captures everything the hero is from his humble and empathetic personality to his shy and winning smile. Even though we don’t see a lot of Superman, every time he’s on we have to appreciate how well Hoechlin captures the character.
In the DCEU, Superman is the staple of the universe being the most powerful and well-known heroes, as well as the one who kicked off the DCEU with Man Of Steel in 2013. Played by Henry Cavill, it seems like he was born to play the role, with looks and a costume that looks like it got ripped right out of the comic books.
Both actors play Superman beautifully, really bringing the swagger that Superman brings anytime he’s in any form of media.
Lois Lane
You can’t have Superman without Lois Lane. Lois plays a huge role in DC, often being the one that captures Superman’s humanity and inspires him more than anyone else. In the Arrowverse Lois is played by Elizabeth Tulloch who really acts as a caring wife to Clark and stubborn and fearless reporter that we can’t get enough of. With her snarky remarks and fearlessness, Tulloch has really indulged herself in the role and Superman fans can’t get enough of her and Clark’s interactions.
In the DCEU Lois is played by Golden Globe-winning actress Amy Adams. Like Tulloch, Adams knows Lois is not a damsel in distress, she hardly ever needs saving. She proves that time and time again, being constant love support for Superman even after his death.
Iris West
Like Lois to Superman, Iris inspires the Flash and plays a huge role in making him a hero. Iris is string independent, and as fearless as they come, not letting anybody scare her, even going face to face with her would-be killer. in the Arrowverse Iris is played by the beautiful Candice Patton who resonates with everything Iris is from the comics. Although the casting had some unpleasant backlash due to ignorant fans, Patton has really done a great job playing Iris, regardless of the bad writing and failure to develop her as a character.
In the DCEU, Iris West is played by the talented Kiersey Clemons. Although she has technically not appeared in the DCEU except for a small deleted scene, she is still confirmed to play Iris in the upcoming Flash solo film. With an actress of her caliber, don’t expect her to have a small role, but take an equally starring role like Patton does in the Flash show.
Deathstroke/Slade Wilson
The universes don’t only include heroes. Deathstroke is only of the best-known villains in all of DC, making appearances in animated shows, live-action shows, and movies. In the Arrowverse, Deathstroke is an ex Australian operative who is trained to kill people and his ferociousness is multiplied when he takes a strength-enhancing drug. Played by Manu Bennett, Deathstroke is more of an anti-hero but his road to redemption doesn’t come easy as he is responsible for killing the Green Arrow’s mom.
Like Kiersey Clemons and Iris West, Joe Manganiello has yet to make a DCEU appearance and his scenes were sadly cut from Justice League. With an actor of his caliber and his amazing costume, we should see him make his debut in one way or another.
Amanda Waller
The mastermind behind the Suicide Squad. Amanda Waller is one of the most feared characters in the DC universe due to her no-nonsense approach and ruthless way of treating her prisoners. In the Arrowverse, Waller is played by Cynthia Addai-Robinson who plays a shady, two-faced version of the character, forming her suicide squad and always making her way to where the troubles at. Although she met her untimely end in the fourth season of Arrow, she still had a great impact.
In the DCEU, Amanda Waller is played by the great Viola Davis, who just like any role she plays Amanda Waller perfectly. With her look, her stern and terrifying stare, and her fearlessness, it’s like she was ripped out of the comics. Davis was born to play this role and outdoes Robinson in several ways, including staying alive.
Lex Luthor
Like Lois Lane plays a big role in the Superman mythos, so does Lex Luthor. Luthor is arguably DC’s most notorious villain due to his intellect and resourcefulness. Lex is arrogant, unstable, and he definitely can’t be trusted, like John Cryer in the Arrowverse version has proved time and time again. Although he’s not a big part in the Arrowverse, it is well known he’s not a good guy and should not be underestimated.
In the DCEU, Lex Luthor is a nutcase, making a plan to destroy Superman and create Doomsday for no real or apparent reason other than to just cause chaos. Jesse Eisenberg is a great actor, playing many iconic roles that do not include this one. in the DCEU Lex is a lot more unstable than he should be and a tad bit too young to be trifling with the Man of Steel.
Katana/Tatsu Yamashiro
She’s soft-spoken but extremely deadly. Katana is one of the deadliest warriors in both the DCEU and the Arrowverse as she can literally chop you up with her sword before you could even blink. In the Arrowverse, we saw a fleshed-out origin story, with a young Tatsu playing a young mother who loses her son and crosses paths with a young Oliver Queen. Although she only has a recurring role in Arrow, shes a huge help to Oliver and always helps him in great ways.
In the DCEU, she’s also a soft-spoken killing machine, having very little dialogue in Suicide Squad and a whole lot of action scenes.
Deadshot/Floyd Lawton
Although they both play assassins for hire with a deadly accurate shot, both Floyd Lawton’s are almost completely different from each other. In the Arrowverse, Deadshot is played by Michael Rowe and he starts off as a psychotic nutcase who marks all his kills on his body.
In the DCEU, Lawton just wants to make enough money to support his daughter and make the most out of his talent. In the first Suicide Squad, the great Will Smith played Lawton but he is being replaced by an equally great actor Idris Elba.
Anatoly Knyazev/KGBeast
These two characters couldn’t be further away from each other. In the Arrowverse, Anatoly is no KGBeast but he is a high ranking official of the Russian mob and on again off again friend to Oliver Queen.
In the DCEU, he plays a very minor role that you wouldn’t even know until he is mentioned briefly. Both actors play their respective Anatoly’s well but nowhere near the KGBeast in the comics.
