Don’t Expect Any Crossover Between DC Cinematic And TV Universes

Sorry to crush your dreams, fanboys – according to Geoff Johns, Chief Creative Officer at DC, there are no plans to intermingle DC characters on the small screen, such as the Green Arrow and the Flash on The CW’s Arrow and The Flash, and the big one, such as the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel, who star in tentpole Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. Sadly, Johns, who was in attendance at the TCA (Television Critics Association) press tour for The CW’s The Flash panel, was rather definitive on the matter.

When the question was asked during the panel, Johns stated that “we will not be integrating the film and television universes,” and that the two are “their own universes.” With that statement in mind, many were curious as to whether there could be two separate versions of the Justice League, one on the small screen and the other on the big one. Johns said:

“You’ll see a lot of DC universe characters [on The Flash and Arrow]. You won’t see Batman or Superman. We’re on production on Batman V Superman now. So you’ll see characters like The Atom or Firestorm, but no not Batman or Superman right now [on TV].”

It does make sense that DC would want to keep things separate, both to avoid confusion with audiences and to allow both universes to build independent of one another. Johns added:

“It’s a separate universe than film so that the filmmakers can tell the story that’s best for film, while we explore something different in a different corner of the DC universe.”

Sadly, Amell fans, that means a cameo for the Arrow star in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice appears to be off the table. Arrow watchers shouldn’t be too disappointed, however – after all, the small screen is where the most creative DC stories are playing out at the moment.

Also at the panel, The CW president Mark Pedowtiz was vocally optimistic about the possibility of adding more superhero shows past Arrow and The Flash. When asked about potentially revisiting a Wonder Woman series, he said:

“If she is [available for small screen use] and we can get the right script we will do it… One of the nice things is that a lot of the other broadcasters and cable networks have done comic book characters based on the success of Arrow. So for our purposes, it is a rich source material, we know what the mythology is, and if you have the right superhero character you go for it.”

Johns agreed that, if the scripts are good, “there’s room for everything.” As for his own preference, Johns wants to see a Shazam movie. And if that leaked schedule is any indication, he may just get his wish.