Static Media
The Arrowverse is an extraordinary feat of television storytelling, a groundbreaking venture that established the benchmark for interconnected TV universes and for bringing DC heroes to life on the small screen. This crucial piece of television history emerged during a time when superheroes were ruling the cinema and faded away when the certainty of superhero media began to wane.
The Arrowverse continues to be unique, a universe populated with shows of varying tones and styles. Prior to the Netflix Marvel series’ attempts to differentiate themselves with unique color filters, the Arrowverse began with the “Batman Begins”-like “Arrow” – a show with its highs and lows but an undeniable legacy. Following that was the playful, soap opera-like superhero saga “The Flash” (which delved into the multiverse concept years before it became a staple of the superhero genre), the forward-thinking and idealistic “Supergirl,” the noir-esque “Batwoman,” the quirky yet thoughtful “Legends of Tomorrow,” and many more.
Before the DC Universe attempted to blend live-action and animation into a single continuity (a feat not even fully undertaken by Marvel yet), the Arrowverse presented characters that transitioned from live-action to animation and vice versa. It also incorporated characters from completely different networks into its own multiverse, like Matt Ryan’s John Constantine. Then there were the crossover events, which provided audiences with truly marvelous moments – particularly “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” which effectively brought together numerous eras of superhero stories and a host of well-thought-out cameos, more so than the live-action 2023 “Flash” movie or DC Animation’s three-part “Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths” adaptation.
That’s a significant amount of media for newcomers to sift through… but that’s where we step in.
The sequential order to view the Arrowverse shows
The CW
With approximately 700 episodes spread across 37 different TV seasons, the Arrowverse may not be as vast as, for instance, “One Piece,” but it’s still a considerable undertaking. The simplicity lies in the fact that you just need to watch the episodes in the order they were released. The Arrowverse’s shows were designed and intended to be viewed weekly as they were released, with the crossovers simply following the order of whichever show aired first. Bearing this in mind, here’s the sequential order to view the franchise’s numerous series and events:
- “Arrow” season 1
- “Arrow” season 2
- “The Flash” season 1 (up to episode 7)
- “Arrow” season 3 (up to episode 7)
- “Flash vs Arrow” crossover event (“The Flash” and “Arrow” episode 8)
- “Arrow” season 3
- “The Flash” season 1
- “Constantine”
- “Vixen”
- “The Flash” season 2
- “Arrow” season 4
- “Legends of Tomorrow” season 1
- “Supergirl” season 1
- “Vixen” season 2
- “The Flash” season 3 (up to episode 7)
- “Arrow” season 5 (up to episode 7)
- “Legends of Tomorrow” season 2 (up to episode 6)
- “Supergirl” season 2 (up to episode 7)
- “Invasion!” crossover event (episode 8 of “Supergirl,” followed by “The Flash” episode 8, then “Arrow” episode 8, and “Legends of Tomorrow” episode 7)
- “The Flash” season 3
- “Arrow” season 5
- “Supergirl” season 2
- “Legends of Tomorrow” season 2
- “Supergirl” season 3 (up to episode 7)
- “Arrow” season 6 (up to episode 7)
- “The Flash” season 4 (up to episode 7)
- “Legends of Tomorrow” season 3 (up to episode 6)
- “Crisis on Earth-X” crossover event (episode 8 of “Supergirl,” followed by “Arrow,” “The Flash,” and “Legends of Tomorrow)
- “Freedom Fighters: The Ray” season 1
- “Supergirl” season 3
- “Arrow” season 6
- “The Flash” season 4
- “Legends of Tomorrow” season 3
- “Black Lightning” season 1
- “Freedom Fighters: The Ray” season 2
- “The Flash” season 5 (up to episode 8)
- “Arrow” season 7 (up to episode 8)
- “Supergirl” season 4 (up to episode 8)
- “Elseworlds” crossover event (episode 9 of “The Flash,” followed by “Arrow,” and then “Supergirl)
- “The Flash” season 5
- “Black Lightning” season 2
- “Arrow” season 7Â
- “Supergirl” season 4
- “Legends of Tomorrow” season 4
- “Supergirl” season 5 (up to episode 8)
- “Black Lightning” season 3 (up to episode 8)
- “Batwoman” season 1 (up to episode 8)
- “The Flash” season 6 (up to episode 8)
- “Arrow” season 8 (up to episode 7)
- “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event (episode 9 of “Supergirl,” followed by “Black Lightning,” “Batwoman,” and “The Flash,” then “Arrow” episode 8)
- “Supergirl” season 5
- “Black Lightning” season 3
- “Batwoman” season 1
- “The Flash” season 6
- “Arrow” season 8
- “Legends of Tomorrow” season 5
- “Batwoman” season 2
- “Black Lightning” season 4
- “Superman & Lois” season 1
- “The Flash” season 7
- “Supergirl” season 6
- “Legends of Tomorrow” season 6
- “Batwoman” season 3
- “Legends of Tomorrow” season 7
- “The Flash” season 8
- “Superman & Lois” season 2
- “The Flash” season 9
- “Superman &Â Lois” season 3
- “Superman & Lois” season 4
The Arrowverse as a benchmark
The CW
Due to the crossover events, the release order is undoubtedly the best way to experience the Arrowverse, as it allows you to witness the growth and development of the universe. Over time, we observe how what began as Oliver Queen’s solo fight against crime transforms into a true superhero epic involving metahumans, aliens, and gods, with each subsequent show becoming more bizarre than its predecessor. This process is similar to Phase One of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which expanded the universe in a way that felt natural and gradually introduced viewers to the concept of a comic book being adapted to the screen.
Then there are shows that barely crossover, like “Legends of Tomorrow.” While the series begins by assembling side characters from “Arrow” and “The Flash” (who participate in a few of the crossover events), it is largely standalone. Additionally, “Legends of Tomorrow” has always prided itself on being distinct and separate from the rest of the Arrowverse, allowing it to engage in unusual and humorous scenarios like having its heroes combat historical figures to the tune of Sisqó’s Thong Song (or, perhaps most notoriously, having Gorilla Grodd attempt to assassinate a young Barack Obama). There will never be another interconnected superhero TV universe like the Arrowverse, and that’s perfectly fine; we already have the only Arrowverse we ever needed.
Credit: www.slashfilm.com
