After the intriguing news that Wentworth Miller (Captain Cold) recently signed a contract with the CW/DC shows making him a series regular across ‘Arrow,’ ‘The Flash,’ and ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ (and maybe ‘Supergirl?’), we did not think we would see another similar contract for quite some time. Miller was a special case as he had just been “killed off” on ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ and no one thought he would be returning, so the contract kept him in the universe despite the return of his other show ‘Prison Break’ over on Fox.
Now, John Barrowman has received a similar contract, meaning that Malcolm Merlyn will be up to no good on all of the CW/DC shows, bringing his own brand of ally/enemy negotiation tactics to all of the heroes we know and love. I personally like the idea as Merlyn’s role on ‘Arrow’ was getting a bit stagnant (so tired of him and Thea fighting over his love for her and tactics used to protect her), and I am looking forward to seeing Merlyn clash with teams of heroes he is not so intimately connected with.
As for the rationale behind these moves, there are a few. According to producer Greg Berlanti:
“What it really emulates to us is the comic books themselves, where there really are a cast of characters. In success, we hope to continue with other characters finding their way across all the shows.”
Personally, I like the idea of heroes and villains jumping from show to show without it having to be touted as a “crossover” event. It should just happen, as all of these characters exist in the same universe (‘Supergirl’ notwithstanding) and should be able to interact with one-another more regularly. What are your thoughts on seeing villains Captain Cold and Malcolm Merlyn pop up across the Arrowverse on a regular basis? Are you worried that this much cohesion might start to weight down the whole universe? Share your opinions in the comments below!
Nick is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles, who belongs to the privileged few who enjoyed the ending to ‘Lost.’ For more of Nick’s thoughts and articles, follow him on Twitter.
