Multiple TV Universes: Good? Troubling?

[kguillou]

I think it was only a matter of time before someone made this thread so I figured I'd give it a go. It's apparent that WB/ DC Entertainment is going full throttle with television adaptations. We currently have Arrow, Flash, Gotham, and Constantine. We will soon be adding Supergirl and Titans is pretty much a given I think. With the exception of Arrow and Flash, these will all be occurring in their own universes and continuities. Now, the elephant in the room is is this a good thing? Normally, I would say its absolutely a good thing, and still believe it is but then I got to thinking what if let's assume all of these shows are successful and run for multiple seasons. We will inevitabley come across the issue of multiple characters appearing on different shows.

Now, I don't think anyone's really going to care if there's three different Clock Kings appearing on Arrow, Gotham and Titans, but the heavy hitters like Deathstroke. Will it become weird when Titans introduces their Deathstroke and its not the acclaimed Manu Bennet?

Or, option B) Will using one character on one show eliminate the possibility of them appearing on another? Does Titans eliminate our chances of ever seeing Dick Grayson on Arrow? Will Deathstroke not be allowed to appear on Titans? Can Zatanna appear on both Constantine and Gotham?

What do you guys think?

 

[Thundercrack85]

I can see where you're coming from, but I actually like the idea of each showing have a unique universe.

Even if they incorporate characters from other franchises, it's interesting to see that show's take on them.

 

[TheComicbookKid]

3/4 of the people watching these shows are geeks. People who know 616, Ultimate, Multiverse, Earth 9, Kingdom Come,.....

Connected universes aren't the end off of anything.

Arrow wouldn't have existed if they had just continued Smallville's Green Arrow.

Minor villains like Toyman don't really matter. Most of the majors can't even be done on a tv show budget.

 

[Rorschach2012]

Smallville did all the major Superman villains on a tv budget, and it looks like we're getting Supergirl and Superman on this show, so if they have the ability to do those characters, they have the ability to do justice to most of Superman's villains

 

[TheComicbookKid]

Smallville did all the major Superman villains on a tv budget, and it looks like we're getting Supergirl and Superman on this show, so if they have the ability to do those characters, they have the ability to do justice to most of Superman's villains

You really want to compare MOS Zod to Smallville Zod?


Leather jacket versus high tech armor.


What did Brainiac look like? A human?

Sorry I wasn't clear. The major (outside of Batman and Lex) villains can't be done to their best on a tv budget.

 

[Masone]

I'm still trying to figure out why one would care about this, and when something like this started being important? I'm happy we're getting these shows, was happy when we got Smallville, was happy when we got Arrow, happy that more are on the way. Now all of a sudden it's all about being a shared universe? Most of these characters wouldn't be interacting anyway, and if they did it'd be on an incredibly small scale. I personally don't care.

 

[8Diagrams(WU)]

With all these projects, tv and movies will end up being like the comics: tied down to absurd levels of continuity. Better get it over with and keep it separate before it starts making things more and more difficult.

 

[Micromind]

It's a good thing that they are not connected, for example Flash writers worrying about what is shown / happening in Gotham, Arrow, Flash, Supergirl, Constantine, would be a nightmare.

 

[DigificWriter]

I'm still trying to figure out why one would care about this, and when something like this started being important

You and me both.

Unless something's a direct spin-off of something else or there's a reason for inter-connectivity that would have a direct narrative impact, connecting these different TV universes to one another or to the filmic DCCU really isn't necessary.

 

[Boy Scout]

I'm still trying to figure out why one would care about this, and when something like this started being important? I'm happy we're getting these shows, was happy when we got Smallville, was happy when we got Arrow, happy that more are on the way. Now all of a sudden it's all about being a shared universe? Most of these characters wouldn't be interacting anyway, and if they did it'd be on an incredibly small scale. I personally don't care.

This.

 

[Doc Ock]

I don't mind multiple universes, as long as the shows are good then more please!

You really want to compare MOS Zod to Smallville Zod?


Leather jacket versus high tech armor.


What did Brainiac look like? A human?

Sorry I wasn't clear. The major (outside of Batman and Lex) villains can't be done to their best on a tv budget.

This is just my opinion but Smallville has done far better than MOS or Superman Returns in many ways. I preferred the Zod in Smallville more than the version that definitely wasn't done as his best in MOS. Brainiac looked like a human sure but also became the reason Brainiac is my favorite Superman villain across all media. I think has more to do with the writing of the character than what the character looks like.

 

[Masone]

I don't mind multiple universes, as long as the shows are good then more please!



This is just my opinion but Smallville has done far better than MOS or Superman Returns in many ways. I preferred the Zod in Smallville more than the version that definitely wasn't done as his best in MOS. Brainiac looked like a human sure but also became the reason Brainiac is my favorite Superman villain across all media. I think has more to do with the writing of the character than what the character looks like.

I think I just threw up in my mouth.

 

[Doc Ock]

I think I just threw up in my mouth.

my bad.

 

[psylockolussus]

I think they are developing too many TV shows right now but since I don't watch Arrow and I don't plan to watch The Flash, Gotham and the other upcoming DC tv shows, I'm not that bothered.

 

[Primal Slayer]

The only bad thing about multiple universes is having some villains being in multiple shows. There are plenty of heroes to choose from but everyone wants to use iconic/Blist Villains. But if you have a hero who has enough villains on their own it isn't much of a problem but for a character like Green Arrow who doesn't really have that many iconic villains the show has had to use a lot of villains that are more apart of different heroes. Like you cant have a Titans show without Slade Wilson and Brother Blood.

But I guess as long as they dont use the same general characters in the same time frame, things should be ok.

 

[metaphysician]

As much a skeptic of dc adaptations as I am, largely I don't think "separate universes" is an issue here. Most of the shows have far bigger problems, and keeping them separate might be a good thing if half of them prove terrible.

The only one where I think it is an issue is Teen Titans, because its premise overlaps too strongly with the existing "Arrowverse". The best way to make Teen Titans actually work would be to wait a few years and then set it in the setting that already has sidekicks as a thing, and in fact is using several actual members of the Teen Titans. As is, they seem to be setting up for literally having multiple versions of major characters on different TV shows at the same time.

 

[Pickleweasel]

I'm still trying to figure out why one would care about this, and when something like this started being important? I'm happy we're getting these shows, was happy when we got Smallville, was happy when we got Arrow, happy that more are on the way. Now all of a sudden it's all about being a shared universe? Most of these characters wouldn't be interacting anyway, and if they did it'd be on an incredibly small scale. I personally don't care.

Agreed people just want something to complain about

 

[C. Lee]

I think I just threw up in my mouth.

Well....maybe if you just accepted the fact that people can have opinions that differ from yours, you wouldn't have to go through this again.

 

[Masone]

Well....maybe if you just accepted the fact that people can have opinions that differ from yours, you wouldn't have to go through this again.

I can't control the response. It's some kind of reflex thing in my brain.

 

[C. Lee]

I can't control the response. It's some kind of reflex thing in my brain.

Too bad it didn't also say - open your jaws - then it wouldn't just stay in your mouth, and lay there, giving you bad breath, and making it hard to breath, which keeps oxygen from reaching your brain.....and then you die.

 

[TheComicbookKid]

This is just my opinion but Smallville has done far better than MOS or Superman Returns in many ways. I preferred the Zod in Smallville more than the version that definitely wasn't done as his best in MOS. Brainiac looked like a human sure but also became the reason Brainiac is my favorite Superman villain across all media. I think has more to do with the writing of the character than what the character looks like.

I understand what you mean. I think Rosenbaum's Lex is the definitive version of Clark and Lex's relationship. I hate the fact we're losing the idea Clark saved Lex as a teen.

But for something like BTAS. The reason I believe it was able to reinvent so many of the villains in a way that resonated was because it could do the visual and writing. For the more effects heavy characters like Brainiac, having a distinctive visual to go along with the great writing is how we get really good interpretations.

I think Manu's Deathstroke is going to remembered because of how well he was written and being a really good visual interpretation.

 

[dude stannis]

I'm honestly gutted they're separating so much stuff. As a nerd, I just want to see all these characters interacting from the a list all the way down to the z list.

 

[FeedOnATreeFrog]

Or, option B) Will using one character on one show eliminate the possibility of them appearing on another? Does Titans eliminate our chances of ever seeing Dick Grayson on Arrow? Will Deathstroke not be allowed to appear on Titans? Can Zatanna appear on both Constantine and Gotham?

What do you guys think?

It's hard to say.

The producers of Arrow have said they weren't able to use Kord because WB had other plans for him (perhaps a Kord & Reyes story in Titans?). At least I don't think they'll have access at the same time. So say if Deathstroke dies in Season 3 of Arrow, I could see them using him in Titans down the line.

Yet Alfred and Bruce will be used in Gotham and BvS at the same time, assuming it makes it to season 2. But perhaps the reasoning there is that the difference in age makes for a clear distinction.

 

[Lencho01]

People accept different shows on different networks no matter which studio is behind it because it doesn't matter to them. They accept multiple versions of characters over and over again in books, films, and TV shows because it doesn't matter to them.

With what is essentially a Multiverse won't matter to them to. All that matters is that these shows are something that people find worth their time to watch because they're entertaining on some level.

 

[I Am The Knight]

This never mattered before. Not everything has to be a shared universe.