Did Affleck Choose Deathstroke As The First Batman Villain To Appeal To Fans Of ‘Arrow’?

The Current State Of Arrow

Like I briefly mentioned on the first page, it’s no secret that Arrow‘s popularity is not at the same level it was back when Manu Bennett had the spotlight. The show switched its focus on to the ancillary characters in season three, even giving us a three episode arc in the middle of the season where Oliver was presumed dead by the sword of Ra’s al-Ghul. Many fans didn’t like the new direction of the show, saying that characters like Felicity and Ray Palmer were being given too much romantic screen time, when you have an A-list villain like Ra’s al-Ghul who is being used for only a handful of episodes.

The tone of the show changed going into season four in an attempt to make it more similar to its younger and more popular cousin, The Flash. The show shifted its focus to magic and the paranormal, which on the surface sounds interesting, but in reality wasn’t well executed. After two seasons of Arrow‘s identity confusion, many fans jumped ship. They still loved and longed for Arrow back it its season two prime, but between the new direction of Arrow and the problematic DC Extended Film Universe, a lot of fans felt scorned. I can say this because I was one of them.

Back-peddling to a point made much earlier, Arrow fans are vocal. Arrow fans who feel betrayed have been known to make sure and let the actors and producers know on a regular basis, bombarding them over social media with derogatory comments and replies to tweets that sometimes borderline harassment. Marc Guggenheim endures hate all the time from upset fans, one look at his Twitter is proof positive of that. There is no way that the big-wigs over at WB haven’t seen the complaints.

What if, just stay with me here, instead of fixing Arrow, WB is letting their own show continue to veer off in the direction it’s currently headed, while using this time to convert its audience over to the under-preforming movie universe? All the drama, the romance, and the love triangles are appealing to certain demographics, specifically demographics that DC and WB have trouble connecting with otherwise – teenage females. WB is attacking from both ends, finding a way to win back over one-time Arrow diehards, while simultaneously making sure they use Arrow in its current state to continue appealing to a demographic they would have trouble reaching otherwise. Of course this is all just speculation, but it sure makes a lot of sense from a marketing point of view.

Not only is Arrow on a downswing, but the DC movies haven’t been fairing much better. Sure, they sure do bring in a lot of money, but critics have consistently panned them and fan reactions to the films have been mixed at best.

Next Page: The Current State Of The DC Extended Universe