Arrow producer Marc Guggenheim recently discussed the role the flagship series played as The Flash was being created. As the first show in The CW's ever-expanding Arrowverse, Arrow wound up having a huge impact on The CW as viewers know it. It premiered in 2012, well before TV and movie markets became saturated with superhero content. As a result, Arrow was a breath of fresh air, both allowing The CW to make its mark and sending it spinning in a new direction. Soon after Arrow came The Flash, followed by Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, and Batwoman. Supergirl spinoff Superman and Lois will join the lineup in 2021, while another Arrow-based series, Green Arrow and the Canaries is still in contention. Though Arrow concluded earlier this year, its mark can be seen on the whole TV superhero landscape, not just on The CW.
However, The Flash is arguably the show Arrow impacted the most. Grant Gustin's Barry Allen was introduced there, giving viewers an idea of what a solo series starring him would look like. Luckily, audiences reacted positively to the new character, leading to a full-fledged pilot rather than the backdoor concept initially conceived. Arrow's Oliver Queen also played a big role in Barry's life over the years, and Barry did the same for him. The two interacted often during crossovers, with Barry's emotional side balancing out Oliver's tough exterior. However, Arrow also influenced the approach taken with The Flash itself, especially when it was first being created.
Appearing on Literary Joe's Inner Child Podcast, Guggenheim discussed the effect Arrow had on The Flash. The producer was specifically asked about Legends of Tomorrow and its formula compared to other Arrowverse shows. Guggenheim stated, "I don't really feel like each show has a formula necessarily," before talking about how "each show has sort of contributed to the ones that come before it." The producer then spoke of the first two Arrowverse series specifically, explaining "I think Arrow's strengths and weaknesses informed the thinking when Flash was being built."
Guggenheim's comments make sense, especially considering how strong the first season of The Flash was. The writers and production team clearly took advantage of the existing show and were able to make changes based on it. It's also worth noting that Arrow and The Flash wound up having pretty different tones, particularly in the beginning. As The Flash has gone on, it's become slightly darker, but Arrow maintained a fairly consistent heavier tone throughout, with moments of levity thanks to characters like Felicity. As a result, when the two series were the only Arrowverse shows on The CW, they provided a good balance for viewers, proving that using Arrow as a jumping off point for The Flash was the right call.
Guggenheim's statements about Arrow and The Flash could also apply to spinoffs in general. In many ways, the Arrowverse makes launching successful spinoff shows look easy. However, in reality, it's a tricky process where creatives have to take what works from the original series while also making it different enough to appeal to a new set of fans. Luckily, this is exactly what happened to Arrow and The Flash, with the flagship series informing Barry Allen's story in important ways while also helping it stand on its own.
Source: Literary Joe's Inner Child Podcast
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