The Arrowverse enjoys taking creative liberties with its characters. Being unable to use Batman in a meaningful fashion, The CW turns Oliver Queen into its own version of Bruce Wayne, sending him down a dark path that compels him to put on a suit and fight crime all night. But changing the heroes means that the villains must change as well. Arguably, Oliver’s greatest adversary, Adrian Chase, is nothing like his comic book counterpart. Instead of being an anti-hero, he becomes a psychotic killer hellbent on ruining Oliver’s life, even going as far as to kill the mother of his child.
There are some DC villains, though, who don’t need work done to be effective. That’s because they get plenty of time in the spotlight, including on the big screen. However, being in a movie doesn’t mean that The CW can’t help them find another gear. Here are five DC villains that the Arrowverse did better than the movies.
5) Deathstroke
Slade Wilson dominates in the animated world, but the live-action one has been a different story. His biggest claim to fame is appearing in both versions of the DC Extended Universe movie Justice League. But those movies only tease what he’s capable of rather than allowing him to let loose on the biggest stage.
The Arrowverse doesn’t waste time with build-up, making Slade a big part of the action from the start. It isn’t until Arrow Season 2 that he really hits his stride, though, showing up in Star City and turning Oliver’s life upside down. Every time that the Green Arrow and Deathstroke go toe-to-toe, there are fireworks.
4) Ra’s al Ghul
Once Slade is out of the picture, Oliver finds himself facing off against an even more dangerous foe: Ra’s al Ghul. The leader of the League of Assassins isn’t afraid to take lives, showing no mercy to his enemies. Not even Oliver can stop him initially, losing a fight to Ra’s on a mountain top and nearly dying.
While the Dark Knight finds himself in a similar boat in Batman Begins, there’s just something off about Christopher Nolan’s version of the Demon’s Head. He doesn’t do his own dirty work, teaming up with a minor villain like Scarecrow to reach his ultimate goal.
3) Lex Luthor
Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor is easily the most menacing version of the character. He wants Superman’s head on a spike and is willing to do just about anything to get it. However, being evil doesn’t make Superman‘s villain a fully fleshed-out character.
What sets Jon Cryer’s Lex apart from the competition is that he’s willing to let go of his tunnel vision. He picks fights not only with the Man of Steel but with his cousin and the rest of the Arrowverse as well. In “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” Lex even goes as far as to make himself one of the Paragons, which proves just how opportunistic he is.
2) Deadshot
2016’s Suicide Squad isn’t anything to write home about. For the most part, the characters are hollow, with the only standouts being Harley Quinn and Deadshot. But Will Smith’s mercenary still struggles to be more than a one-dimensional character, only doing the right thing when it benefits him in some way.
In the Arrowverse, Floyd Lawton begins his journey as nothing more than a skilled hitman. Spending time with Diggle and the rest of Task Force X opens his eyes, though, and he eventually becomes more hero than villain. He even makes the sacrifice play by giving his life to save Diggle’s.
1) Savitar
This entry is going to be a bit complicated because Savitar doesn’t technically have a movie appearance. But an evil variant of Barry Allen does cause problems in 2023’s The Flash, which is close enough. Andy Muschietti’s film produces a villain who wants nothing more than to have his mother back and defeat Zod, but those motivations drive him mad. From there, his character unravels and derails the movie.
The Arrowverse also introduces a version of Barry that’s gone mad. Savitar didn’t appreciate being cast aside by Team Flash, so he vowed revenge. And the plan he puts together is anything but clumsy, as it pushes the main Barry to the brink and forces him to make some tough choices.
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