Stephen Amell's Arrow Show Was Directly Inspired By One Classic Superhero Movie

The CW

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While the aged CW is fundamentally gone now, nan web was erstwhile the home of a cherished area of nan DC Universe known arsenic nan Arrowverse. It each stemmed from "Arrow," which first deed nan airwaves successful 2012. A acheronian and gritty return connected nan characteristic of Green Arrow, nan bid spawned nan full beingness of DC Comics TV shows that followed, including "The Flash" and "Supergirl." Meanwhile, "Arrow" itself was inspired straight by different DC adjustment successful nan shape of director Christopher Nolan's revered container agency deed "The Dark Knight."

In a 2018 question and reply pinch ComicBook.com, "Arrow" prima Stephen Amell confirmed that "The Dark Knight" was a immense power connected nan show successful its first season. As he put it:

"When nan show started, nan inspiration for nan first play was absolutely, positively 'The Dark Knight.' When I was sitting successful ['Arrow' aviator director] David Nutter's office, it was conscionable photos of 'The Dark Knight.' That was nan inspiration for nan first season."

Developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg, "Arrows" centers on Oliver Queen (Amell), a presumed-dead billionaire playboy who returns to his location of Starling City 5 years aft being stranded connected a distant island. As he reconnects pinch those closest to him, Oliver appears to beryllium nan man everyone ever knew. However, astatine night, he adopts nan concealed persona of a masked vigilante to correct wrongs and cleanable up his city.

Warner Bros.

Recall that "Arrow" play 1 arrived astatine a clip erstwhile acheronian and gritty reboots were each nan rage mostly acknowledgment to the occurrence of "The Dark Knight." Indeed, nan aforesaid twelvemonth "Arrow" debuted, "Skyfall" became nan highest-grossing "James Bond" movie ever by putting a likewise acheronian and gritty rotation connected 007 — 1 that was very overmuch done successful consequence to Christopher Nolan's beloved return connected Batman.

As Stephen Amell explained to ComicBook.com, that was besides nan lawsuit pinch "Arrow," and nan impervious is decidedly successful nan pudding. Tonally, nan first play of "Arrow" bears a beardown resemblance to "The Dark Knight" successful nan measurement that it grounds Oliver Queen, some arsenic a personification and successful position of nan tech he uses to conflict crime. Moreover, it's easy to spot really "Arrow" play 1 draws from some that movie and Nolan's first movie astir nan Caped Crusader, 2005's "Batman Begins," down to circumstantial shots.

We had to opportunity goodbye to "Arrow" successful 2020 aft 8 seasons that astir fans would work together were of varying quality. But to Amell's point, those early episodes were very overmuch shaped successful nan protector of what Nolan had done pinch Christian Bale's Batman. That's not to opportunity that "Arrow" is astir arsenic highly regarded arsenic "The Dark Knight," but again, it's easy to spot nan connective insubstantial there.

Ultimately, "Arrow" worked good and connected pinch audiences. In fact, by nan clip nan Arrowverse officially came to an extremity successful 2023, an full beingness of shows had been built connected nan backmost of Amell's first outing arsenic Oliver Queen. That's rather nan bequest for some "Arrow" and "The Dark Knight" alike.

You tin drawback "Arrow: The Complete Series" connected Blu-ray aliases DVD from Amazon.