From the moment Arrow first aired on The CW fans have wondered if Batman would find his way into the DC TV Universe and, thanks to a huge name-drop coming up on Arrow fans at least now have confirmation that Bruce Wayne exists within the Arrowverse.
Videos by ComicBook.com
But is the Dark Knight, or at least his billionaire playboy alter ego, really coming to join Oliver, Barry, Kara and others in the Arrowverse? Turns out, he may have been there all along. While fans are waiting to officially see the character grace the small screen on The CW, there have been clues all along that Bruce Wayne might have a role somewhere in the Arrowverse.
Here are the hints that Batman could be coming to the Arrowverse.
Babel Protocol
Last night on The Flash, Barry got a quick primer on his new, upgraded suit that Cisco put together for him and fans of the show got a pretty sly Batman-related DC Comics Easter egg in the process. On the control screen for Barry’s upgraded suit is a feature labeled “Babel Control.” The feature isn’t explained in the episode, but DC Comics fans may have recognized it from the 2000 Justice League of America storyline, ‘Tower of Babel.” In the story, Batman keeps an index of records about his teammates — and that includes how to neutralize them in a fight.
That kind of information would spell trouble in the hands of a foe which is exactly where it ends up. Ra’s al Ghul gets his hands on these records and uses them in horrifying ways. Aquaman suffocates, Wonder Woman dies of exhaustion, and The Flash is sent into a light speed seizure thanks to a “vibra bullet.” These terrifying effects are, mercifully, temporary, but it messes with the heroes.
With the nature of Babel Protocol on Barry’s suit unclear, there’s no way to tell quite what the show has in store, but the subtle callout to Batman might not be coincidence.
Wayne Tech/Queen Inc Merger
Team Flash has strong ties to Team Arrow, including sharing technology but it’s not the only way Arrow has been linked to The Flash. During the show’s first season Harrison Wells (really the evil Eobard Thawne) has a secret room at STAR Labs and in that room, he can see a projection of the front Page of The Central City Citizen newspaper from April 25, 2024. While the major headline on the page is “Flash Missing Vanishes in Crisis” in the lower left is a smaller, but every bit as tantalizing headline — “Wayne Tech/Queen Inc Merger Complete.”
While Arrow would eventually see Palmer Technologies take over Queen Consolidated making that headline appear to no longer be possible, the fact that existed even briefly reveals that Bruce Wayne likely already existed in the Arrowverse, even in 2014.
Earth-2 Speed Dial
(Photo: The CW)
If a future headline from Earth-1 isn’t enough of a clue then Earth-2 is bringing in its own supporting evidence. In season two of The Flash Barry, Cisco, and Earth-2’s Harrison Wells head over to the parallel world as part of a plan to save Wells’ daughter, Jesse, from Zoom. Earth-2 is like Earth-1, but the lives of Barry’s Earth-2’s counterpart is very different. As Barry quickly discovers both of his parents are alive and he’s married to Iris — who is a detective in this reality, not a journalist. Barry, in disguise as his Eart-2 self, even goes to what is the home he shares with Iris. The phone in his living room has some interesting names on the speed dial. In addition to nods to Joe West, Barry’s parents, Earth-2’s counterpart to the deceased Eddie are some names familiar to DC Comics fans — Diana, Hal, and Bruce.
If Bruce Wayne exists on Earth-2, he definitely has a counterpart on Earth-1. We just haven’t met him yet.
The Impossible Has Happened Before
In addition to the clues that have been hiding out on The Flash, Supergirl is another example of how Batman could make an appearance in the Arrowverse — and we don’t mean that he’d appear on Supergirl’s Earth-38.
At the time Supergirl premiered, the character of Superman wasn’t allowed to be used as part of the DC TV Universe so when fans asked when they could expect to see the Man of Steel on his cousin’s series they were largely met with the idea that such a moment would be impossible.
However, Supergirl moved from CBS to The CW in its second season, Batman v Superman had hit theaters and DC/WB relented, allowing Tyler Hoechlin suit up for a few appearances on the series.
This is significant because it shows two things. The first is that despite earlier assertions that a character can’t come to the Arrowverse, circumstances change and open the door for different characters to appear or depart. The second is that it also shows that two very similar characters can exist even within the same show. Superman and Supergirl, with both of them being Kryptonian and reporters, are very similar just as Oliver Queen and Bruce Wayne would be deeply similar characters. If Superman and Supergirl can coexist in the same world, there should be plenty of room for Bruce Wayne in the Arrowverse.
[Embed id=30490]Arrow (TVShow: arrow)[/Embed]
