The MCU Stealing a Move From the Arrowverse Would Fix Its Biggest Issue

DC always treated the Arrowverse like the little brother it didn’t want to hang out with. Despite The CW’s shows finding an audience and delivering quality stories, they always had their hands tied behind their backs. The movies wanting to use a character usually meant that the Arrowverse had to get rid of their version, such as Arrow killing off Deadshot. However, while the DC Extended Universe was busy messing around, the Arrowverse was taking things seriously, building to its adaptation of DC Comics’ biggest event, “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” Also, unlike the DCEU, The CW’s franchise got to go out on its own terms, making it DC’s biggest success story in recent memory.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a very different relationship with the Arrowverse. On numerous occasions, shows like Arrow and The Flash would show love to the competition, hoping to build a positive environment where any and all superhero content could thrive. While the MCU has yet to return the favor, there’s one aspect of the DC franchise that it can borrow to fix a problem that’s been rearing its ugly head for years.

The Arrowverse Never Turned Down an Opportunity for a Crossover

The Arrowverse’s calling card is its crossovers. It all starts when Green Arrow and The Flash cross paths and take down some criminals in Star City and Central City. Slowly but surely, other heroes enter the fray, such as Supergirl and the Legends of Tomorrow. Before long, the annual crossover focuses on a world-ending threat that calls everyone into action. The stakes get so high that DC lends out characters from other franchises, including the DCEU’s Flash, to ensure that the events feel big enough. But the Arrowverse is also aware that it needs the chemistry between its main players to be firing on all cylinders, which is why it employs a unique technique: the superhero fight club.

To promote new episodes ahead of their release, The CW would release shorts that pit characters from the different shows against each other in a ring. Heroes and villains who wouldn’t get a chance to interact otherwise could finally meet and flex their muscles in a fight against each other. It’s all in good fun, and while there’s no reason to believe that the promos are canon, they help make the franchise feel more alive by making it seem like characters hang out during the offseason. The MCU is in desperate need of a boost like that because vibes in the franchise are at an all-time low.

Read Next

MCU Star Missing for 7 Years Just Convinced Marvel Fans He’s Returning in 2026

The MCU Could Adopt Its Own Version of the Superhero Fight Club

A lot is riding on Avengers: Doomsday, and not just because it’s the movie that’s going to try to follow Avengers: Endgame. All of the MCU will come together to fight Doctor Doom, just like they did Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. However, the universe isn’t in the same place it was in 2017. The New Avengers will be in the spotlight, but since they only formed recently, they’re still finding their footing. Meanwhile, Sam Wilson’s team is sure to be full of familiar faces, such as Thor and Black Panther. The new Captain America doesn’t have much face time with them, though, so Doomsday is going to have to spend a lot of time building up those relationships instead of focusing on the issue at hand.

If a superhero fight club were in the picture, none of that would be an issue. Marvel Studios could release a promo ahead of Doomsday‘s release that features Sam’s team training together and even discussing their beef with Bucky Barnes and his crew. There’s even a place for them to spar, as Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings reveals that there’s an underground metahuman fighting ring that Wong frequents. If the MCU is serious about restarting the Avengers and making the team an important part of the franchise again, it’s time to pull out all the stops, including an underrated part of the Arrowverse that can do a lot more harm than good.

Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, 2026.

Did you enjoy the Arrowverse’s superhero fight club? Would you like to see the MCU do something similar? Let us know in the comments below!