One of the DCU’s Legacy Heroes Had a Tragic End in the Arrowverse

There is no shortage of heroes in the first DC Universe movie, Superman. Of course, the center of attention is the Man of Steel, who’s a few years into his superhero career and still a bit rough around the edges. He’s not alone, though, with the Justice Gang coming to help whenever a problem gets too big. Superman may not be totally on board with Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Mister Terrific’s methods, but he’s too nice a person to turn away anyone looking to do the right thing. The titular hero gets his sense of justice from his birth parents, who he initially believes want him to guide humanity into the future.

The brief message Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van sent their baby to Earth with surely can’t be the only thing that influences him, though. There are the lessons his adoptive parents instilled in him as a child, as well as the other positive role models he had while growing up. Superman makes it clear that the DCU had its fair share of heroes before the Kryptonian burst onto the scene, and one of them had a significant stint in the Arrowverse.

Superman Reveals How Deep the DCU’s History Really Is

After helping Superman out in Metropolis, the Justice Gang heads back to the Hall of Justice, their hideout that Maxwell Lord pays for. They’re goofing off when Lois Lane arrives and asks them for their help. See, Superman turned himself in to the government after Lex Luthor exposed the entirety of the message that Jor-El and Lara delivered, ending up in a pocket dimension prison. The Justice Gang is the only group capable of fighting back against Luthor, but they don’t seem all that interested in getting up from their chairs. While Guy Gardner mentions that Superman trusts them because they’re all of the “cloth,” that doesn’t make a difference, even though all the heroes of old are staring down at Green Lantern as she sends away a person in need.

While Lois is in the Hall of Justice, a mural on the wall depicts over 20 major heroes. It was difficult for anyone to identify any of the characters in the theater, but Superman director James Gunn released the entire thing online, showing off deep-cut figures like Black Pirate and Atomic Knight. However, there’s one familiar face, Wildcat, who recently appeared in The CW’s Arrowverse. He got done pretty dirty in that universe, which hopefully means bigger things are on the horizon in the DCU.

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Wildcat Can’t Catch a Break in the Arrowverse

Ted Grant, aka Wildcat, makes his second live-action appearance in Season 3 of Arrow. Laurel Lance learns that her friends moonlight as vigilantes and wants to get in on the action. Well, Oliver Queen isn’t going to train her because he blames himself for her sister, Sara Lance, falling in with the League of Assassins and dying. Unable to train with Team Arrow, Laurel seeks out a new teacher and finds Grant, a former boxer who knows a thing or two about being a vigilante. He teaches her everything he knows, and soon enough, she feels confident enough to go out on the streets of Star City.

Unfortunately, Star City isn’t living its best life, with gangsters running the streets and Ra’s al Ghul preparing to attack. Feeling inspired by Laurel, Grant decides to don his old Wildcat outfit and confront Brick, one of the villains who’s causing problems for Team Arrow. The fight doesn’t last long, and the last time Wildcat appears, it looks like he’s barely breathing. There are bigger fish to fry after that, but Arrow fails to mention Grant again, leaving his status a mystery. Showrunner Marc Guggenheim revealed on social media that Grant didn’t die, but it’s hard to buy that, given he never makes another appearance.

Grant also makes a brief cameo in the live-action Stargirl series, but he dies and passes his mantle to another character. It’s possible that the Grant that shows up in the DCU could be ready to do something similar, but based on everything Gunn has said and done, the transition is sure to be complete without any annoying loose ends.

Superman is in theaters.

Did you notice Wildcat in the mural in Superman? How do you feel about the Arrowverse version of the character? Let us know in the comments below!