DC’s 8-Part Superhero Crime Series That Launched Hit Franchise Is Officially Streaming Free Next Month

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For the past twenty years, DC Comics characters have become increasingly popular on TV and in movies, resulting in several successful live-action series and films.

Superhero movies and TV shows gradually became more popular in the early 2000s, with networks starting to adapt comic books. But it wasn’t until the 2010s that superheroes really took center stage, especially on The CW, which became a go-to channel for fans of the genre for over ten years.

DC fans will soon have a new place to stream content! Pluto TV announced that the popular series Arrow will be available on its free service starting May 1, 2026. Starring Stephen Amell as the Green Arrow (Oliver Queen), Arrow launched the popular Arrowverse franchise. The show, which first aired on October 10, 2012, offered a darker take on the classic superhero story, focusing on Oliver Queen’s return to Starling City after being lost at sea for five years.

After its first season, Arrow really kicked off the larger Arrowverse franchise. The show introduced The Flash as a spin-off, bringing Grant Gustin’s portrayal of Barry Allen into the mix. The CW network then started creating new shows almost every season for the next few years to expand the universe. Eventually, the lineup included Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightning, Batwoman, and Supergirl (which moved over from CBS after its first season). The Arrowverse officially concluded in 2024 with Superman & Lois, which remained connected to the franchise through the idea of the multiverse.

Created with the help of TV powerhouse Greg Berlanti, Arrow aired on The CW for eight seasons, from 2012 to 2020, totaling 170 episodes. It’s the second-longest-running show in the Arrowverse, surpassed only by The Flash (184 episodes). However, Smallville remains The CW’s longest-running superhero series, and it originally opened the door for Arrow and the rest of Berlanti’s superhero universe to succeed on the network. Stephen Amell was actually the second actor to play Green Arrow in live-action, following Justin Hartley’s portrayal in Smallville.

If Arrow hadn’t been successful, the shared universe of DC TV shows – known as the Arrowverse – likely wouldn’t exist. This also means we wouldn’t have had the annual crossover events The CW became known for until 2020, like the ambitious Crisis on Infinite Earths, which brought all the shows together.

The epic five-part event featured the death of Stephen Amell’s Green Arrow, who made a huge sacrifice to reset the entire multiverse. But even after the Arrow series ended, Amell made one final appearance in season 9 of The Flash. He reprised his role as Oliver, becoming the Spectre to definitively help Barry Allen defeat Bloodwork. Now, the Canadian actor is leading the upcoming Baywatch reboot for Fox, with filming already underway this year.

Catch Arrow on Pluto TV starting on May 1.

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2026-04-14 16:18