Arrowverse co-creator laments not being part of James Gunn's DC plans: 'I really wasted my time'

Katie Yu/The CW The heroes of the Arrowverse assembled for 'Crisis on Infinite Earths.'

For a few years, it seemed like DC's answer to the Marvel Cinematic Universe wasn't on the big screen, but the small one.

Starting with Arrow, producers Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim built an interconnected universe of TV superhero shows that grew to encompass The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightning, Batwoman, and Superman & Lois, peaking with the epic crossover event "Crisis on Infinite Earths" in 2019.

Berlanti and Guggenheim's universe is wrapping up with The Flash's ninth and final season at the same time James Gunn and Peter Safran are building their own MCU equivalent with an upcoming slate of movies and TV shows, but there seems to be almost no crossover between the two eras of DC screen sagas when it comes to creative personnel.

In a new post on his personal blog, Guggenheim lamented that after working so hard for so many years on the Arrowverse shows and, in particular, on "Crisis on Infinite Earths," his phone has not been "ringing off the hook" with Hollywood offers like one friend assured him would happen. Guggenheim calls "Crisis on Infinite Earths" a project "where I spent every ounce of capital I'd amassed in developing DC Comics-related shows for Warner Bros. over an eight-year period." He continued, "I called in every favor. I used every chit. I burned every bridge. I even spent $10,000 of my own money."

Dean Buscher/The CW Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) and The Flash (Grant Bustin) in 'Crisis on Infinite Earths.'

In fact, Guggenheim says he did not even get a meeting with Gunn about the new "writers room" that has been assembled for DC Films.

"Simply put, the Arrowverse hasn't led to any other gigs, so it feels — at least on a career level — that I really wasted my time," he wrote. "Of course, I know that my experience in this regard is hardly sui generis. In fact, it's grown all too commonplace recently that the loyalty writers devote to studios is not returned in kind."

Guggenheim wrote that he even considered ending his blog after just starting it six months ago, since he had promised himself he "would always keep it positive" and "the above post is, obviously, not." Instead, he has decided to keep it around for the time being. Read the full post over there.

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