The Arrowverse Owes DC’s Hawkman a Shot At Redemption

With four different series, all well into their third seasons and beyond, and with an average of 20-something plus episodes per season, the Arrowverse has become a place to showcase many, many DC Comics characters. From the well-known to the obscure, pretty much any character now has a chance to shine and reach new heights of popularity. It happened with Wild Dog, the Atom and Firestorm, and that is just the tip of the iceberg.

However, some of the characters that were introduced in the Arrowverse did not match the full potential that their comic book counterparts are worth. Some just came off as pale reflections, while others were not scratched beyond the surface. Such was the case for Carter Hall, aka Hawkman, a character who was relegated to a glorified guest-stint back in the first season of Legends of Tomorrow. Now, however, it’s time for the Arrowverse to bring Carter back, and finally do the live-action Hawkman justice.

There is no denying that Legends of Tomorrow is a popular series, one that many fans see as the real gem of the Arrowverse. However, such wasn’t always the case. Back in its infancy, the series struggled to find its footing. It would only be with the arrival of Season 2 and a few cast changes that the series would truly find its identity and soar through the time-stream. Considering that Hawkman, with his partner Hawkgirl, were at the heart of the story of that subpar season, many equated the character’s presence as a weak point — a reason that the story didn’t click.

But the truth of the matter is, on Legends, Carter didn’t have all that much to do. He was more of a plot device than anything. He arrived to give Hawkgirl information and purpose and when that was done, he was killed off. Then, in a bid to create some sort of love triangle, another version of him would come back for a few episodes, before leaving the series altogether. The character never got a proper chance to shine, or interact with other characters in a meaningful way.

In the comic books, Hawkman has recently made his grand return to prominence in the multvierse-spanning event Dark Nights: Metal, spearheaded by the creative team of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. Hawkman is going through a rebirth of sorts and while we don’t know where he will ultimately end up after the event, his return to prominence is noteworthy. He’s always been a fan-favorite character, and the fact that he is at the heart of this DC event means that the character is once again stepping into the spotlight he deserves.

This means that now is the perfect time for the Arrowverse to capitalize on that development, and bring Hawkman back. They already have a strong actor in the role in Falk Hentschel, who more than deserves another crack at the role. Hawkman is a character who has an epic story, one that saw him present in the early days of mankind on Earth, as well the far reaches of space, in his homeworld of Thanagar. But more than that, he was also a crucial member of the Justice Society of America, and he had an interesting — and quite fun — rivalry with Green Arrow.

While the character was associated with the Legends of Tomorrow on television, that doesn’t mean that he would absolutely have to return to their series. Instead, Hawkman would better be served making his grand return in Star City. Since it’s already been mentioned that both he and Green Arrow have a fun dynamic in the comics — one that was never mined or even hinted when the two met — the Emerald Archer’s own series would be the perfect place to showcase Hawkman.

Since Arrow is already a breeding ground for Oliver’s ever-evolving new team, Carter’s presence on the cast wouldn’t be that far-fetched. In fact, he could allow Oliver to take a break from his team and embark on a bit of a superhero team-up. As for Carter himself, what could his return to the Arrowverse signify? The return of the JSA, of course. Since he has lived many lives over the years, it would be easy to retcon his status as a member of the superhero team back in the days of World War II. Now reincarnated, Carter could seek to rebuild the team. Considering that a few JSA characters have appeared on Arrow, Star City would be a perfect place to start. There, he could seek Mister Terrific, Wildcat and Black Siren.

Carter Hall is a leader and a warrior; he is brutal and he is hopeful. While we never got to see these aspects of his personality on Legends of Tomorrow, there is still time for the Arrowverse to give us the Hawkman we all deserve. His story has always been about rebirth. Now is the perfect time for the character to take flight once more. And who knows, his return could even lead to a whole new spinoff starring the Justice Society of America.