Why Does DC Snub Its Television Talent?

On the heels of Suicide Squad's cast announcement, I have a bittersweet taste in my mouth. While I do like the thought of Jared Leto, Will Smith, Tom Hardy, and others portraying some of the baddest villains out there, I have a foul taste in my mouth. "What about the television actors?" I think, remembering the solid performances of Michael Rowe as Deadshot on Arrow. The same can be said for many other actors in the DC universe right now, such as Nick Tarabay, who recently made his debut as Captain Boomerang on Flash. Not long after his debut, it was announced that his former Spartacus cast mate Jai Courtney will be playing the same character in Suicide Squad.

The move was reminiscent of the announcement of Ezra Miller being cast as The Flash the same day the second episode ratings were announced for the television show starring Grant Gustin. It's a disrespectful move by Warner Brothers that angered, among others, Arrow himself, Stephen Amell.

Amell was not alone in his criticism. In fact, there was a vocal majority who thought Gustin deserved the movie role, second episode be damned.

I understand the nuance and struggle that would come along with a shared universe, but in the case of Gustin, and at some point Amell, it's a bit shitty to completely dismiss the television world of superheroes. Two guys lay the foundation for characters seemingly unknown to the mainstream community and then don't get the opportunity to embody the role on the big screen. What's the difference between the guys cast in the films and these guys who bust their ass year in and year out to bring us the magic on a week to week basis?

There are a lot of reasons to say no, I'll admit. The Flash or Arrow could get cancelled by the time their respective movies go to screen. Actors who appear in films are going to eventually want more money to appear on television, thus driving more money and affecting the product. These aren't the reasons DC is not giving these guys the limelight, however.

DC has really been big on star power, as of late, in an attempt to combat Marvel's still flourishing movie scene, and I think it's a bad approach. First off, television seems to be the biggest advantage DC has over Marvel in terms of live action drama at the moment. With three shows topping the ratings on their respective channels, it's hard to argue that DC doesn't have a leg up against Marvel's standalone Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. for the time being, and that gap is closing. S.H.I.E.L.D. has only gotten better since IMPLEMENTING EVENTS FROM THEIR FILMS IN THE TELEVISION SERIES. With the Daredevil series coming soon (May 2015) to Netflix, who's to say next year the two won't be on solid ground come next year?

When people went to go see Batman Begins, they didn't go to see Christian Bale. They went to see Batman. Did Bale lend himself to the role well? Of course, and parts of his portrayal will forever remain with the character's legacy. First movie out, though, Bale did not put butts in seats, Batman did. Ultimately, when it comes to hero films we want the hero, and not the guy behind it.

So who better to star in a film about characters lacking mass appeal than the guys who put them back in the spotlight? I guess what I'm getting at is if star power is all we cared about, DC, then we'd be clamoring for you to bring George Clooney back for Batman and Robin 2. Instead, we bury the performance of Brandon Routh as Superman in 2006 and then in 2014 applaud him for his portrayal of The Atom in Arrow. Guys like Amell and Gustin have already won us over with their portrayals of heroes, so why hope lighting strikes twice and take a risk with other guys?

We live in an era where television as of late has rivaled and at times surpassed film. Embrace it, DC, and don't make our cinematic world as convoluted as the comics world.