FEATURE: 10 Characters We Want to See on The CW’s BATWOMAN

Lonnie Machin was a recurring villain on Arrow‘s fourth season, originally a henchman for Damien Darhk and later an enemy of both him and Green Arrow. We last saw Machin in the season five premiere, where he was beaten by Green Arrow and imprisoned. It would be cool to see him return, but how about on another series? Having him pop up on Batwoman would be neat, as it would add another Arrowverse connection. Not to mention, Anarky is better known as a Batman villain, so having him travel from Star City to Gotham would make sense. It’s unknown how many Batman villains are up for grabs, as DC tends to keep a tight embargo for television. So, might as well keep using one that they do have access to.

Batwoman will meet Green Arrow and friends during the “Elseworlds” crossover. Out of all the current main heroes, Oliver Queen is the best fit to cross over to Batwoman. They are both grounded, violent, street-level vigilantes. Currently, Oliver is in jail, but he will be back in the Green Arrow suit by the time of the crossover. There are a lot of story opportunities for this. In fact, they could pull off mini crossovers during the season, similar to The Flash and Supergirl. Additionally, Oliver is one of a handful of characters who have appeared on every single Arrowverse show, so Batwoman is inevitable anyways.

Bruno Mannheim is a DC Comics villain who is most affiliated with Superman, but he also has some history with Batwoman. The character has been namedropped on both Arrow and Supergirl, so he definitely is out there somewhere in the Arrowverse. Why not bring him onto Batwoman? Mannheim would be a good fit on this series, and again, it would expand on another Arrowverse connection. Just don’t have that weird sacrifice plot from the comics…

Renee Montoya is a detective in Gotham City Police Department (GCPD), and she is a common face in many DC adaptations. She has appeared in Batman: The Animated Series, Gotham, and the upcoming Birds of Prey movie. Her role in the latter may keep her from appearing on television again, but if it doesn’t, she would be a great fit onto Batwoman. Have Renee be the face of the GCPD on the series, and maybe even have her be a love interest for Kate Kane.

The CW’s DC shows tend to have each hero backed up by a team of some sort. Team Arrow, Team Flash, Team Supergirl, and so on. It wouldn’t be surprising if Batwoman goes the same route. They can easily have Kate work with a team of lesser-known characters from the Bat-Family. One example is Stephanie Brown, who has been Robin, Batgirl, and The Spoiler in the comics. Introduce Brown as a new vigilante in town, with Kate taking her under her wing. Or something along those lines.

Another member of the Bat-Family is Batwing, a mantle taken by both David Zavimbe and Luke Fox in the comics. One is an African who becomes a representative of Batman Incorporated, while the other is the son of frequent Batman ally Lucius Fox. Both characters would be fascinating additions to Batwoman. One idea is that, in the wake of Batman’s absence, multiple vigilantes appear in Gotham to assume his role. There is where Batwoman, Batwing, and others can come in.

Arrow has spent some time exploring the al Gul family, and in season five, the show introduced Talia as one of Oliver’s many trainers. Most recently, Talia resurfaced in prison, where she and Oliver briefly reunited to expose a corrupt psychiatrist. Talia mentioned that she ran into an “old foe” in Gotham, which, considering her history in Batman comics, is a nice Easter egg. But why not take it further and have her appear on Batwoman? Seeing the two characters interact would be fun, and Talia is a good fit. Also, since Talia clearly has some history with Gotham, it’d be nice to see that explored.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is widely considered by fans to be one of the best Batman movies ever, even against its live action rivals. And it’s easy to see why. The Phantasm and her storyline is fascinating, and seeing it play out in live action would be amazing. It’s unlikely that she will appear in a movie or another show anytime soon, so she’d be a perfect fit for the Arrowverse. Batwoman featuring a female big bad would be great, and having a fan-favorite as big as the Phantasm is enough to bring hype to the series.

Mr. Freeze is one of Batman’s most iconic villains, having appeared in many different movies and television shows. Most recently, he appeared on Gotham, while The Flash namedropped Victor Fries this season. With the latter, Mr. Freeze is confirmed to exist in the Arrowverse. Not to mention, his wife Nora is appearing in the “Elseworlds” crossover. It’s only a matter of time for Victor to show up, and for obvious reasons, Batwoman is the most ideal way to do it.

You all knew this one was coming. Despite The CW avoiding an actual Batman appearance in the Arrowverse, they never ruled out just Bruce Wayne. Also, “Elseworlds” will explain exactly why Batman hasn’t been seen. Why is that? It’d be ideal for Batwoman to shed light on that, and including Bruce Wayne in the flesh makes too much sense. They’ve already acknowledged that he’s out there, so why not go the extra mile and make it happen?

Honorable Mentions: Supergirl, Psycho-Pirate, Flamebird, Tim Drake, Jim Gordon

Which characters do you want to see on Batwoman? Let us know in the comments below or on all social media at @WOBAMEnt.