‘Arrow’ Star Willa Holland Blasts Warner Bros, Complains About DC TV, DC Film Gaps

Count Willa Holland as one of those who doesn’t understand why the plans for the DC TV universe and the DC Films universe are not in lockstep. The Arrow actress recently talked about her frustrations and put Hollywood on blast for being a big part of the problem and almost none of the solutions. Willa Holland made it clear she isn’t happy about how the movie production company is treating Arrow, as well as several other CW Network shows.

Holland talked to the Mirror Online and told the publication she thinks the DC Television and film companies could learn a lot from the way Marvel is handling its assets on both fronts. In particular, she talked about how Marvel handles things like the mashup between the Avengers movies and the television shows like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Holland said she was annoyed because the mashup there shows it can work, but DC doesn’t seem to be doing the same thing at all.

“It’s a little upsetting because you know it is possible and it can be done and how good it would be if it was done.”

Holland spoke during an appearance at MCM Comic Con. DC has so far been doing the opposite, to the point where it’s hiring different actors for the same roles that appear on the television shows and the movies. Holland’s issue has been underlined by the fact that Warner Bros hired Ezra Miller to play the Flash in the upcoming Justice League and the character’s standalone film.

Willa Holland talked about her Arrow costar. Stephen Amell thought he was going to be the one to play the Green Arrow in the big-screen version. Holland said she and Amell both thought it was a no-brainer he would get the call, but it doesn’t appear he will be playing that, or any other DC Universe role, on the big screen.

The same thing recently happened when The Flash television show star Grant Gustin, who had been playing the speedy hero for two seasons on television, was passed over for Miller on the big screen. Some of Gustin’s co-stars, including Tom Cavanagh, have come out and said they believe he was cheated by not getting the part.

According to ComicBookMovie.com, Cavanagh has said he would back any sort of move that would get Gustin on the big screen as the character he’s played to such critical acclaim and fan support. It’s this kind of changing of the characters and the feel of the universe that Holland believes is working against DC as it competes with Marvel for comic book fans’ dollars. Willa Holland believes the company she works for needs to pattern itself after its rival.

Holland’s Arrow co-star, Katrina Law, agreed with Holland, though she was lower key about her criticisms. Willa Holland added she felt a bit uncomfortable lashing out at DC because the company was the one that had given Holland and her costars their jobs in the first place. Willa also said her show went in several different directions precisely because the movie universe wanted to use characters they didn’t want to appear on the television shows.

Holland pointed out specific characters such as Harley Quinn that were supposed to be central players in Arrow‘s second season. Willa said the show had interesting plans for the character that was the famous right-hand woman to the Joker. Before those plans could even get started, Margot Robbie was cast in the big screen version, and Holland’s show took a back seat. Willa also talked about how Arrow had storylines surrounding Arkham Asylum, but they had to scrap those as well. While Holland claims she was pulling punches when she spoke of the things she was frustrated about, Willa Holland has put Warner Bros and DC on blast in a way only Holland can do and the way no other actors have done yet.

[Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images]