How CW’s New Show Naomi Connects To The Arrowverse

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Naomi season 1, episode 1.

How Naomi, The CW’s new superhero series, connects to the Arrowverse. The ninth DC-based show to air on the network — which includes The Flash and Batwoman as a part of its lineup — was developed for television by filmmaker Ava DuVernay and former Arrow writer Jill Blakenship from the 2019 comic series by Brian Michael Bendis, David F. Walker, and artist Jamal Campbell.

Set in Port Oswego, Naomi follows the 16-year-old titular character as she investigates the mystery surrounding her past after Superman is spotted fighting a blue villain in the town’s square. Adopted by her parents Jennifer and Greg, Naomi is a generally happy teenager who is on the debate team and feeds her geeky side by running the world’s number three Superman fan site. She feels a strong bond with the Man of Steel because they were both adopted, but there are inklings they have a lot more in common beyond that fact and it stems from Naomi’s history.

While Naomi is also adapted from the comics, it’s been confirmed to be set in its own world in the multiverse. It’s separate from the remaining Arrowverse shows, all of which exist on Earth-Prime (save for Stargirl, which takes place on Earth-2). In the comics, Naomi is a refugee from an alternate dimension who was sent off-world after catastrophe struck. With that in mind, it seems like only a matter of time before Naomi learns the truth about her interdimensional origins. This knowledge could open up the gates for her to tap into the greater multiverse or cross over with the Arrowverse’s other superheroes, something which showrunner Jill Blakenship says is possible in Naomi season 2. Since Naomi is already connected to another world in a personal way, there’s no reason to think the superhero series won’t delve further into the Arrowverse by bringing in familiar characters down the line.

Superman’s existence in Naomi is the most obvious tie-in, even if he isn’t the Arrowverse’s current iteration of the character. Superman in Naomi’s world was initially thought to be fictional, a comic book character she grew up reading about. But, seeing the Man of Steel up close and personal suggests Naomi is more connected to the rest of the Arrowverse shows than the pilot would have fans believe. In the superhero series, however, Superman is not played by Superman & Lois’ Tyler Hoechlin. It’s possible he’s a version of the Kryptonian from an alternate Earth (likely Naomi’s birth world) who broke through the multiversal barrier separating it from Earth-Prime following the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, the crossover that collapsed the original multiverse and subsequently rebooted it.

Naomi is ultimately more similar to Stargirl, a show that is doing its own thing apart from the rest of The CW’s superhero slate and is only loosely connected to the Arrowverse. Stargirl solidified its Arrowverse connection in season 2 by bringing in The Flash’s Jay Garrick, and Naomi could very well do the same later on in its run. For now, however, the series is focused on establishing its own universe and characters without having to worry about any crossovers with The Flash or Legends of Tomorrow. Just knowing there’s a possibility to expand into the Arrowverse in the future is enough.

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Mae Abdulbaki
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Mae Abdulbaki is a movie reviews editor with Screen Rant. She previously wrote about a variety of movies and TV shows for Inverse, CinemaBlend, Pajiba, and The Young Folks, where she wrote reviews, features, news pieces. Her other work can be found at The Mary Sue, Film School Rejects, UPROXX, Heroic Hollywood, Looper, The List, and Bam Smack Pow, among others. Mae has also appeared on television segments, podcasts, and panels to discuss all things entertainment.

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