Which Arrowverse Superheroes Do Their Own Stunts (& Which Never Risk It)?

DC superheroes haven’t matched up to those of Marvel in the big screen but in the small screen, they are quite ahead. This is all thanks to intriguing plots in the Arrowverse. Several talented actors have played DC superheroes in the TV franchise, with most of the performances being received well by viewers and critics.

In TV shows about superheroes, there is guaranteed to be a lot of action scenes. Plenty of stunt work is needed as a result. While some of the actors portraying the heroes prefer to do the stunt work themselves, others prefer to let the professionals handle it. So, who puts their body on the line and who doesn’t?

10 Does His Own Stunts: Stephen Amell (Arrow)

Oliver Queen aka Arrow is the hero from whom the Arrowverse was born. And apart from saving the world during the “Crisis On Infinite Earths” crossover event, he saved plenty of citizens in his own jurisdiction and punished those who had failed the city.

Arrow actor Stephen Amell has always had a buffed up appearance, so there’s no doubt that he works out. But does he do his own stunts? Yes, he does. His favorite stunt to do is the salmon ladder, which has been seen many times in Arrow. Amell has also participated in the highly physical celebrity version of the American Ninja Warrior reality series.

9 Never Risks It: Cress Williams (Black Lightning)

Jefferson Pierce aka Black Lightning takes down baddies all the time in Freeland, thanks to his great fighting skills, but the same can’t be said of actor Cress Williams. Williams confessed that he has a bad knee, hence he can’t do any fighting.

He told the Chicago Tribune: ““I have no problem telling people I have a great stunt double. I’m not that guy who’s like: ‘I do all my own stunts.’ Like, no, no, no — it’s make believe and I’m not in the mood to die. I’m not in the mood to get hurt, I have a wife and kids!” Quite honest, Cress!

8 Does Her Stunts: Melissa Benoist (Supergirl)

Melissa has plenty of input in the Arrowverse. She even demanded that Supergirl wears pants instead of skirts. Melissa is legitimately tough too. She told Variety: “I have been doing a lot of stunts, and I want to keep doing them. Supergirl’s fight moves are boxing. She’s really heavy-handed. There’s some flying that involves kicking and punching mid-flight that’s kind of awesome.”

However, her mum isn’t a fan of her stunt work. She is constantly worried that her daughter might injure herself. That’s genuine concern for a parent. Luckily, Melissa has been fine so far.

7 Never Risks It: Grant Gustin (The Flash)

Gustin portrays one of the most popular Arrowverse heroes but he’d rather let stuntmen and CGI do all the heavy lifting for him. Gustin isn’t a gym rat either like some of his colleagues. He prefers to spend his time in the musical theater. That’s why his first major role came courtesy of the musical series Glee.

Despite the fact that Barry Allen is known for his speed, Gustin doesn’t run on the set. All he does is move his arms and legs quickly in front of the camera. CGI and editing does the rest of the work.

6 Does His Own Stunts: Dominic Purcell (Heat Wave)

Heat Wave is often more of a comical character than a tough one but whenever there is fighting involved, Purcell is always more than happy to step up. The actor has confessed to enjoying everything that comes with his Arrowverse role even more than his previous role of Michael Scofield’s brother.

Purcell has been doing his own stunts for a while too. He suffered a number of injuries while shooting Prison Break. An iron bar even fell on his head once while shooting a fighting scene. That must have hurt but he isn’t complaining.

5 Never Risks It: Wentworth Miller (Captain Cold)

Wentworth Miller has always been a laid-back actor. When he’s not at work, he is rarely seen in the public eyes. In the Arrowverse, he played Leonard Snart, aka Captain Cold. The antihero was always portrayed as tough and smart.

While Miller is indeed smart, he has never had any intention of putting his body on the line. The actor stated that he is always more than happy to step aside and let his stunt double handle all the difficult scenes. The actors is known for doing another kind of fighting too. He dedicates his time into charities that help fight cyberbullies and provide mental health support.

4 Does His Own Stunts: Manu Bennett (Deathstroke)

Having played the Gladiator Crixus in Spartacus for four seasons, Bennet was no stranger to fake-fighting on set and performing dangerous stunts. His physique is proof enough of the amount of physical work he subjects his body too.

Bennett confessed that the fight scenes in the Arrowverse were a bit fast-paced compared to any other production he has been involved in but he managed. And unlike his previous roles, the role of Deathstroke required him to be not just a fighter, but an intelligent antihero too. He didn’t disappoint in bringing this out either.

3 Never Risks It: Willa Holland (Speedy)

Holland’s character, Thea Queen, was never in the comics. She was specifically created for Arrow. Queen was introduced as Oliver Queen’s sister who later decided to join him in fighting crime under the name Speedy.

But despite Speedy having plenty of fight scenes, Holland wasn’t involved in any of them. All the shooting skills and hand to combat techniques were executed by her stunt double. She told The Hollywood News: “I tell my stunt double almost every single day that she’s actually Speedy. Yes, I’m Thea Queen. But she’s definitely Speedy.”

2 Did Her Own Stunts: Ruby Rose (Batwoman)

It’s a shame that Ruby Rose left her role as Batwoman. She was legitimately tough. Rose had surgery done to fix two herniated discs after she got injured while performing dangerous stunts on set.

During a past interview, Rose revealed that she has done her own stunts in almost every project she has been a part of. Hopefully, she will land another major role soon, so that her fans can get to see the beauty of her stunt work.

1 Never Risks It: Tom Cavanagh (Harrison Wells)

Tom Cavanagh has been a regular character in the Arrowverse, playing different versions of Harrison Wells. The character has found himself having to run or engage in light combat on some occasions but Cavanagh stays away from the danger and lets the stunt-double do the risky stuff.

Cavanagh prefers to be involved in the scenes that bring out Wells’ intelligence. No one can complain. After all, he has executed those scenes quite brilliantly. Cavanagh is also engaged in another kind of fighting. He leads a charity that helps fight Malaria in Africa and third world countries around the globe.

About The Author

Philip Etemesi
(1222 Articles Published)

Philip Etemesi is an author, journalist, screenwriter and film critic based in Nairobi. Kenya. As a child, he preferred watching movies like The Goodfellas instead of Home Alone. His girlfriend constantly has to pull him from the front of the TV but he just keeps returning. Stubborn dude! An animal lover, Philip also has a pet giraffe called Refu.

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