DC Studios will bring back a major Arrowverse location for a Man of Tomorrow spinoff, and its inclusion expands the DC reboot in exciting ways. The Arrowverse is one of the most successful small-screen universes under the DC umbrella, bringing major DC locations to the forefront, including Star City, National City, Central City, and even Gotham. It also expanded across the Multiverse, bringing forth alternate views of stunning DC locales. While the Arrowverse already finished its run, James Gunn's DCU is gradually bringing back these iconic locations, and a major one just got confirmed through an official announcement.
DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn announced on social media that HBO Max is moving forward with a new DCU series: The People vs. Gorilla Grodd. This project is a mockumentary-style true-crime series set in the DCU that chronicles the story of the titular Flash villain, who is convicted of murdering his father, King Grodd, to seize the throne of Gorilla City.
Gorilla City's confirmed inclusion in The People vs. Gorilla Grodd makes it the fourth major Arrowverse location to be featured in the DCU, joining Metropolis, Gotham, and Star City. This confirmation also revealed that the hidden African city of intelligent gorillas exists in DCU continuity, setting a precedent that other major and secret locations are out there waiting to be showcased on-screen.
In the Arrowverse, Gorilla City was featured in The Flash Seasons 2 and 3. The iconic location first appeared in Season 2, Episode 7, after Team Flash lured Grodd into a dimensional breach to send him to Earth-2.
The Arrowverse's Gorilla City received a deeper exploration in Season 3, specifically in Episodes 13 and 14. During this storyline, Team Flash traveled to rescue Harry Wells after he was abducted by Grodd. As it turned out, Grodd did so to ask for help from Team Flash to overthrow Solovar, the city's twisted Gorilla leader. However, it was all a ruse because Grodd's true plan was to use the city's advanced technology and army to invade Central City on Earth-1.
Gorilla City's rich Arrowverse foundation creates intrigue ahead of the DCU version's small-screen debut. While the Arrowverse was limited in its exploration of Gorilla City because it was set in Earth-2, the DCU has the freedom to fully integrate and expand this location.
The People vs. Gorilla Grodd focuses on Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) as he spearheads an investigation to unpack whether Gorilla Grodd was wrongly convicted of the murder of his father.
Joining Gisondo is a lineup of new and returning DCU characters, headlined by Jimmy Tatro as Gorilla Grodd, Wendell Pierce as Perry White, Beck Bennett as Steve Lombard, and Mikaela Hoover as Cat Grant. DCU newcomers include Mary Holland, Eduardo Franco, Dan Perrault, and Arian Moayed.
Every Other Major Arrowverse Location In the DCU
Metropolis - Superman
Metropolis became a major location in the Arrowverse after it was featured in Supergirl and all four seasons of Superman & Lois. With David Corenswet's Superman being the DCU's foundational hero, the reboot's Metropolis is front and center in the franchise's grand stories, as established in James Gunn's 2025 movie and the upcoming sequel, Man of Tomorrow, where Lex and Superman will team up against Brainiac.
In the Arrowverse, however, Metropolis never became a primary hub on Earth-Prime, but the DCU clearly changes that by making the location a central character, filled with notable stories on both the big and small screens.
Gotham - Creature Commandos S1 /Clayface
The DCU's Gotham City has been mostly in the background, with it being showcased first on the small screen in Creature Commandos Season 1 as part of Doctor Phosphorus' origin story. The DC reboot established that its version of Gotham already has an established (and quite scary) Batman, and villains fear him.
The Arrowverse initially did not fully showcase its version of Gotham, and the first full look at the grounded locale came in the 2018 Elseworlds crossover event, which also paved the way for the debut of Ruby Rose's Kate Kane (aka Batwoman). Since then, Gotham has played a major part in the Arrowverse, serving as a central hub for the Batwoman series.
In the DCU, Creature Commandos' deeper exploration is only just the beginning, as Clayface will mark Gotham's first major live-action showcase of the city.
Fortress of Solitude - Superman
2025's Superman provided the first look at the DCU's Fortress of Solitude, making it a fully realized location in the reboot and a key part of the reboot's geography.
In comparison, the Arrowverse treated the Fortress as a secondary location, frequently visited by Kara Zor-El and Clark Kent in both Supergirl and Superman and Lois stories. The Fortress acted as a training hub for Clark and his sons in later stories, while Kara and Team Supergirl used it as a refuge.
Argo City - Supergirl
2026's Supergirl introduced the DCU's version of Argo City after the fall of Krypton. In this universe, Kara's father, Zor-El, activated a protective force-field dome that separates the city from the exploding world, allowing it to survive for years, only for it to experience its downfall due to Kryptonite poisoning.
The Arrowverse's version of Argo City was featured in Supergirl Season 3 and portrayed as a more hopeful setting rather than a doomed one. It remained a thriving Kryptonian settlement until it was destroyed by the Anti-Matter Wave during Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Star City - Creature Commandos S1
The DCU's Star City was referenced in Creature Commandos Season 1, Episode 7, after it was revealed that it was Nina Mazurky's hometown. The existence of Star City in James Gunn's DCU means that a version of Oliver Queen already exists in the franchise.
In the Arrowverse, Star City is one of the three primary settings, alongside Central City and National City. It served as the primary hub for Stephen Amell's Oliver Queen and Team Arrow, and a main location for major crossovers like Crisis on Earth X and Elseworlds.
BONUS: Coast City
Clayface and Lanterns confirmed that Coast City exists in the DCU. While the location has only been referenced in the DCU's map, it's only a matter of time before the actual city will be showcased on-screen, considering that this is the traditional hometown of Hal Jordan.
In the Arrowverse, Coast City was far more peripheral, as it was only referenced through dialogue and quick glimpses from Arrow and The Flash.
