DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn revealed another key difference between the Arrowverse and his DCU: the meaning of the acronym ARGUS. The governmental intelligence agency, which functions as a sort of equivalent to SHIELD in both Marvel Comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, was first introduced by writer Geoff Johns and artist Gene Ha in Justice League (Volume 2) #7, released in March 2012. At that time, the acronym stood for Advanced Research Group Uniting Super-Humans. When ARGUS appeared in the CW's Arrowverse later that same year, the meaning was changed to Advanced Research Group United Support.
In a new post on Threads, Gunn shared a photo of the ARGUS logo as it appears in the DCU, where the agency was overseen first by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) and then by Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo). The image reveals that the meaning of ARGUS has been changed yet again; it now stands for Advanced Research Group of the United States.
Responding to a fan who asked about the reason for the change, Gunn replied, "Well it's not the first time it's been changed, but in the DCU they aren't so much uniting superheroes as they are attempting to keep them in check."
Other Key Differences Between the Arrowverse & DCU
The meaning of the ARGUS acronym isn't the only significant difference between the DCU and the Arrowverse, of course. Other divergences include:
"Metahumans"
The first known metahuman in the Arrowverse, Tyson Sykes (aka Gravedigger), emerged during World War II; in 2025's Superman, it's revealed that metahumans have existed in the DCU for roughly 300 years.
Clark Kent / Superman
The Arrowverse featured multiple versions of Superman/Clark Kent. In the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event, Brandon Routh reprised his role from Superman Returns. Tyler Hoechlin, meanwhile, played two iterations of the character: one who worked alongside Earth Prime's heroes (i.e., Flash, Green Arrow, and Supergirl), and the one who appeared on Superman & Lois, where he was the sole existing superhero. The DCU has but one Superman to date, in the form of David Corenswet's portrayal of the Man of Steel.
Kara Zor-El / Supergirl
The Supergirl from the Arrowverse, portrayed by Melissa Benoist, was initially from a different universe (Earth-38) before the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover folded her into Earth Prime. The Supergirl from the DCU, played by Milly Alcock, cameos in Superman, where she is shown to be the hard-partying owner of Krypto the Superdog. She'll appear in her own big-screen adventure in 2026 alongside Jason Momoa's Lobo.
Bruce Wayne / Batman
While Batman was mentioned in the Arrowverse, he remained perpetually off-screen, eventually appearing only in an older form, played by Kevin Conroy, as part of Crisis on Infinite Earths. However, The Dark Knight already appeared in the DCU, albeit briefly and only as a silhouette, in the animated series Creature Commandos. The Caped Crusader also already has his own movie, The Brave and the Bold (read more about other upcoming DCU projects in development).
Kendra Saunders / Hawkgirl
The Arrowverse's Hawkgirl, played by Ciara Renée, helped rally the universe's heroes for the first time in a clash against Vandal Savage. She later became central to the series Legends of Tomorrow. The DCU's Hawkgirl, played by Isabela Merced, is part of the Justice Gang, along with Mr. Terrific and Green Lantern/Guy Gardner.
Michael Holt / Mister Terrific
Speaking of Mr. Terrific, in the Arrowverse, where he was portrayed by Echo Kellum, the character was part of Green Arrow's core team on Arrow Seasons 4 to 8. In the DCU, the character is played by Edi Gathegi and plays a key role in helping Superman defeat Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult).
Adrian Chase / Vigilante
The Vigilantes of the Arrowverse and the DCU could not be more different. In the Arrowverse, the character is initially introduced as Vincent Sobel (Clayton Chitty in Arrow Season 5 and Johann Urb in Arrow Season 6), a metahuman with regenerative powers who uses brutality against the criminals of Star City.
Meanwhile, in Arrow Season 5, Adrian Chase (Josh Segarra) is a villain with a personal vendetta against Oliver Queen. The DCU's take on the character (Freddie Stroma), as seen on Peacemaker, is considerably quirkier and more comedic.
