A pair of DC shows, Legends of Tomorrow & Batwoman, will not be returning to The CW this fall, continuing the dissolution of the Arrowverse.
After Arrow launched in 2012, The CW wasted little time in creating an expanded universe of interconnected shows. At its height, the Arrowverse boasted such series as The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, and Black Lightning. It was quite the ambitious concept, and while it was successful for many years, the CW has been slowly phasing out its superhero shows since Arrow ended in 2020.
That trend is continuing in 2022, as the network is pulling the plug on two more series from the world of DC.
ARROWVERSE SHOWS, LEGENDS OF TOMORROW & BATWOMAN, ARE LEAVING THE CW
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The CW has decided to cancel both Legends of Tomorrow and Batwoman. That leaves The Flash, Superman & Lois, and Stargirl as the only DC shows officially part of the network’s lineup at the moment. The status of Naomi is still up in the air following its freshman season, and while a pilot has been ordered for Gotham Knights, it’s unknown if it will be picked up for a full season.
Legends of Tomorrow ran the longest out of the two shows, first premiering back in 2016. It was the fourth series to become part of the Arrowverse and featured a cast which was a mixture of original characters and those who were in supporting roles on both Arrow and The Flash. Caity Lotz, Brandon Routh, and Wentworth Miller lead the initial season of Legends, but actors were rotated in and out of the ensemble throughout the show’s seven-season run.
Showrunner Keto Shimizu announced the news of Legends of Tomorrow not continuing forward for an eighth season on Twitter, saying:
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As for Batwoman, the show faced an uphill battle following a tumultuous first season behind the scenes. When it began, the series was centered around Bruce Wayne’s cousin Kate Kane, who was played by Ruby Rose. The actress alleged an unsafe working environment on the set and spoke out about the behavior of some of her co-stars, but those claims were refuted by Warner Bros. Television. Ultimately, Rose did not return for the second season, which lead the story to shift its focus to Ryan Wilder, played by Javicia Leslie.
Batwoman’s third season came to a close in March, but as showrunner Caroline Dries revealed on Twitter, that was the end of the road for her crew:
The decision by the CW tracks with a report from earlier this month that out of the four DC shows that had not been renewed, only about half would make it through to the fall 2022 season. We now know that Legends of Tomorrow and Batwoman didn’t make the cut, which could be good news for both Naomi and Gotham Knights. The report from Deadline speculated that at the very least, only one of either Batwoman or Gotham Knights would be moving forward, so the CW could still be heading back to Gotham this fall if it approves of the Knights pilot.
Canceling more DC shows on the CW could also mean that Warner Bros. would rather focus on superhero projects for HBO Max moving forward. With Titans and Doom Patrol getting renewed for new seasons on the streamer, Peacemaker being a breakout hit earlier this year, and upcoming projects such as Constantine and two different spin-offs from The Batman, there may just be too many plates to spin if there are multiple projects across network TV and streaming.
Are you surprised to hear these shows are coming to an end? What do you think the future holds for the Arrowverse? Do you think the characters will get some kind of resolution in a crossover event? Let us know in the comments, and make sure to follow us on social media for more!
Source: Keto Shimizu Twitter
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