The CW’sDCadventures began in 2012 withArrowand ran for over a decade, finally ending theArrowversein a spectacular fashion in 2023. While remnants of tangentially-connected stories also came to a close with the recent finale ofSuperman & Lois,the main Arrowverse timelinewas given a proper conclusion previously with a finale toThe Flashthat tied everything up. Still, given the interest in those series, and in the characters involved, it seems surprising to some that theArrowverse is officially over. This ending was contributed to by several factors.
WhileSuperman & Lois' cancelation appears more linked to the changing focuses of The CW and the launch of the new DCU, where different projects will be more aligned between both television and movies, the bulk of the focalArrowverse and its best showsended for other reasons.Shows that includedArrow,The Flash,Batwoman, andDC’s Legends of Tomorrow, among others, were brought to a close for various reasons, with some endings more successful than others.Still, the abandonment of an entire universe can feel like a surprising choice, leading to speculation on what brought this about.
The Franchise Spawned 6 Live-Action Series And 2 Animated Ones
Beginning in 2012 with DC’sArrow, the subsequent universe quickly became an enormous project with several interconnected stories. The series consistently expanded its scope, introducing Barry Allen in season 2 before spinning off intoThe Flashin 2014.The former spawned 170 episodes of television, and the latter had 184, creating some of the most long-running series of the modern streaming era.They quickly populated their universes with other characters and other spinoffs.
More than 900 hours of DC content eventually came about from the series, which saw series likeBlack LightningandSupergirlparticipate in incredibleArrowverse crossovers. The size of the series grew enormous, andiconic stories including “Crisis on Infinite Earths” made it into the shows, crossing over with all kinds of other DC projects of past and present, includingJustice LeagueandSmallville. After such a large library of content, however, the main universe finally came to a close in 2023, withSuperman & Loistying up its spinoff universe a year later.
Why The CW’s Arrowverse Was Canceled
A Number Of Factors Contributed To The End Of The Arrowverse
The Arrowverse was canceled for a number of reasons. One of the most significant was the budgetary spending power of The CW, which has diminished over time. Pairing this with a number of behind-the-scenes changes, including sales and mergers, complicated things for their licensed content.With shifts in television strategies toward streaming, many media companies changed how they handled their television projects.Making original DC content for Max - wholly owned by Warner Bros. Discovery - rather than for The CW, for which they are a majority but not full owner, made more sense.
Especially after the Warner Bros. Discovery merger, the studio has been in a place of some considerable debt, forcing them to look for different strategies to get them out of it.Business as usual had not made sense, and, in addition, much of the Arrowverse had begun to run out of steam.Several CW shows were canceledfor various reasons, but much of this overall had to do with declining interest. With lower viewership, lower ad rates, and what was perceived to be a diminished quality product, the decision was made to move on from the Arrowverse.
An Arrowverse Veteran Just Appeared In His 6th DC TV Show In 10 Years
Following many appearances in over a decade of DC work, a major Arrowverse star has finally crossed over into the world of Superman & Lois.
It is disappointing that the Arrowverse has ended, as the series brought some of the best interconnected comic book storytelling to the small screen yet. However,the influence of the different series, and how they interacted with one another, seems to have impacted the MCU and the upcoming DCU in a number of ways.Even with the DC Universe having moved on from this chapter, the legacy of theArrowversewill continue to be important, and its many shows are sure to be routinely revisited throughout the years.
Arrowverse
The Arrowverse is a shared universe centered on multiple television series airing on The CW and web series based on characters from DC Comics. It began with Arrow in 2012 and expanded to include shows like The Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow, creating a vast interconnected narrative that includes numerous crossovers and parallel universes.
