After Nexstar’s acquisition of The CW, the new CEO is unsure about the future of DC TV on the network, which has already undergone various adjustments. The Arrowverse superhero series lineup on DC and The CW is no longer what it once was. After The CW’s major round of cancellations, the number of programs directly tied to the Arrowverse that have remained standing is down to two.
At their peak, these shows, which included Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow, told individual stories that regularly intersected with one another via actors appearing on other shows.
Nexstar might cancel all the CW Arrowverse shows
The CW’s new president is concerned about the future of the Arrowverse as DC TV undergoes network changes. The CW’s Arrowverse franchise, which has been in operation since 2012, when executive producer Greg Berlanti premiered Arrow on the WarnerMedia and Paramount-owned network, has perhaps had its worst year yet.
Nexstar Media Group has completed the purchase of the CW Network from Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery, more than nine months after the deal was initially discussed.
The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but insiders say Nexstar was not prepared to pay cash for the acquisition, instead accepting a big portion of the CW Network’s more than $100 million in losses from Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery. “It’s no secret that the CW is losing money, but this isn’t common for fully-distributed broadcast or cable networks.”
The CW started with numerous wonderful shows, but eventually the network shut down due to the much-hyped Arrowverse crossover event, Crisis on Infinite Earths, and when production resumed on these shows, their capacity to create true crossovers was drastically diminished. To make matters worse, the recent merger of Warner Bros. and Discovery appears to be eliminating a lot of DC material that isn’t deemed profitable enough, since Batwoman and Legends of Tomorrow have been canceled.
Brad Schwartz speaks on Arrowverse
Brad Schwartz, The CW’s new entertainment president, discusses what the network plans to do with the channel in the future. When asked if the Arrowverse/DC TV property is part of their future strategy, Schwartz provides an unsettling response. Schwartz merely states, “I’m not sure yet.”
Schwartz’s response comes just days after The CW revealed that Stargirl season 4 would not take place, implying that the series will finish with the forthcoming season 3 finale in December. The Flash will be the last Earth-Prime-based series, with Superman & Lois taking place on a different Earth in the Arrowverse, meaning the franchise will basically live through the Clark Kent and Lois Lane-led drama.
In general, Warner Bros. Discovery is signaling a new direction for the DC brand in cinema and television through James Gunn and Peter Safran, who run DC Studios and have responsibility over both divisions. With a greater emphasis on the DCU, there have been no signs that the Arrowverse or The CW’s side of the TV brand will be included in those plans, implying the likely end of the franchise on the network.
The Arrowverse has been around for a decade, and the golden age of network superhero shows has passed, just as the golden age of streaming superhero shows has begun. The Arrowverse accomplished some incredible feats and did things never before attempted. But it couldn’t survive forever, and it’s now time for the next innovative concept to take its place.
Source: ScreenRant
