Why The CW Cancelled Plans For A Major Green Arrow Spin-Off

For more than a decade, The CW's Arrowverse was a pillar of superhero storytelling. While the DC Extended Universe was struggling on the big screen in the 2010s, shows like "Arrow" and "The Flash" were thriving on television. So much so, in fact, that spin-offs started happening. "Supergirl," for example, was brought over from CBS, while "Superman & Lois" would eventually become a thing as well. But not all of the planned shows made it to air. Such was the case with "Green Arrow & The Canaries," which aired as a backdoor pilot in 2020.

The CW tested this concept out in "Arrow" season 8. The episode in question explored the idea of a show that would've centered on Mia Queen's Green Arrow, as well as Laurel and Dinah, in the somewhat distant future of 2040. Taking place in Star City, Mia (Katherine McNamara) is visited by Laurel (Katie Cassidy) and Dinah (Juliana Harkavy) when the pair proceed to upend her life. The duo, you see, are tracking a kidnapping victim who has ties to Mia, so they all suit up to save the city.

Unfortunately, The CW decided not to move forward with the spin-off. Hence, when "Arrow" ended after eight seasons in January 2020, this specific corner of the Arrowverse ended with it. So, what happened exactly? Why did the network decide not to press forward with the show?

For one thing, the main series that anchored the universe were on the way out, with "The Flash" season 9 bringing that show to a close a couple of years later. "Supergirl" would soon follow suit, and with "Black Lightning" also calling it quits in 2021, the writing seemed to be more or less on the wall for the Arrowverse. Be that as it may, it was real-world events that ultimately killed this would-be DC team-up series. 

In January 2021, it was revealed that The CW wasn't picking up "Green Arrow & The Canaries" to series. That announcement came nearly a full year after the network aired the backdoor pilot for the show. However, as writer/producer Marc Guggenheim explained on Twitter (now X) at the time, the decision was actually made much earlier, and it all had to do with the COVID-19 pandemic:

"Actually, the decision was made back during the start of the pandemic (which, I believe, was the deciding factor). The actual announcement was made today."

The pandemic upended so much of production in Hollywood, with quite a few movies and TV shows being canceled as a direct result. Much of that was owed to higher production costs and uncertainty regarding the future of the business. The CW was hit especially hard, with the network being sold to Nexstar in 2022. It was at that point that the Arrowverse truly began to die, with the network's new owners focusing on cheaper, largely unscripted programming instead.

So, even if it had gone forward, "Green Arrow & The Canaries" probably wouldn't have lasted very long. In a 2022 interview with ComicBookMovie.com, Cassidy explained why she had no regrets about the show being canceled:

"I say this in the most respectful, kind, realistic way ... We really, really milked that cow. Like, c'mon. You evolve, you grow, you ... I love learning and I love acting, but also, I started in features and I'm stepping back into [them]. I'm directing this movie with Marina Studios that I'm also producing called 'Daddy Issues.' I'm writing and tapping into this creative side of me that I've never had time to because I've been acting. I've loved acting my whole life, but I want to grow."

"It's not that I wouldn't have loved for the show to go [ahead] because I loved working with everyone, but let's do something different!" Cassidy added. "Let's shake some s*** up! [Laughs]. We know about the superheroes. We've been there. What's next?"

You can grab "Arrow: The Complete Series" on DVD or Blu-ray from Amazon.