The CW announced last week that Superman & Lois will be ending with its upcoming fourth season. I previously predicted that, and now that once-proud and top-rated series will fade away with a budget-slashed final season that will almost certainly not offer a very satisfying send-off. To make matters worse, this is the last of the Arrow-verse shows (even if it is only tangential to that franchise) which means that property will go out with only a whimper. But it need not happen that way.
Sure James Gunn and Peter Safran are rebooting the DCEU and the beast that is Warner Bros. Discovery after those two companies merged prefers that most of the energies for its superhero properties go in that direction. But does that have to mean denying the Arrow-verse a better send off? That franchise ran for over a decade and produced hundreds of episodes, once airing six different shows in one season. And it still draws strong viewership in encore runs on Netflix and Max. Why let it just fade away when it could have a better ending or possibly even continue it for a few years more?
Following are three viable options for continuing the Arrow-verse which I believe Warner Bros. Discovery should consider. There is no indication that company is mulling options for franchise to stick around at this point, but if fans make enough noise, perhaps some of the executives will take notice. We have seen shows like The Expanse, Lucifer, and Manifest revived in the past, and the Arrow-verse is an expansive property that offers plenty of potential to carry on. If enough people band together and stage a Call to Action, perhaps the franchise will get a better ending or possibly even stick around for a few more years.
Move Superman & Lois to Max
This is actually what should have happened instead of The CW’s new management picking the show up for a ten-episode season with a much lower budget to fit within their cut-rate programming price range. (If you are wondering what happened to that network, read more about that at this link.) That network should have kept Gotham Knights going–which performed well in viewership and had lower production costs–and sent S&L over to Max. But that was probably not considered a viable option because of the DCEU reboot and the fact that Max is going through cost-cutting of its own. But the good news is that there is still time to convince the streamer and Warner Bros. Discovery to reconsider.
Filming on the fourth season has not begun because of the actors’ strike, so fans should do everything they can right now to convince Max to step in and take over the show, or at least partner with The CW and bolster the show’s budget. If that means no more than one season, at least it can go out with somewhat of a bang. And perhaps they could bring in some of the other Arrow-verse characters to give the franchise a better send-off. It may be a long shot, and Max has not been the best place for sci fi scripted programming during its short existence (more on that at this link). But it sure seems better than letting the show fade out on The CW with many members from its regular cast not even getting much screen time in the final season, which is the current plan.
A Justice League Series
The Arrow-verse already teased the creation of this team at the end of the Crisis on Infinite Earths event, so why not run with that on Max? I’m guessing the plan was to use the team for cross-over events on an annual basis, so just use that as the continuation of the Arrow-verse. The Justice League members could vary based on which actors are available to make appearances, but I’ll bet there would be some interest among the former leads from the various shows. This could be an event series of six episodes or so that could bring together various Arrow-verse heroes to deal with major threats to the Earth or the continuum or whatever. Or perhaps they could just do a one-off event series to provide a wrap-up for the Arrow-verse. Either way, I believe it would provide a significant subscription boost for Max. There might be some rights issues because Netflix currently has the streaming license for many of the shows from that franchise. Though all but The Flash (which just wrapped up last season) may be close to expiring, so it could be doable. If fans were to get behind this and it got some momentum, a Justice League series in that universe could certainly be a ton of fun.
Bring Back Legends of Tomorrow for an Eighth Season (and Maybe More)
This is actually the most viable option, and fans of that series are still actively lobbying for its return. It could cover much of the same territory as the Justice League series that I mention above, and it could rotate any of a number of the Arrow-verse heroes through the cast. It could provide a better resolution to Legends of Tomorrow than where the Season 7 finale left the show. And it could keep the Arrow-verse franchise going for several more years. Or, if they just wanted to do an eighth and final season, that could provide a better wrap-up for the property. Netflix currently has the streaming rights for the show and Warner Bros. Discovery could work out a deal with that streamer to keep LoT going there. Or if that license is about to expire, they could move the show over to Max. A lot of people want at least one more season from this one and they continue to make their feelings known. Why let this beloved franchise fade out when it can continue with more seasons of LoT or at least go out with a bang? It is basically a win-win situation because the additional episodes can be used to bolster the eventual syndication/licensing package and provide a better ending. This just requires the right executives to give it the greenlight, and fans should continue to let Warner Bros. Discovery, Max, and Netflix know that they want Legends of Tomorrow back.
Are you a fan of the Arrow-verse shows and would you support fan efforts for a continuation or at least a better wrap-up? Chime in with your comments below.
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They should bring Legends of Tomorrow back for an eighth and final season or as a TV movie.