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Tom Welling Of ‘Smallville’ Reportedly Set To Appear In Final Season Of ‘Arrow’
Could this mark an appearance of the Arrowverse's Superman?
THE CW
TV
Danny Cox
Last month, The Inquisitr reported that Arrow would have a shortened Season 8. Not only would the new season consist of just 10 episodes, but it would also be its last. While fans are not thrilled to see the flagship show of the so-called Arrowverse come to an end, they are anxious to see what will be coming. Now, an interesting report has emerged, revealing that Tom Welling of Smallville could appear in the final season of Arrow.
Over the years, the Arrowverse has expanded out to include The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightning, and Supergirl, but many fans always hoped that Welling’s Superman would eventually show up. According to ComicBook.com, half of their hopes may come true in the final season.
Yes, Tyler Hoechlin has appeared as the “Man of Steel” in a number of episodes of Supergirl, and that means that Welling likely won’t be Superman. Still, anything’s possible in the Arrowverse, and who knows what may be on the way in whatever storyline the writers conjure up.
Tom Welling From 'Smallville' Imagined As Lex Luthor On 'Supergirl'
A fan attending the Armageddon Expo in New Zealand said that Welling was part of a panel, and spoke of Arrow‘s last season. During a conversation on that panel, Welling reportedly announced and confirmed that he would make an appearance in the final run of the show.
Tom Welling did not go into great detail or give much information at all about his role. Fans have to remember that Welling is now 41-years-old and long removed from his role on Smallville, but that doesn’t mean he is too old to play the part of Superman.
With the way that characters can time travel and jump through multiple worlds in the Arrowverse, anything is possible. There are a lot of theories already being thrown around as to what Welling could do when he appears on Arrow, but nothing is confirmed.
While the report coming out of the convention is that Welling will appear in Season 8 of the show, no one from Arrow or The CW has confirmed or even commented on Welling’s announcement during the panel. Stephen Amell is surely not going to say anything either, as he’ll want to keep everything about his show’s final season closely guarded.
Cate Cameron / The CW
Smallville had a great run on The CW. It ran for 10 years and attracted a fanbase that remains devoted (and almost cult-like) to this very day. Fans have long wanted to see Tom Welling show up as Superman or Clark Kent in the Arrowverse, but it has simply never happened. Now, the reports and rumors indicate that Welling is heading to Arrow for its eighth and final season, but only time will tell if there is any truth to them.
Could this mark an appearance of the Arrowverse's Superman?
THE CW
TV
Danny Cox
Last month, The Inquisitr reported that Arrow would have a shortened Season 8. Not only would the new season consist of just 10 episodes, but it would also be its last. While fans are not thrilled to see the flagship show of the so-called Arrowverse come to an end, they are anxious to see what will be coming. Now, an interesting report has emerged, revealing that Tom Welling of Smallville could appear in the final season of Arrow.
Over the years, the Arrowverse has expanded out to include The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightning, and Supergirl, but many fans always hoped that Welling’s Superman would eventually show up. According to ComicBook.com, half of their hopes may come true in the final season.
Yes, Tyler Hoechlin has appeared as the “Man of Steel” in a number of episodes of Supergirl, and that means that Welling likely won’t be Superman. Still, anything’s possible in the Arrowverse, and who knows what may be on the way in whatever storyline the writers conjure up.
Tom Welling From 'Smallville' Imagined As Lex Luthor On 'Supergirl'
A fan attending the Armageddon Expo in New Zealand said that Welling was part of a panel, and spoke of Arrow‘s last season. During a conversation on that panel, Welling reportedly announced and confirmed that he would make an appearance in the final run of the show.
Tom Welling did not go into great detail or give much information at all about his role. Fans have to remember that Welling is now 41-years-old and long removed from his role on Smallville, but that doesn’t mean he is too old to play the part of Superman.
With the way that characters can time travel and jump through multiple worlds in the Arrowverse, anything is possible. There are a lot of theories already being thrown around as to what Welling could do when he appears on Arrow, but nothing is confirmed.
While the report coming out of the convention is that Welling will appear in Season 8 of the show, no one from Arrow or The CW has confirmed or even commented on Welling’s announcement during the panel. Stephen Amell is surely not going to say anything either, as he’ll want to keep everything about his show’s final season closely guarded.
Cate Cameron / The CW
Smallville had a great run on The CW. It ran for 10 years and attracted a fanbase that remains devoted (and almost cult-like) to this very day. Fans have long wanted to see Tom Welling show up as Superman or Clark Kent in the Arrowverse, but it has simply never happened. Now, the reports and rumors indicate that Welling is heading to Arrow for its eighth and final season, but only time will tell if there is any truth to them.
but NOT Batman
Arrow recap: Felicity, Dinah, and Sara team up to save Laurel's soul
By Chancellor Agard
April 15, 2019 at 11:26 PM EDT
FBTwitter
DEAN BUSCHER/THE CW
Arrow
S7 E18
TYPE
NETWORK
A member of Team Arrow made its long-awaited return in tonight’s Birds of Prey-inspired episode, “Lost Canary.” Of course, I’m talking about our beloved salmon ladder, which achieved series regular status in Arrow’s first couple of years. Let me tell you, I screamed the moment we saw Sara Lance (Caity Lotz)doing the salmon ladder in the bunker because it has been so long since we’ve seen the show’s favorite exercise device in use.
But, if we’re being completely serious, the biggest return in the episode was obviously Lotz, who came home to lend Felicity and Dinah a hand in their quest to save Laurel from herself. This episode has been touted as Arrow’s major female-centric hour, and the episode definitely didn’t disappoint on that front.
At the top of the episode, director Kristin Windell takes your standard badass-confronts-goons scenes, the type of thing Arrow does all the time, and livens it up by shooting it in one take. So, the hour opens with Laurel mowing her way through a bunch of armed goons. Sure, the show has executed oners many times before (see almost every episode James Bamford has directed), but it was pretty cool to see Katie Cassidy Rodgers, who has been with the show since the beginning, at the center of one and get a moment to shine like this.
Anyway, Laurel makes quick work of the goons and reunites with her former partner-in-crime Shadow Thief via some clunky but forgivable exposition about Diaz connecting them. As the two catch up, Laurel receives a call from her bestie Felicity, but she ignores her because Laurel can’t come to the phone now since Black Siren is back in action.
Why has Laurel suddenly gone to the bad side? In addition to revealing her criminal past to the world, Emiko Queen also framed Laurel for murdering a witness. Dinah orders a city-wide manhunt for Laurel because of the overwhelming evidence against her and, let’s be honest, Dinah never really believed in Laurel’s redemption arc to begin with. Thankfully, Felicity refuses to give up on her friend and calls Sara Lance, a.k.a. White Canary, in for back-up. Sara’s grand entrance using a modified version of Earth-1 Laurel’s canary cry device was appropriately badass.
Look, I’m a sucker for any scenes on this show that remind me of the good ol’ season 2 days. Needless to say, I loved Felicity and Sara’s reunion in the bunker, which not only included Sara putting in some work on the salmon ladder, but also Sara teasing Felicity about crushing on Oliver way back when and Felicity joking about whether or not Sara was ever into her. It was appropriately cute. Once the feel-good stuff ends, though, Sara shares some important wisdom with Felicity about Laurel: “You can’t force redemption on people.”
Felicity almost gives up hope on her friend when she and Dinah find a bomb waiting for them at Black Siren and Shadow Thief’s hideout, but Sara realizes the bomb’s delayed detonation wasn’t a mistake and that Laurel probably did it to save them. Her suspicions are somewhat confirmed when she finds Laurel at Quentin’s grave. I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect to enjoy Lotz’s scenes with Cassidy Rodgers as much as I did here. While there was a warmth and familiarity between Felicity and Sara in their reunion scene, that feeling was missing from this Laurel-Sara scene, which makes sense because these two women don’t have any kind of history. Both Lotz and Cassidy Rodgers did a great job of making these two women feel like strangers to each other.
Standing by Quentin’s grave, Sara opens up about her own struggle to redeem her past action as a way of showing that redemption is possible but takes a lot of work. “Redemption isn’t a destination. It’s a journey,” Sara tells Laurel. Not to make this female-centric episode about the men, but I think that sentence applies to Oliver’s journey over these past seven seasons. His journey to redeem himself has been just that, a journey, and there’s still a ways to go even for him. I like the way the show is taking that idea and exploring it through Laurel here. Unfortunately, Laurel still thinks it’s too late for her now.
Recognizing that Laurel is acting out because she didn’t realize how much she needed their support until she lost it, Felicity, Sara, and Dinah follow Laurel to her next job with Shadow Thief and make it very clear that she’s going to have to kill them if she wants them to give up on her. That’s enough to change Laurel’s heart (it’s a bit too hasty for my liking but whatever), and she decides to sonic blast Shadow Thief. Of course, Shadow Thief was expecting Laurel’s change of heart and brought some mercenaries to take her and the other three women out. Cue a series of fun oners that show Dinah, Laurel, and Caity being ultimate badasses against the gunmen as Felicity tries to disable a bomb. And by disable it, I mean make it sure it goes off in there instead of somewhere actually dangerous. In the end, the day and Laurel’s soul are saved.
In the wake of all this, Laurel realizes that she needs to commit to redeeming herself, which means returning to Earth-2 and taking responsibility for what she did. Before she leaves, though, Felicity gives Earth-1 Laurel’s old Black Canary suit in the hopes that she’ll find some use for it. And we don’t have to wait too long to see her put it on, because a greying Laurel shows up in this week’s flashforwards and saves Mia, who was about to be killed by Galaxy One’s Anti-Vigilante robot thing. Seeing Cassidy Rodgers suit back up as Black Siren was pretty awesome and probably the best use of the flash-forwards yet.
Wall of Weird:
By Chancellor Agard
April 15, 2019 at 11:26 PM EDT
FBTwitter
DEAN BUSCHER/THE CW
Arrow
S7 E18
TYPE
- TV Show
NETWORK
A member of Team Arrow made its long-awaited return in tonight’s Birds of Prey-inspired episode, “Lost Canary.” Of course, I’m talking about our beloved salmon ladder, which achieved series regular status in Arrow’s first couple of years. Let me tell you, I screamed the moment we saw Sara Lance (Caity Lotz)doing the salmon ladder in the bunker because it has been so long since we’ve seen the show’s favorite exercise device in use.
But, if we’re being completely serious, the biggest return in the episode was obviously Lotz, who came home to lend Felicity and Dinah a hand in their quest to save Laurel from herself. This episode has been touted as Arrow’s major female-centric hour, and the episode definitely didn’t disappoint on that front.
At the top of the episode, director Kristin Windell takes your standard badass-confronts-goons scenes, the type of thing Arrow does all the time, and livens it up by shooting it in one take. So, the hour opens with Laurel mowing her way through a bunch of armed goons. Sure, the show has executed oners many times before (see almost every episode James Bamford has directed), but it was pretty cool to see Katie Cassidy Rodgers, who has been with the show since the beginning, at the center of one and get a moment to shine like this.
Anyway, Laurel makes quick work of the goons and reunites with her former partner-in-crime Shadow Thief via some clunky but forgivable exposition about Diaz connecting them. As the two catch up, Laurel receives a call from her bestie Felicity, but she ignores her because Laurel can’t come to the phone now since Black Siren is back in action.
Why has Laurel suddenly gone to the bad side? In addition to revealing her criminal past to the world, Emiko Queen also framed Laurel for murdering a witness. Dinah orders a city-wide manhunt for Laurel because of the overwhelming evidence against her and, let’s be honest, Dinah never really believed in Laurel’s redemption arc to begin with. Thankfully, Felicity refuses to give up on her friend and calls Sara Lance, a.k.a. White Canary, in for back-up. Sara’s grand entrance using a modified version of Earth-1 Laurel’s canary cry device was appropriately badass.
Look, I’m a sucker for any scenes on this show that remind me of the good ol’ season 2 days. Needless to say, I loved Felicity and Sara’s reunion in the bunker, which not only included Sara putting in some work on the salmon ladder, but also Sara teasing Felicity about crushing on Oliver way back when and Felicity joking about whether or not Sara was ever into her. It was appropriately cute. Once the feel-good stuff ends, though, Sara shares some important wisdom with Felicity about Laurel: “You can’t force redemption on people.”
Felicity almost gives up hope on her friend when she and Dinah find a bomb waiting for them at Black Siren and Shadow Thief’s hideout, but Sara realizes the bomb’s delayed detonation wasn’t a mistake and that Laurel probably did it to save them. Her suspicions are somewhat confirmed when she finds Laurel at Quentin’s grave. I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect to enjoy Lotz’s scenes with Cassidy Rodgers as much as I did here. While there was a warmth and familiarity between Felicity and Sara in their reunion scene, that feeling was missing from this Laurel-Sara scene, which makes sense because these two women don’t have any kind of history. Both Lotz and Cassidy Rodgers did a great job of making these two women feel like strangers to each other.
Standing by Quentin’s grave, Sara opens up about her own struggle to redeem her past action as a way of showing that redemption is possible but takes a lot of work. “Redemption isn’t a destination. It’s a journey,” Sara tells Laurel. Not to make this female-centric episode about the men, but I think that sentence applies to Oliver’s journey over these past seven seasons. His journey to redeem himself has been just that, a journey, and there’s still a ways to go even for him. I like the way the show is taking that idea and exploring it through Laurel here. Unfortunately, Laurel still thinks it’s too late for her now.
Recognizing that Laurel is acting out because she didn’t realize how much she needed their support until she lost it, Felicity, Sara, and Dinah follow Laurel to her next job with Shadow Thief and make it very clear that she’s going to have to kill them if she wants them to give up on her. That’s enough to change Laurel’s heart (it’s a bit too hasty for my liking but whatever), and she decides to sonic blast Shadow Thief. Of course, Shadow Thief was expecting Laurel’s change of heart and brought some mercenaries to take her and the other three women out. Cue a series of fun oners that show Dinah, Laurel, and Caity being ultimate badasses against the gunmen as Felicity tries to disable a bomb. And by disable it, I mean make it sure it goes off in there instead of somewhere actually dangerous. In the end, the day and Laurel’s soul are saved.
In the wake of all this, Laurel realizes that she needs to commit to redeeming herself, which means returning to Earth-2 and taking responsibility for what she did. Before she leaves, though, Felicity gives Earth-1 Laurel’s old Black Canary suit in the hopes that she’ll find some use for it. And we don’t have to wait too long to see her put it on, because a greying Laurel shows up in this week’s flashforwards and saves Mia, who was about to be killed by Galaxy One’s Anti-Vigilante robot thing. Seeing Cassidy Rodgers suit back up as Black Siren was pretty awesome and probably the best use of the flash-forwards yet.
Wall of Weird:
- While the women were busy with Laurel, Oliver and Diggle figured out that Dante hired Longbow Hunter Kodiak (remember him?!) to murder Emiko’s mother. Oliver hopes he can use that info to drive a wedge between Emiko and the Ninth Circle. I highly doubt that’ll work since Emiko is the Ninth Circle’s leader.
- In the flash-forwards, most of Dinah’s canaries were taken out by Galaxy One. Dinah tries to convince Mia not to go after them alone and to depend on her Canaries, which are both a superhero team and female empowerment group, but Mia initially rejects her. Thankfully, Mia doesn’t die because Black Canary has her back.
@fonzerrillii @ansatsusha_gouki
An all Siren show COULD work
I liked the over the shoulder camera work fights were tight
If they could do a Alias meets Nikita meets Charlies Angels type show?
It COULD work
Nice to see Sara (who was having one of her sexy days)
Liked the little joke about Felicity really being a lesbian too.
An all Siren show COULD work
I liked the over the shoulder camera work fights were tight
If they could do a Alias meets Nikita meets Charlies Angels type show?
It COULD work
Nice to see Sara (who was having one of her sexy days)
Liked the little joke about Felicity really being a lesbian too.
Finally,saw this week's episode it was boring ass fuck...
Omg his step dads last name is stewart
Hold up JJ is in charge of what now!!
Great twist to the typical Arrow story telling today...
No spoilers cause it was a legit fucking twist....
Wow....
At first I was going to give it a B-
But that twist to the End... Turned this shit to an A...
This season has displayed some great twists to the Arrow storytelling.....
No spoilers cause it was a legit fucking twist....
Wow....
At first I was going to give it a B-
But that twist to the End... Turned this shit to an A...
This season has displayed some great twists to the Arrow storytelling.....
The CW Scorecard: Complete Guide to What's New, Renewed and Canceled (So Far)
The CW
unprecedented this season, renewing its entire freshman class and all of its existing series (save those previously announced at last year’s upfront for a final run) in the weeks and months prior to its upfront.
Finding room for new projects is the only issue that network boss Mark Pedowitz will have. Expect most of what few new series get the tap to hold for midseason. And while linear ratings are down again, the network is increasingly more reliant on its lucrative, ad-supported streaming player.
If there is uncertainty, it’s likely about shifting episode order length and how the network plans to roll out the final seasons of Arrow and Supernatural. The latter, a TV dinosaur at this point after first airing on the long-dead WB Network in 2005, holds a particularly unique place in The CW ecosystem.
Any new orders will also prove quite telling about the network’s current appetite for DC Comics fare. Arrow’s impending end means that there’s probably room for at least one — see buzzy Batwoman pilot — in the new slate.
The network will make all of its scheduling choices formal at a May 16 event in at New York’s City Center.
READ MORE
Broadcast TV Scorecard 2019: Complete Guide to What's New, Renewed and Canceled
Keep track of all the renewals, cancellations and new show orders with THR's scorecards for ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC and with all the latest pilot pickups and passes with our handy guide. For complete coverage, bookmark THR.com/upfronts.
Bettina Strauss/The CW
RENEWED
The 100 | Showrunner Jason Rothenberg's post-apocalyptic drama from Warner Bros. TV scored an early seventh season renewal a week before its sixth launched.
All American | From super-producer Greg Berlanti and Robbie Rogers, the fish-out-of-water drama starring Daniel Ezra and inspired by the life of former pro football player Spencer Paysinger earned only a three-episode backorder and wrapped its 16-episode season earlier this season. While the series counts fans at the network, including Pedowitz, its Netflix deal likely helped the Warner Bros. TV-produced drama co-starring Taye Diggs get over the second season goal line. Also helping the drama's case is that its lackluster adults 18-49 ratings doubled after a week of delayed viewing.
Arrow | It's the end of an era. The Stephen Amell starrer that kick-started The CW's love affair with DC Comics-inspired dramas will sign off next season with an abbreviated 10-episode eighth and final season as the Arrow-verse will officially need a new namesake. The series will also be without female lead Emily Bett Rickards, who announced her departure in March.
Black Lightning | Like every returning CW series, Black Lightning's ratings declined in 2018-19. It performed solidly in delayed viewing, however, doubling its initial 18-49 rating (0.3 to 0.6) after a week. What's more, the DC Comics drama starring Cress Williams exists outside of the Arrow-verse. While Black Lightning will return for a third season, showrunner Salim Akil is currently being sued over allegations of domestic violence, claims which he has denied. (Producers Warner Bros. TV did its own investigation into the showrunner and found nothing.)
Burden of Truth | Season two of the Canadian legal drama starring network favorite Kristin Kreuk (Smallville) premieres in the summer as The CW continues its year-round originals push with inexpensive acquisitions in the typically little-watched viewing period.
Charmed | The reboot of the former WB Network drama performed well out of the gate before slowing down, but is in line with the network average and is the second most-watched of the network's first-year shows (behind Roswell, New Mexico). The Latinx-themed reboot is also undergoing some creative changes for its sophomore season. Faking It grad Carter Covington has exited, with Liz Kruger and Craig Shaprio (Necessary Roughness) taking over as showrunners and planning to lean harder into its supernatural storylines.
Dynasty | With Crazy Ex-Girlfriend ending, Dynasty will now take over as TV's lowest-rated series on a broadcast network (excluding summer originals). Still, the CBS TV Studios drama from Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage (Gossip Girl) brings with it a lucrative Netflix licensing deal and international appeal given its name recognition, meaning its (many) casting changes and infinitesimal linear ratings are of little consequence. It will return for a third season.
The Flash | In its fifth season, the Grant Gustin-led DC Comics drama is down about 20 percent vs. last season in adults 18-49 (and slightly less in total viewers), but it remains The CW's biggest show by a pretty wide margin. The Greg Berlanti-produced drama will be back for a sixth season with Eric Wallace taking over showrunning duties from Todd Helbing.
In the Dark | Early returns, both in terms of critical approval and Nielsen ratings, have not been promising for the CBS TV Studios-produced dramedy about a blind woman who is the only "witness" to the slaying of her drug-dealing boyfriend. Still, Pedowitz showed early confidence in the dramedy's creative and renewed the series from writer Corinne Kingsbury and exec producer Ben Stiller for a second season.
Legacies | The third series in The Vampire Diaries franchise has lived up to its, well, legacy, pulling in ratings almost identical to since-wrapped The Originals last season. The Julie Plec-produced drama from Warner Bros. TV starring Matt Davis and Danielle Rose Russell will be back for a second season after scoring a victory following its atypical development process.
Legends of Tomorrow | The lighthearted fan-favorite DC Comics drama starring Brandon Routh and Caity Lotz will be back for a fifth season with showrunner Phil Klemmer at the helm.
The Outpost | The second season of the adventure drama premieres in the summer.
Riverdale | In a sign of his value, creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa inked a massive overall dealwith producers Warner Bros. TV as the Archie Comics chief creative officer's teen drama remains The CW's No. 2 series among adults 18-49. What's more, Riverdale — as has long been the plan — is being turned into a larger franchise with spinoff Katy Keene also in contention for a series order at the network. Riverdale also remains a major performer on both The CW's digital platforms and Netflix, the latter having helped goose linear ratings. The drama starring KJ Apa, Lili Reinhart, Camila Mendes and Cole Sprouse will return for a fourth season as Aguirre-Sacasa and EP Berlanti plot its future without late star Luke Perry.
Roswell, New Mexico | The immigration-themed reboot of the former WB Network/UPN drama launched midseason and ranks as the most-watched of The CW's freshman roster at just under 2 million viewers. The Warner Bros. TV drama starring Jeanine Mason, Nathan Parsons, Tyler Blackburn and Michael Trevino and from showrunner Carina Adly MacKenzie and exec producer Julie Plec is returning for season two.
Supergirl | The CW chose the veteran Melissa Benoist-led DC Comics drama to open up its first Sunday schedule in nearly a decade, and the Berlanti-produced series has held up nicely, ranking among the network's top three shows in both adults 18-49 and viewers. It will be back for a fifth season with showrunners Robert Rovner and Jessica Queller.
Supernatural | Speaking of eras ending, the network's longest-running series — which predates The CW itself — will wrap its impressive run with its 15th and final season. Still, the genre drama starring Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles and Misha Collins that has been used all over the schedule to launch more new series than can be counted will have 20 episodes to say a proper farewell.
READ MORE
What's Next for The CW After the End of 'Jane the Virgin,' 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,' 'Supernatural,' 'Arrow'?
Greg Gayne/The CW
ENDING
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend | The critically praised, but little-watched dramedy starring Rachel Bloom wrapped up its planned four-season run in early April.
iZombie | The Rob Thomas-produced DC Comics drama will wrap its run with a fifth and final season that will serve as a bridge into summer originals when it debuts May 2.
Jane the Virgin | The Gina Rodriguez dramedy critical darling began its fifth and final season March 27; a spinoff — with breakout Rodriguez returning as the narrator — remains in the mix for next season as The CW looks to keep its hand in the awards conversation.
NEW SERIES
Bulletproof | The British import cop drama starring Noel Clarke (Doctor Who) and Ashley Walters (Top Boy) premieres in the summer.
Keep up with the latest broadcast on this season's pilot crop with The Hollywood Reporter's annual guide. And bookmark THR's big-picture broadcast scorecard here.
The CW
unprecedented this season, renewing its entire freshman class and all of its existing series (save those previously announced at last year’s upfront for a final run) in the weeks and months prior to its upfront.
Finding room for new projects is the only issue that network boss Mark Pedowitz will have. Expect most of what few new series get the tap to hold for midseason. And while linear ratings are down again, the network is increasingly more reliant on its lucrative, ad-supported streaming player.
If there is uncertainty, it’s likely about shifting episode order length and how the network plans to roll out the final seasons of Arrow and Supernatural. The latter, a TV dinosaur at this point after first airing on the long-dead WB Network in 2005, holds a particularly unique place in The CW ecosystem.
Any new orders will also prove quite telling about the network’s current appetite for DC Comics fare. Arrow’s impending end means that there’s probably room for at least one — see buzzy Batwoman pilot — in the new slate.
The network will make all of its scheduling choices formal at a May 16 event in at New York’s City Center.
READ MORE
Broadcast TV Scorecard 2019: Complete Guide to What's New, Renewed and Canceled
Keep track of all the renewals, cancellations and new show orders with THR's scorecards for ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC and with all the latest pilot pickups and passes with our handy guide. For complete coverage, bookmark THR.com/upfronts.
Bettina Strauss/The CW
RENEWED
The 100 | Showrunner Jason Rothenberg's post-apocalyptic drama from Warner Bros. TV scored an early seventh season renewal a week before its sixth launched.
All American | From super-producer Greg Berlanti and Robbie Rogers, the fish-out-of-water drama starring Daniel Ezra and inspired by the life of former pro football player Spencer Paysinger earned only a three-episode backorder and wrapped its 16-episode season earlier this season. While the series counts fans at the network, including Pedowitz, its Netflix deal likely helped the Warner Bros. TV-produced drama co-starring Taye Diggs get over the second season goal line. Also helping the drama's case is that its lackluster adults 18-49 ratings doubled after a week of delayed viewing.
Arrow | It's the end of an era. The Stephen Amell starrer that kick-started The CW's love affair with DC Comics-inspired dramas will sign off next season with an abbreviated 10-episode eighth and final season as the Arrow-verse will officially need a new namesake. The series will also be without female lead Emily Bett Rickards, who announced her departure in March.
Black Lightning | Like every returning CW series, Black Lightning's ratings declined in 2018-19. It performed solidly in delayed viewing, however, doubling its initial 18-49 rating (0.3 to 0.6) after a week. What's more, the DC Comics drama starring Cress Williams exists outside of the Arrow-verse. While Black Lightning will return for a third season, showrunner Salim Akil is currently being sued over allegations of domestic violence, claims which he has denied. (Producers Warner Bros. TV did its own investigation into the showrunner and found nothing.)
Burden of Truth | Season two of the Canadian legal drama starring network favorite Kristin Kreuk (Smallville) premieres in the summer as The CW continues its year-round originals push with inexpensive acquisitions in the typically little-watched viewing period.
Charmed | The reboot of the former WB Network drama performed well out of the gate before slowing down, but is in line with the network average and is the second most-watched of the network's first-year shows (behind Roswell, New Mexico). The Latinx-themed reboot is also undergoing some creative changes for its sophomore season. Faking It grad Carter Covington has exited, with Liz Kruger and Craig Shaprio (Necessary Roughness) taking over as showrunners and planning to lean harder into its supernatural storylines.
Dynasty | With Crazy Ex-Girlfriend ending, Dynasty will now take over as TV's lowest-rated series on a broadcast network (excluding summer originals). Still, the CBS TV Studios drama from Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage (Gossip Girl) brings with it a lucrative Netflix licensing deal and international appeal given its name recognition, meaning its (many) casting changes and infinitesimal linear ratings are of little consequence. It will return for a third season.
The Flash | In its fifth season, the Grant Gustin-led DC Comics drama is down about 20 percent vs. last season in adults 18-49 (and slightly less in total viewers), but it remains The CW's biggest show by a pretty wide margin. The Greg Berlanti-produced drama will be back for a sixth season with Eric Wallace taking over showrunning duties from Todd Helbing.
In the Dark | Early returns, both in terms of critical approval and Nielsen ratings, have not been promising for the CBS TV Studios-produced dramedy about a blind woman who is the only "witness" to the slaying of her drug-dealing boyfriend. Still, Pedowitz showed early confidence in the dramedy's creative and renewed the series from writer Corinne Kingsbury and exec producer Ben Stiller for a second season.
Legacies | The third series in The Vampire Diaries franchise has lived up to its, well, legacy, pulling in ratings almost identical to since-wrapped The Originals last season. The Julie Plec-produced drama from Warner Bros. TV starring Matt Davis and Danielle Rose Russell will be back for a second season after scoring a victory following its atypical development process.
Legends of Tomorrow | The lighthearted fan-favorite DC Comics drama starring Brandon Routh and Caity Lotz will be back for a fifth season with showrunner Phil Klemmer at the helm.
The Outpost | The second season of the adventure drama premieres in the summer.
Riverdale | In a sign of his value, creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa inked a massive overall dealwith producers Warner Bros. TV as the Archie Comics chief creative officer's teen drama remains The CW's No. 2 series among adults 18-49. What's more, Riverdale — as has long been the plan — is being turned into a larger franchise with spinoff Katy Keene also in contention for a series order at the network. Riverdale also remains a major performer on both The CW's digital platforms and Netflix, the latter having helped goose linear ratings. The drama starring KJ Apa, Lili Reinhart, Camila Mendes and Cole Sprouse will return for a fourth season as Aguirre-Sacasa and EP Berlanti plot its future without late star Luke Perry.
Roswell, New Mexico | The immigration-themed reboot of the former WB Network/UPN drama launched midseason and ranks as the most-watched of The CW's freshman roster at just under 2 million viewers. The Warner Bros. TV drama starring Jeanine Mason, Nathan Parsons, Tyler Blackburn and Michael Trevino and from showrunner Carina Adly MacKenzie and exec producer Julie Plec is returning for season two.
Supergirl | The CW chose the veteran Melissa Benoist-led DC Comics drama to open up its first Sunday schedule in nearly a decade, and the Berlanti-produced series has held up nicely, ranking among the network's top three shows in both adults 18-49 and viewers. It will be back for a fifth season with showrunners Robert Rovner and Jessica Queller.
Supernatural | Speaking of eras ending, the network's longest-running series — which predates The CW itself — will wrap its impressive run with its 15th and final season. Still, the genre drama starring Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles and Misha Collins that has been used all over the schedule to launch more new series than can be counted will have 20 episodes to say a proper farewell.
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What's Next for The CW After the End of 'Jane the Virgin,' 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,' 'Supernatural,' 'Arrow'?
Greg Gayne/The CW
ENDING
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend | The critically praised, but little-watched dramedy starring Rachel Bloom wrapped up its planned four-season run in early April.
iZombie | The Rob Thomas-produced DC Comics drama will wrap its run with a fifth and final season that will serve as a bridge into summer originals when it debuts May 2.
Jane the Virgin | The Gina Rodriguez dramedy critical darling began its fifth and final season March 27; a spinoff — with breakout Rodriguez returning as the narrator — remains in the mix for next season as The CW looks to keep its hand in the awards conversation.
NEW SERIES
Bulletproof | The British import cop drama starring Noel Clarke (Doctor Who) and Ashley Walters (Top Boy) premieres in the summer.
Keep up with the latest broadcast on this season's pilot crop with The Hollywood Reporter's annual guide. And bookmark THR's big-picture broadcast scorecard here.
Arrow: How John Diggle Really Is Green Lantern (But Only On Some Earths)
Arrow seemingly affirmed a long-running fan theory that original Team Arrow founder John Diggle is the Arrowverse's equivalent of the Green Lantern John Stewart. While earlier episodes have dropped similar hints to the two characters being linked, the storyline of season 7, episode 19, "Spartan", made the connection clear.
Green Lantern and Green Arrow have been a team since writer Dennis O'Neil first joined Oliver Queen and Hal Jordan together in Green Lantern/Green Arrow #76. It was during this same series that the character of John Stewart was first introduced in Green Lantern/Green Arrow #87 and a tradition of Green Arrow teaming-up with various Green Lanterns began. When the character of soldier-turned-bodyguard John Diggle was created to act as Oliver Queen's right-hand man on Arrow, he was meant to be a modern-day Little John, much as Oliver Queen was based on Robin Hood. Still, may comic fans have hoped that John Diggle might wind up wearing a Green Lantern ring before the series' conclusion, as a nod to John Stewart.
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RELATED:Here's The Perfect Way To End Arrow's Season 8
Arrow's showrunners have clearly been aware of the fan theory, but didn't begin adopting it into the show until season 7. During the Elseworldscrossover event, Supergirl, Team Arrow and Team Flash briefly joined forces with the Barry Allen of Earth 90 - the setting of the 1990's The Flash show starring John Wesley Shipp. As this version of The Flash is introduced to the heroes of Earth-1, he seems surprised to see a familiar face among them, clearly recognizing John Diggle and asking why he wasn't wearing his ring. The implication was clear - on Earth 90, John Diggle was a Green Lantern!
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"Spartan" went a step further in establishing a connection between John Diggle and John Stewart. The opening scenes of the episode see Team Arrow intercepting agents of the Ninth Circle that are trying to steal classified military documents. While successful in thwarting the theft, our heroes are left with no idea of the villainous group's ultimate goal in acquiring this specific information. This leads to Diggle reluctantly suggesting they consult with a general he knows who would be privy to that information. This general is eventually revealed to be John's stepfather, whom he never got along with, and his name is General Roy Stewart.
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While this isn't quite the same as putting a Green Lantern ring on John Diggle's finger, it does tie him into a Stewart family, and deepen the Elseworlds reference. Perhaps on other Earths in the Arrowverse, a younger John Diggle developed a better relationship with his stepfather and took his surname willingly or was officially adopted by General Stewart and given his name? In either case, this is sure to set fans speculating about the possibility that we may finally see Diggle become Green Lantern sometime before the end of Arrow season 8.
- BY MATT MORRISON
- – ON APR 23, 2019
- IN SR ORIGINALS
Arrow seemingly affirmed a long-running fan theory that original Team Arrow founder John Diggle is the Arrowverse's equivalent of the Green Lantern John Stewart. While earlier episodes have dropped similar hints to the two characters being linked, the storyline of season 7, episode 19, "Spartan", made the connection clear.
Green Lantern and Green Arrow have been a team since writer Dennis O'Neil first joined Oliver Queen and Hal Jordan together in Green Lantern/Green Arrow #76. It was during this same series that the character of John Stewart was first introduced in Green Lantern/Green Arrow #87 and a tradition of Green Arrow teaming-up with various Green Lanterns began. When the character of soldier-turned-bodyguard John Diggle was created to act as Oliver Queen's right-hand man on Arrow, he was meant to be a modern-day Little John, much as Oliver Queen was based on Robin Hood. Still, may comic fans have hoped that John Diggle might wind up wearing a Green Lantern ring before the series' conclusion, as a nod to John Stewart.
Continue Scrolling To Keep Reading
Click the button below to start this article in quick view.
START NOW
RELATED:Here's The Perfect Way To End Arrow's Season 8
Arrow's showrunners have clearly been aware of the fan theory, but didn't begin adopting it into the show until season 7. During the Elseworldscrossover event, Supergirl, Team Arrow and Team Flash briefly joined forces with the Barry Allen of Earth 90 - the setting of the 1990's The Flash show starring John Wesley Shipp. As this version of The Flash is introduced to the heroes of Earth-1, he seems surprised to see a familiar face among them, clearly recognizing John Diggle and asking why he wasn't wearing his ring. The implication was clear - on Earth 90, John Diggle was a Green Lantern!
ADVERTISING
"Spartan" went a step further in establishing a connection between John Diggle and John Stewart. The opening scenes of the episode see Team Arrow intercepting agents of the Ninth Circle that are trying to steal classified military documents. While successful in thwarting the theft, our heroes are left with no idea of the villainous group's ultimate goal in acquiring this specific information. This leads to Diggle reluctantly suggesting they consult with a general he knows who would be privy to that information. This general is eventually revealed to be John's stepfather, whom he never got along with, and his name is General Roy Stewart.
ADVERTISING
While this isn't quite the same as putting a Green Lantern ring on John Diggle's finger, it does tie him into a Stewart family, and deepen the Elseworlds reference. Perhaps on other Earths in the Arrowverse, a younger John Diggle developed a better relationship with his stepfather and took his surname willingly or was officially adopted by General Stewart and given his name? In either case, this is sure to set fans speculating about the possibility that we may finally see Diggle become Green Lantern sometime before the end of Arrow season 8.
that sh*t had me yelling at the screen!!!!
Arrow Flash-Forward Reveals Legacy Character's Connection to Deathstroke
SPOILER WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for "Spartan," the latest episode of Arrow.
In the year 2040, Deathstroke has really made quite the name for himself. As revealed in "Spartan," the latest episode of Arrow, a gang based on the anti-hero has emerged, and none other than John Diggle Jr. leads it.
As Felicity worked to reverse-engineer the high-tech helmet of a mercenary they encountered, she realized she needed a duplicate power source. Her daughter Mia and Connor Hawke, John Diggle's adopted son, went out in search of one for her. Per a tip from one of Mia's connections, the Deathstroke gang had exactly what they needed. Fortunately, Connor was able to hook them up by using his connection to J.J.
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RELATED:Arrow: David Ramsey Addresses That Green Lantern Tease, Diggle's Future
Mia wasn't impressed. "John Diggle has one son in Knightwatch and another who's the leader of the Deathstroke gang?" she asked. "That must make family dinners interesting."
"Well, he grew up hating my parents and the expectations they put on us," Connor explained.
When he returned with the power source, he revealed he hadn't seen J.J. in a year. "Funny thing is, he used to be my best friend," he said with a sad chuckle. "He and my dad started butting heads. Guess I got caught up in the middle. And this Deathstroke thing, that was just a way to rebel. I just thought one day he'd outgrow it, but I tried to reach him, and in the end I think I just reminded him of everything my mom and dad expected him to be."
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RELATED:Arrow Hints At The Metal Men's Arrowverse Existence
Unfortunately for Connor, J.J. wasn't over this disagreement. He sent one of his gang members to kill Connor, but Connor managed to overcome his attack and escape. With that, J.J. has made it abundantly clear that he wants nothing to do with Diggle nor his brother.
In this, J.J. and Connor run parallel to Diggle and his brother Andy. After all, Diggle went down the straight and narrow path, becoming a member of the military like his father and then a vigilante after that, while Andy joined the terrorist organization HIVE. Unfortunately for Diggle, it seems his sons are similarly at odds.
- by Meagan Damore
- – on Apr 22, 2019
- in CBR Exclusives
SPOILER WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for "Spartan," the latest episode of Arrow.
In the year 2040, Deathstroke has really made quite the name for himself. As revealed in "Spartan," the latest episode of Arrow, a gang based on the anti-hero has emerged, and none other than John Diggle Jr. leads it.
As Felicity worked to reverse-engineer the high-tech helmet of a mercenary they encountered, she realized she needed a duplicate power source. Her daughter Mia and Connor Hawke, John Diggle's adopted son, went out in search of one for her. Per a tip from one of Mia's connections, the Deathstroke gang had exactly what they needed. Fortunately, Connor was able to hook them up by using his connection to J.J.
Continue Scrolling To Keep Reading
Click the button below to start this article in quick view.
START NOW
RELATED:Arrow: David Ramsey Addresses That Green Lantern Tease, Diggle's Future
Mia wasn't impressed. "John Diggle has one son in Knightwatch and another who's the leader of the Deathstroke gang?" she asked. "That must make family dinners interesting."
"Well, he grew up hating my parents and the expectations they put on us," Connor explained.
When he returned with the power source, he revealed he hadn't seen J.J. in a year. "Funny thing is, he used to be my best friend," he said with a sad chuckle. "He and my dad started butting heads. Guess I got caught up in the middle. And this Deathstroke thing, that was just a way to rebel. I just thought one day he'd outgrow it, but I tried to reach him, and in the end I think I just reminded him of everything my mom and dad expected him to be."
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RELATED:Arrow Hints At The Metal Men's Arrowverse Existence
Unfortunately for Connor, J.J. wasn't over this disagreement. He sent one of his gang members to kill Connor, but Connor managed to overcome his attack and escape. With that, J.J. has made it abundantly clear that he wants nothing to do with Diggle nor his brother.
In this, J.J. and Connor run parallel to Diggle and his brother Andy. After all, Diggle went down the straight and narrow path, becoming a member of the military like his father and then a vigilante after that, while Andy joined the terrorist organization HIVE. Unfortunately for Diggle, it seems his sons are similarly at odds.
I am a little shocked that Arrow never used this storytelling technique before.
Sidebar: Yo dig and dinah sexual tension is ridiculous.
Nice twist saw it coming but it was nicely executed and nice call back to early Arrow.
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Emiko is basically a female Prometheus
And I'm not even saying that negatively
And I'm not even saying that negatively
Real talk?
I'd be cool with an arrow spin off starring Emiko.
I'd be cool with an arrow spin off starring Emiko.
Diggle acting is so damn solid in EVERY scene...
Either give him his own Argus show or make him john stewart already.
Either give him his own Argus show or make him john stewart already.
I actually liked this week's episode
Had figured Green Lantern was another character that was off-limits to CW 
I bet theyll edit the hell out of this
I bet theyll edit the hell out of this
Here We Go...
Another "RASHOMON-style" bullshit episo...
HOLY FUCKIN' SHIT!!!
BEST EPISODE THIS SEASON!!!
The photography and stunt-work on this show has been top-notch.
Amell and crew are going out like that.
Can't wait until the final season now.
Emiko doesn't give a SHIT!!!
Another "RASHOMON-style" bullshit episo...
HOLY FUCKIN' SHIT!!!
BEST EPISODE THIS SEASON!!!
The photography and stunt-work on this show has been top-notch.
Amell and crew are going out like that.
Can't wait until the final season now.
Emiko doesn't give a SHIT!!!
Holy fucking shit.... they just dropped a Zeta reference on Arrow... no matter what happens this episode is a 10
Julianna Harkavy is fucking gorgeous... she is the perfect test case as to the power of that 10 pound treatment.
That little bit of extra weight has made a world of difference
That little bit of extra weight has made a world of difference
Double oh shit...
Oh it’s a dream... you almost got me Arrow but that was well done
Hold up ... when he snapped his fingers...
I wonder if Spoilers was ol boy from Crisis.
I wonder if Spoilers was ol boy from Crisis.
man this season has been fucking nice........