With Supergirl ending after season 6, many are wondering if the Arrowverse itself might be endangered. Certainly the previous year has seen a number of changes rock the shared reality of The CW’s superhero shows and there are many reasons for fans to be nervous about the future.
First airing on CBS in the fall of 2015, Supergirl was a late introduction into the Arrowverse. While the show had a crossover with The Flash in its first season and was hinted at being part of a larger universe during the second season of The Flash, the show was always held apart from the rest of the Arrowverse even after it moved to The CW, being set in the alternate reality of Earth-38. It was not until this year and the final chapter of the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event that Supergirl began to inhabit the same space as the other superheroes on The CW.
With the announcement that Supergirl season 6 would be the series’ last season, many have asked how the Arrowverse can go on with another one of it’s major tentpoles taken away. The previous year had already seen Arrow come to an end after eight seasons and the future of Batwoman had been placed in doubt in the wake of Ruby Rose’s decision to depart the show after a single season. Throw in increasing production costs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and many came to fear that losing a long-running series like Supergirl might be too much of a strain for the Arrowverse to take. But the Arrowverse’s future is still secure, though there may be additional changes down the line. The Flash is starting to run long, so it may come to an end and so could Legends of Tomorrow – both of which began around the same time as Supergirl.
Superhero shows make up a substantial part of The CW’s schedule and the network is committed enough to continuing the Arrowverse line to have rebranded it with a new name; The CWverse. While fan reaction to the new name has been mixed at best, the effort proves that The CW still considers the Arrowverse to be worth promoting and investing in. This may mean new shows replacing older ones as the franchise begins a new phase without Arrow – and now without Supergirl. Given that Supergirl is ending partly because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s possible other Arrowverse shows will see the full impact of the pandemic come in their following seasons. This could come through stories being altered or even early endings being decided upon.
For now, Arrowverse’s future seems to be in good hands with two additional shows joining the fold: Superman and Lois and Stargirl, which is already part of the franchise’s multiverse but will be moving from DC Universe to The CW permanently in season 2. This suggests that while fans may not be able to enjoy the weekly adventures of Supergirl after next year, the Arrowverse isn’t going away anytime soon. Furthermore, it’s possible Supergirl the character could still show up in future crossovers or events, if her ending isn’t permanent that is.
