The CW called it quits on developing an Arrowverse spin-off show that was in limbo for over a year.
There’s a new kid in town at The CW. Brad Schwartz, the network’s recently-installed president, who took over for longtime chairman Mark Pedowitz when The CW changed hands in Summer 2022, immediately set his sights on making the channel profitable.
To accomplish this, The CW pivoted from mainly scripted originals to faster, cheaper-to-produce content. As such, The Flash will soon end, Superman & Lois’ fate is firmly up-in-the-air and Gotham Knights might be as good as canceled.
Arrowverse's Justice U Dropped by CW
According to TVLine, the new regime at the Nexstar-controlled The CW network has deserted the development process on the long-gestating Arrowverse show Justice U.
Per The CW’s president Brad Schwartz during the network’s upfront presentation, Justice U has been handed “back to the studio,” but did offer hope in the notion that Warner Bros. could shop the series around to other networks or streaming platforms:
“We’ve already given those back to the studios, so they’re free to develop those and sell them anywhere.”
The chances of Warner Bros. electing to further put work into Justice U could be seen as a bit slim, as WB and DC Studios are currently in the process of revamping the DCU under the stewardship of James Gunn and Peter Safran.
The series was set to tie into the Arrowverse and star David Ramsey, who portrayed John Diggle on all eight seasons of Arrow.
Justice U was still in development in October 2022, when Ramsey confirmed that the series was "moving forward" on a second draft of its script with a new writer.
Could Justice U Find Another Home?
Late last year, James Gunn and Peter Safran were handed the keys to the on-screen DC Universe. They now have control over DC projects as they pertain to live-action and animation for movies, TV shows, and even video games.
Meanwhile, the Arrowverse appears to be on its last legs. Supergirl and Arrow ended on their own accord, Batwoman, and Legends of Tomorrow were canceled, Superman & Lois could be on the precipice of getting axed, and The Flash only has one episode left.
Gunn has made it clear that he and Safran have been paying attention to fans’ cries to save the Arrowverse in some form or fashion. But The CW leaving Justice U in the lurch could very well be the final nail in the coffin for the once flourishing DCTV shared universe.
However, there’s still the outside chance that Warner Bros. and DC might stick Justice U onto HBO Max. But with the streaming platform in the midst of a major cost-cutting phase, this possibility seems quite unlikely.
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