While the Arrowverse's Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover introduced fans to a new Justice League, a franchise mainstay pitched a Legion of Doom spin-off that The CW reportedly rejected.
The Legion of Doom first made its Arrowverse debut during DC's Legends of Tomorrow Season 2, featuring Thawne (Reverse Flash), Malcolm Merlyn, Damien Dahrk, a time-displaced Captain Cold, and Heat Wave as team members.
As expected, the Legion was ultimately defeated by the Legends. However, with the growing number of Arrowverse villains, many have wondered if the Legion could eventually make a comeback.
Now, a new quote seemingly indicates that this plot point almost came to be.
Jon Cryer on Arrowverse Villain Team-Up Show
When @LukePrime_ shared a clip from the Crisis On Infinite Earths crossover featuring the Arrowverse's Justice League, Lex Luthor actor Jon Cryer revealed that he pitched a plan for a Legion of Doom spin-off series to Warner Bros. and The CW, but it was rejected.
Cryer ended his statement by saying it wasn't "meant to be:"
"After the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover, I pitched Warner Bros on a Legion of Doom series.
Wasn’t meant to be, I guess."
One of the reasons why The CW rejected Cryer's pitch may be because the Legion of Doom was already introduced in Legends of Tomorrow Season 2, potentially hinting that the network wants to focus on other supervillain team-up from DC Comics, such as the Secret Society of Supervillains.
Why The CW Rejected Another Arrowverse Spin-Off
Given that the Crisis On Infinite Earths crossover confirmed a blank reset for the Arrowverse, seeing another iteration of the Legion of Doom would've been a welcome opportunity to introduce fresh takes on different DC villains led by Jon Cryer's incredible portrayal of Lex Luthor from Supergirl.
Moreover, the actor's pitch came before the confirmation of Supergirl's final season, meaning that it was during the timeframe of the Arrowverse's impending end.
When Supergirl ended in Season 6, major overhauls for the DC superhero franchise were looming, with cancellations for several shows, like Batwoman and Legends of Tomorrow, heavily rumored. Eventually, these shows were axed by The CW, starting a domino effect that led to Arrowverse's final run in The Flash Season 9 this February.
It's possible that The CW didn't want to move forward with another show focused on Arrowverse villains, considering that they are aware of an upcoming behind-the-scenes shakeup (Nexstar purchased the CW in October 2022).
Another Arrowverse spin-off from Stargirl also didn't make the cut, meaning that it could've been under the same boat as the potential Legion of Doom show.
Hopefully, as the DCU is set to begin a new era, a special place for the Legion of Doom could be in the cards.
