‘Legends of Tomorrow’ Canceled at The CW
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The CW has canceled Legends of Tomorrow after seven seasons.
The series is the second DC Comics-based show the broadcast network canceled on Friday, following Batwoman.
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The end of Legends of Tomorrow and Batwoman leaves The CW with a smaller DC roster for the 2022-23 than it’s had in years. The network has renewed The Flash (which is expected to conclude with its previously announced ninth season) and Superman & Lois, which currently are the only two DC shows set for next season. Prolific producer Greg Berlanti has another DC show in the works with pilot Gotham Knights, which is not considered a Batwoman spinoff.
Legends of Tomorrow, which often had a decidedly lighter tone than some of its Arrowverse compatriots, premiered in January 2016 and ran for seven seasons and 110 episodes. “We are heartbroken, but also immensely grateful for the amazing work our cast, crew, and writers have contributed to the little show that could,” co-showrunner Keto Shimizu wrote on Twitter Friday.
The cancellations of two veteran shows are a rarity for The CW in recent years. Aside from preannounced endings, the Mark Pedowitz-led network has cut very few shows — just four, in fact, in the four seasons prior to this one. But the network is also facing big changes as parent companies Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global consider a sale of the broadcaster, with local TV giant Nexstar considered the leading candidate.
The CW was previously driven by revenue earned from a $1 billion Netflix deal that saw all of the network’s scripted series stream on the service. In 2019, The CW opted to not renew that deal, with newer series now going to either HBO Max (for shows from Warner Bros. TV) or Paramount+ (series produced by CBS Studios). International rights revenue has largely vanished as well, as those rights, rather than being sold off and contributing millions to their respective studios, are now also being kept in-house.
The CW has ordered three pilots this year — with a prequel to Supernatural and a Walker spinoff joining Gotham Knights. While Nexstar knows how the shows on The CW perform, early indicators are that the station group — if a deal can be reached — could keep things business-as-usual in the immediate future and open its doors to buying from other suppliers beyond CBS Studios and Warner Bros. TV.
The network’s typical mass early renewal, however, was pared down this year. In addition to The Flash and Superman & Lois, the network has picked up All American, Kung Fu, Nancy Drew, Riverdale and Walker for 2022-23, but those seven shows are fewer than the 10 or more the network has typically renewed early in recent years.
Veteran shows Charmed, Dynasty, In the Dark, Legacies, Legends of Tomorrow, Roswell, New Mexico and Stargirl and rookies All American: Homecoming, 4400, Naomi and Tom Swift are still in limbo. Roswell, In the Dark and Tom Swift are set to be part of the network’s summer lineup; a premiere date for season three of Stargirl hasn’t been set.
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