Batwoman canceled after 3 seasons at the CW

The Bat-Signal has been turned off for Batwoman.

Showrunner Caroline Dries announced Friday on Twitter that the CW superhero series has been canceled after three seasons. "Just got the sad news that #Batwoman will not be seeing an S4," she wrote. "I am bummed, but full of gratitude. What an honor to make 51 episodes. So many inspiring, brilliant people contributed to this series."

She went on to thank the show's producers, cast, crew, and fans.

Dean Buscher/The CW Javicia Leslie on 'Batwoman'

While the decision is heartbreaking for fans who championed the series for being the first network TV show with an LGBTQ superhero lead (first played by Ruby Rose, with Javicia Leslie stepping in as her replacement in season 2), it doesn't come as a huge shock after the CW granted early renewals to seven of its current series, with Batwoman conspicuously left off the list. The cancellation also doesn't bode well for the network's other long-running DC Comics drama Legends of Tomorrow, which is still awaiting its fate after a massive cliffhanger in the season 7 finale.

Thankfully Batwoman season 3 ended on a satisfying note for what is now its series finale, as Leslie's Ryan Wilder/Batwoman reunited with her biological family, took a major step forward in her relationship with Sophie (Meagan Tandy), and returned to Wayne Tower with the Bat Team after saving Gotham. But there was one dangling thread: In the final moments of the episode, a mysterious zombie-like figure emerged from the Joker's acid and attacked a reporter, setting the scene for a potential new season that will never come to pass.

"The idea is that we pulled something from the canon that we will put our own spin on," Dries previously told EW about that new mystery. "Once we get picked up for season 4, then we'll get into the minutia of like, 'Okay, what actually could that be?' And I have ideas for more of a grand scale thing."

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