Six years ago, The CW filmed a pilot for a new DC series, but it was never aired. With the recent finale of Superman & Lois in 2024, the network’s long-running Arrowverse has officially come to an end. For much of the 2010s, these DC shows were some of The CW’s most popular programs. It all began with the hits Arrow and The Flash, which led to the creation of other series like Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, and Batwoman, ultimately building a shared universe.
The show Arrow almost spawned a spin-off series, with ideas for its story introduced in Season 8. Sadly, despite having a lot of potential, the spin-off never happened, which disappointed many fans. Considering the direction the Arrow universe took after the original series ended, it’s understandable why the project didn’t move forward, even though a promising pilot episode was filmed.
Six Years Ago, Arrow Aired a Backdoor Pilot for a Series About Oliver’s Daughter
The eighth season of Arrow was significantly shaped by the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event, which dramatically changed the entire Arrowverse. While the crisis altered everything, it also created opportunities for new storylines. Season 8, Episode 9, “Green Arrow and the Canaries,” focused on what happened to Mia Smoak, Laurel Lance, and Dinah Drake after the realities merged into a single Earth (Earth-Prime). The episode hinted at the possibility of these three characters continuing their adventures independently, but those plans ultimately weren’t realized.
Originally, the January 21, 2020 episode of “Green Arrow and the Canaries” was designed to test the waters for a new series continuing the story after Arrow ended. The idea was to focus on Mia, Oliver Queen’s daughter, carrying on her father’s work as the Green Arrow. This would keep the Green Arrow character alive within the Arrow universe and give fans a new show led by female heroes – Mia, along with Laurel and Dinah. While the episode received a mixed reaction from viewers on sites like IMDb, there was still hope for the spinoff. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen issues, the project was ultimately cancelled.
Why Green Arrow and the Canaries Never Happened
The CW initially intended for “Green Arrow and the Canaries” to become its own series, but those plans were canceled about a year after the first episode aired as part of the main “Arrow” show. While the news was first reported by Deadline, the reasons behind the cancellation weren’t fully explained. However, the significant production problems and delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic seem to have been a key factor. Writer Marc Guggenheim later mentioned this on X (formerly Twitter), though the post has since been deleted, according to SlashFilm. This wasn’t an isolated case, as the pandemic unexpectedly disrupted many projects in Hollywood.
The CW faced a lot of changes after the pandemic, making it even harder for the potential Green Arrow and the Canaries spinoff to succeed. When the network started focusing less on its DC shows, any chance of revisiting the spinoff disappeared. Over the next few years, the other Arrowverse shows – including Black Lightning and Supergirl – ended, following Arrow. Looking back, the decision to not move forward with Green Arrow and the Canaries was an early indicator of these changes, and perhaps it’s for the best that the show didn’t continue.
The Arrowverse Pilot’s Fate Signaled a Shift in the CW’s Priorities
Even though the Arrowverse continued for a while longer, the cancellation of Green Arrow and the Canaries hinted at changes happening at The CW. If the network had been more committed to expanding the Arrowverse, the spinoff might have eventually gotten made. However, with several Arrowverse shows ending and The CW being bought by Nexstar in 2022, it just wasn’t possible. After the acquisition, the remaining shows started to conclude their stories. In a way, it’s probably better that Green Arrow and the Canaries didn’t get caught up in all of that; it could have been cancelled quickly or even filmed but never released, which would have been even worse.
Sad that Green Arrow and the Canaries wasn’t picked up for another season? Share your thoughts in the comments and discuss it with other fans in the ComicBook Forum!
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2026-01-22 00:41