The CW’s New Arrow Spin-Off

By Tenley Tuschman

It seems The CW network is not quite ready to say goodbye to Star City just yet. With Arrow coming to a close this year after its eight-season run, the network announced a new pilot in the works: a female-led spinoff starring Katherine McNamara, Katie Cassidy, and Juliana Harkavy where each of the women will reprise their Arrow roles. The new series was teased at the Television Critics Association by CW president Mark Pedowitz. It will center around Mia Smoak taking up the role of the Green Arrow, and the canaries Laurel Lance and Dinah Drake. The project is being set up as a backdoor pilot that will air as an episode during Arrow’s final season. It will be written by Mark Guggenheim, Beth Schwartz, Oscar Balderrama, and Jill Blankenship and will be serving as an introduction to the canaries series concept.

The new female superhero squad is set to be a next generation version of Team Arrow. At the center will be Mia Smoak; the daughter of Oliver Queen a.k.a the Green Arrow. Smoak was first introduced in season seven of Arrow during the flash forward sequence set in Star City 2040. Dinah Drake and Laurel Lance both appeared in the 2040 flash forward where they were operating as part of a vigilante group called the Canary Network. Both women have portrayed the Black Canary in Arrow. The arc itself appeared as a backdoor pilot, ending with Smoak holding a bow ready for action; much like her father. The new show is expected to take place well into the future and will see Mia take on her father’s mantle as the Green Arrow. 

During the TCA summer press tour, Mark Pedowitz discussed the topic of the new spinoff. “We believe these franchises, this universe will continue for many years, so it’s important to ensure that you have characters that will keep the fans coming back. How that universe plays out, time will tell.” When The CW launched Arrow in 2012, it became the foundation of the DC TV universe. The new spinoff will become the sixth show set inside the ‘Arrowverse’ along with Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, and Batwoman. The show was The CW’s first pilot order of the 2019-2020 broadcast season.

A superhero baton handoff between the Green Arrow and his daughter sounds like a strong foundation narrative for the new Arrowverse series. And it is just the beginning of a whole new generation of superheroes. This Arrow spinoff allows The CW to continue the stories of many of its characters while offering a fresh perspective on their DC TV universe.