The Arrowverse May Come to an End with the Last Season of The Flash

The glorious Arrowverse first began in 2012 with the series Arrow, which lent the sub-franchise its name. This franchise was made up of DC shows produced for the CW network, along with two short animated web series.

For the longest time, the Arrowverse was one of DC’s few sub-franchises that were super organized and had a clear timeline across different projects, winning fans over with engaging stories. But now, almost a decade later, we may have to say goodbye to it.

So, is the Arrowverse really coming to an end?

While no official statements are released yet, the Arrowverse may end when The Flash S9 finishes airing. However, there is a small possibility that James Gunn may shift some of the CW properties to HBO Max.

The first knockdown came when Arrow’s long run was cut after the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover. As this was the show that started the Arrowverse, it was truly the end of an era.

By 2022, most Arrowverse shows had closed their chapters, the latest of the lot being Legends of Tomorrow and Batwoman. The last one still standing is The Flash—but not for too long. The CW has announced that the upcoming Season 9 will be the last.

Once The Flash ends, there will be no other show left in the Arrowverse. Sure, Stargirl and Superman & Lois still air on CW, but they were never involved in the main Arrowverse and were only considered “adjacent” to it.

So even though there have been no official statements so far, there is a real possibility that the Arrowverse will end in 2023. In this light, The Flash S9 may deal with more than just Barry Allen’s story and may give the entire Arrowverse a goodbye. I even expect to see some cameos!

Is there a possibility that the Arrowverse will continue? It’s a complicated yes and no.

Thanks to Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Arrowverse corrected one of DC’s biggest continuity problems across various films, TV shows, and networks. This arc streamlined all DC projects and explained how they were all part of the same DC universe, with certain stories taking place in alternate universes. This truly was DC’s saving grace!

With the Warner Bros. Discovery merger, the company has been super harsh with DC, not afraid to axe even big-budget projects. This is quite an uncertain time for DC, especially for the audience, yet in the dark of what exactly DC’s new direction is.

The appointment of James Gunn and Peter Safran as the new CEOs of DC Studios brings some hope. We can expect that the team is trying to reorganize all of the DC projects as they see which is the best way to move forward.

In this case, there is a possibility that certain CW shows may land on HBO Max. In fact, HBO Max may become the sole home for all things DC!

Still, it does very little for the Arrowverse. Unless the shows are revived, the Arrowverse will end with The Flash. The only possibility is that these Arrowverse characters may appear in other DC projects using the multiverse hook.

For example, it’s technically possible for Grant Gustin’s Flash to appear in Titans by saying he traveled across the multiverse. But these crossovers may be too ambitious for now.

It’s sad that the Arrowverse might be coming to an end, but what an incredible run it had!

About Arrowverse

The Arrowverse is an American media franchise and a shared universe that is centered on various interconnected television series based on DC Comics superhero characters, primarily airing on The CW as well as web series on CW Seed.

Set in a shared fictional multiverse much like the DC Universe and DC Multiverse in comic books, it was established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast and characters that span seven live-action television series and two animated series.

Seven television series make up the bulk of the Arrowverse franchise: Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightning, Batwoman and Superman & Lois, along with two web series, Vixen and Freedom Fighters: The Ray.