It appears Arrow star Katie Cassidy got a wish granted. A spinoff surrounding her character, Earth-2 Laurel Lance, and other females — or “Canaries” — of Star City is in the works at The CW.
Cassidy pitched something similar a few months back, only it was for a Birds of Prey series, currently tied up as a film franchise. (Related: Margot Robbie’s Birds of Prey Reshoots to Remove Lewd Storyline and Tone Down Villain)
Variety revealed the show is greenlit and will be a female-led team-up concept that reunites Cassidy with Katherine McNamara, who plays Mia (Blackstar) in 2040, and Juliana Harkavy, the Dinah Drake Black Canary who’s been a series regular since season five.
McNamara tweeted a photo of herself with Cassidy and Harkavy along with her excitement. She tagged the Arrow Twitter account and used the hashtag “#TheFutureisFemale.”
Congratulations, ladies! Let’s kick some ass! #TheFutureisFemale 💚💥✨ @CW_Arrow @MzKatieCassidy @JulianaHarkavy pic.twitter.com/0PrZHKLNE6
— Katherine McNamara (@Kat_McNamara) September 24, 2019
Taking place in Star City in the world of 2040 introduced last season, the reins of Team Arrow pass to Mia, the rebellious daughter of Oliver and Felicity, who fights “an uprising” side by side with Laurel and Dinah. Mia was recurring last season and is a regular in the upcoming one. Variety summarizes the premise this way:
“The Canaries are a vigilante group operating in a future version of Star City in which the city was overrun by an uprising by the denizens of the city section known as The Glades.”
An episode of Arrow season eight written by Beth Schwartz, Marc Guggenheim, Jill Blankenship, and Oscar Balderrama will serve as a backdoor pilot much the same way The Flash was introduced into the Arrowverse. The same team will executive produce the show with help from Sarah Schecter and Greg Berlanti. He and Warner Bros Television will produce as usual.
CW’s juggernaut Arrowverse became a calling card for the network and Berlanti. It’s grown exponentially to include Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, an entire multiverse, and soon Batwoman. (Related: Rotten Tomatoes Score for Ruby Rose’s Batwoman on The CW Revealed)
It all began with Arrow. Beginning in 2012, Arrow is still one of The CW’s highest-rated programs. The eighth and final season premieres Oct. 15th when the show moves to Sunday. Many returns are promised. (Related — Rumor: Mark Hamill to Play Joker in Arrowverse’s Crisis on Infinite Earths Crossover)
Is this next step in the Arrowverse something you look forward to? Is DC’s future female? Let us know below.