With the amount of times the city of Gotham has been name-checked on Arrow and the other Arrow-verse series, Batman fans have been salivating at the idea of the caped crusader popping up on any one of The CW’s superhero series. And then last season, Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) casually dropped Bruce Wayne’s name! It seemed like Arrow was priming fans for the opportunity to see Batman on the small screen.
But according to The CW President Mark Pedowitz, fans will be waiting for a long time. As in, it might never happen. “There is no discussion about a [Batman] series,” he told the room of reporters at the 2018 Summer Television Critics Association press tour on Monday. “Batman already exists in the Arrow-verse because last season Oliver Queen mentions his name at some point. Batwoman, if the series goes forward, lives in Gotham. At this point there is no plan to have Batman appear.”
At least Batfans will get to see Batwoman aka Kate Kane, an out lesbian vigilante, appear in the Arrow-verse. “We’re introducing Batwoman in the crossover,” Pedowitz confirmed. “We have committed to doing a pilot. Whether it goes to series I cannot tell you that.”
Pedowitz knows The CW is becoming known for superhero shows, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be less inclined to add another to the lineup. In fact, expanding original series to Sunday nights this fall means there is even more room for Batwoman to flourish on the roster. “At the moment we have five superhero shows on the air,” Pedowitz said. “We have added a sixth night so we have enough space.”
And on long-running series like Arrow potentially wrapping up, Pedowitz added, “Shows do eventually end. We have no plans yet to end any of them. We’ll see how we come out as the season goes on.”
In other news, this year The Flash will host its milestone 100th episode, which hits right around the crossover event with Arrow, Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow. “No, I cannot tell you the plans yet,” Pedowitz said with a little laugh. “The crossover event is the big topic of conversation.”
Looking back on Legends of Tomorrow‘s evolution from serious series to becoming the wacky, silly offshoot of the Arrow-verse, Pedowitz is proud of how the series found its comedic footing in later seasons.
“As we went through that first season we came to one conclusion: what worked was embracing the fun of that show, the showiness, making jokes and breaking the fourth wall,” Pedowitz said. “That’s where we went after that first season. And honestly, who did not love Beebo? We literally went to the place of embrace what it is. I give [executive producer] Phil [Klemmer] and his team great credit to that in reviving that show.”
Name-dropping that fuzzy blue breakout character Beebo definitely got the room full of critics and journalists excited that Beebo might return to the Arrow-verse once more. “Beebo, I do not believe is in the crossover event,” Pedowitz revealed. “We’re half-joking in thinking about having Beebo in every show we have.” Now that’s an idea worth greenlighting!
What do you think about Batman’s future (or lack thereof) in the Arrow-verse? Are you hoping that Batwoman gets picked up to series? Do you need to see Beebo in every single CW series? Let us know in the comments section below!
Images: The CW
