It’s a new day in Hollywood (and, as a result, hopefully the rest of the world). That couldn’t be more clear following a highly political and activist-heavy night of celebrating at the 2018 Golden Globes, a result of TIME’S UP, a movement created to end sexual harassment, assault, and abuse in the workplace. Conversations around gender parity and sexual misconduct are at an all-time high, with justice starting to be served to sexual harassers working in Hollywood. Finally.
One case that made waves in the comic book community? Arrow-verse executive producer Andrew Kreisberg, who was first suspended and then fired byWarner Bros. Television after an investigation looked into multiple complaints of sexual harassment on The Flash and Supergirl. Kreisberg executive produced all four Arrowverse series (Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow) as well as CW Seed animated series Vixen.
So what does this mean for fans of all the Arrow-verse series, most specifically Supergirl and The Flash?
Not much, conferred CW President Mark Pedowitz. The network boss sat down to speak with Nerdist at the 2018 Winter Television Critics Association press tour on Sunday, and revealed that even though behind-the-scenes restructuring has been going on in light of Kreisberg’s termination, creatively, fans won’t notice a difference.
“On Supergirl, there’s Robert Rovner and Jessica Queller who stepped up,” Pedowitz says of who has been taking control of Kreisberg’s responsibilities as showrunner. “Greg [Berlanti] is very actively involved. To make a long story short, the studio [WBTV] is managing that process, so [CW is] a little bit further in the background.”
Pedowitz was quick to add that no matter who someone is or what power they hold on a series, it takes a village of many people to bring a television show to life, so the success of the Arrow-verse won’t hinge on one producer’s presence. Adding to that confidence? Production never halted on any of the Vancouver-based sets, minimizing the likelihood of any potential schedule delays.
“I have seen no decline in anything,” Pedowitz says. “I think there is a team in place that’s terrific and we’ll see to it that it goes forward. I just saw a Flash episode the other day that was actually pretty damn good. It’s fun. You’ll be amazed at what really goes on. One person’s important, but there are so many talented people involved in the show that I think they’ll overcome whatever is missed.”
But one big, positive change to come out of the decision to fire Kreisberg is how the environment has evolved behind-the-scenes in regards to sexual harassment in the workplace and having conversations about making sure this kind of unacceptable behavior doesn’t continue or happen again.
“I think people need to feel that they can express themselves if there’s an issue,” Pedowitz says. “People have to say that sexual misconduct and sexual harassment will not be tolerated and you have to feel safe, that you’ll be listened to if you have a complaint and that complaint needs to be investigated. I think people are more sensitized to that [now]; hopefully people who work at The CW, who work with us, realize that and we are open to listen to if there’s an issue.”
If you or someone you know has been harassed, visit TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund here for resources on the steps you can take to help.
Images: The CW
