Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: The CW

  • ‘Superman & Lois’ Renewed, ‘Gotham Knights’ Canceled

    ‘Superman & Lois’ Renewed, ‘Gotham Knights’ Canceled

    The CW has opted to renew Superman & Lois for a fourth season, while opting to cancel freshman series Gotham Knights. The news was announced on Monday evening. Both shows, along with All American: Homecoming, were the final shows from the network awaiting renewal decisions following the network’s upfronts last month.

    Now under new ownership, thanks to Nexstar, the CW is looking to rebrand and (hopefully) make the network profitable finally. Nexstar took time to evaluate each series – weighing the pros and cons before making any type of decision – and ultimately seemed to look at the views for each series. While Gotham Knights is said to be the cheapest of any DC series over the years, it lacked the audience to justify bringing it back. Superman & Lois, on the other hand, might’ve carried a hefty price tag but also managed to be the second most-watched show on the CW within the past year.

    Superman & Lois joins three others shows moving forward from the CW: All American, Walker, and All American: Homecoming. The show, which is returning for its fourth season, is expected to see an episode reduction in season four. As of now, Superman & Lois is expected to have a ten-episode fourth season, down three episodes from season three.

    Source: THR.

  • Live-Action ‘Powerpuff Girls’ & Arrowverse ‘Justice U’ Spinoff No Longer in Development

    Live-Action ‘Powerpuff Girls’ & Arrowverse ‘Justice U’ Spinoff No Longer in Development

    It’s not too surprising, but the CW’s new leadership Nexstar is moving the company away from what made it popular. The broadcaster often created shows on a cheaper budget but also was the home for a wide variety of great classics like Gossip Girl, Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill, and many more. It was the last battlefront for traditional writer rooms and talent getting the opportunity to grow through the ranks while streaming made it quite a bit of a harsher environment.

    Now, we have the confirmation that Powerpuff, the live-action adaptation of Cartoon Network’s Powerpuff Girls, will no longer be reworked. After a failed pilot, one of its stars, Agents of SHIELD actress Chloe Bennet, did not reprise her role as an older Blossom. So, they tried to rework and start casting someone else in the leading role but nothing came of it for quite some time. Now, it has officially been laid to reset.

    The female-led Zorro series is no longer removing forward and they also canceled an Archie Comics spinoff focusing on Jake Chang. The bigger surprise is that the last battlefront for the Arrowverse to continue beyond The Flash’s final episode, John Diggle-focused spinoff Justice U, is also disbanding. An era is truly coming to an end alongside the last remnants of former CW president Mark Pedowitz’s. They might sell these projects to other studios, but it does seem unlikely as of now.

    Source: TVLine

  • ‘Hellraiser’ Star Joins CW’s ‘Gotham Knights’

    ‘Hellraiser’ Star Joins CW’s ‘Gotham Knights’

    DC Studios has been busy reshuffling its future franchise to focus on projects that’ll crossover in multiple ways to establish one unified DC Cinematic Universe. Yet, there are still a few projects too far into development that is still going to see the light of day. We all expected The Flash and the Aquaman sequel to release in theaters, but many were surprised that Gotham Knights was given a series order after all on the CW.

    Even going by the first trailer, the project seemed like a far cry from what makes a Batman series what it is. Plus, CW was currently undergoing its own major management shift that’ll reshape the broadcaster’s future endeavors, as they seemingly move away from their usual release schedule. Still, Gotham Knights endured and it looks like we’ll see Hellraiser star Doug Bradley join the production in an iconic DC role.

    While he’s not one of the biggest of Batman’s Rogue’s gallery, Joe Chill definitely left the biggest impression given he was the one that killed Bruce Wayne’s parents. He’ll be featured in the upcoming sixth episode, as he is scheduled to be executed after sitting on death row for fifty years. Yet, it seems Gotham’s “Patron Saint of Bad Guys” won’t let his secret die with him. Series co-creators Chad Fiveash, James Stoteraux, and Natalie Abrams had the following statement to share on his casting.

    When casting the iconic role of Joe Chill, arguably the man who created Batman, there was only one name we considered – Doug Bradley. We needed an actor with the kind of gravitas that would do justice to such a seminal character in DC Comics canon. And who better to embody the role of the classic Gotham fiend than the man whose legendary portrayal of another classic fiend – Pinhead in the Hellraiser franchise — continues to terrify generations of horror fans?

    Bradley definitely knows how to leave an impression with his performance, though it does seem like their take on Chill might be quite different from the man we’ve seen many times throughout cinematic Batman history. We’ve seen many variations of the character, one even ending up as Joker himself in Tim Burton‘s original Batman film. So, we’ll see what Gotham Knights has in store for us.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Nancy Drew:’ The CW Series to End with Season 4

    ‘Nancy Drew:’ The CW Series to End with Season 4

    On Wednesday, The CW announced that Nancy Drew would end with its fourth season. The series, which stars Kennedy McMann in the titular role, will end following its upcoming fourth season. The news, of course, isn’t entirely surprising as the network was recently purchased by Nexstar. Production on Season 4 is currently underway, and the cast and crew were informed of the cancellation on Wednesday.

    In a statement to the press, showrunners Noga Landau and Melinda Hsu commented on the show’s cancellation. The duo explains that they’re glad to have brought this story to life, and to be given the chance to end it intentionally and with kindness. “We are so honored and proud to have brought Nancy Drew’s iconic determination, individuality and resilience to life in a years-long collaboration with incredible creative talents in front of the camera, behind the scenes and among our studio and network partners,” they said. “Our hearts are full of gratitude, knowing that we are able to bring this chapter to a close with intentionality, inclusivity and kindness — and of course with plenty of sleuthing twists, supernatural scares and star-crossed romance along the way. We are especially indebted to our wonderful fan community, whose connection with our themes and stories has meant the world to us. Season four will be a worthy and resonant payoff for their continued love and support.”

    The show’s cancellation comes after The CW canceled its spinoff series, Tom Swift, over the summer. That series ended its run with a single season after failing to draw in viewers. Reports suggested the first five episodes of that series had pulled in a measly 0.1 in the all-important 18-49 demographic. While the season 3 finale of Nancy Drew pulled in 0.08 in the same demographic. Neither are impressive, but Nancy Drew was pretty inline with most other CW titles.

    Leading lady McMann thanked the fans for their support, expressing her thankfulness at bringing a character like Nancy Drew to life. “Thank you, thank you, thank you for every ounce of passion and kindness you have shared with me and with each other.”

    As of right now, Nancy Drew does not yet have a release date for Season 4.

    Source: THR.

  • ‘The Flash’ Set Photos Confirm Javicia Leslie as Red Death

    ‘The Flash’ Set Photos Confirm Javicia Leslie as Red Death

    Batwoman may be over, but it looks like Javicia Leslie is here to stay. Recent set photos from filming of The Flash’s ninth and final season have seemingly confirmed the actress will return to The CW as the multiversal villain Red Death. Leslie previously portrayed an original character named Ryan Wilder, better known as the second Batwoman, in the latter two seasons of Batwoman’s run. She took over the title role from Ruby Rose, who departed the series following behind-the-scenes issues, and quickly became a fan-favorite member of the Arrowverse. Since Batwoman’s cancellation, which occurred in April of this year, viewers have wondered whether Leslie would ever get another chance to put on the cape and cowl. Apparently, the answer is a resounding “sort of.”

    In the lore of DC comics, Red Death is actually an alternate-universe version of Bruce Wayne. In his timeline, Red Death became traumatized by the deaths of his various sidekicks and sought to harness the Speed Force as a means of upgrading his crimefighting ability. He eventually succeeded in doing so by defeating the Flash of his universe and fusing with him, resulting in a single super-powered being. Red Death possesses Bruce Wayne’s body, with Barry Allen’s consciousness trapped inside, and a corrupt connection to the Speed Force. After using his newfound abilities to slaughter his rogues gallery, Red Death joined The Batman Who Laugh’s multiversal supergroup ‘The Dark Knights’, and embraced his role as a violent ‘protector’.

    It would appear that The Flash’s upcoming season will at least partially adapt this story, but with Leslie’s Wilder taking the mantle of Red Death as opposed to Bruce Wayne. While not confirmed, it’s likely that – much like the comics – this is a variant of Wilder and not the same character fans followed on Batwoman. Either way, however, it will be fun for longtime Arrowverse viewers to see Leslie back in action with a Bat symbol on her chest.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘The Winchesters’ is The CW’s Most-Watched Series Debut This Season

    ‘The Winchesters’ is The CW’s Most-Watched Series Debut This Season

    The CW debuted its Supernatural prequel series, The Winchesters, on Tuesday and while the numbers weren’t exactly anything to write home about – the series did earn the title of The CW’s most-watched debut so far this season in total viewers. The series premiere reportedly averaged 757,000 viewers. That makes it the network’s most-watched series debut since Naomi‘s premiere in 2022. The show’s premiere was also the CW’s most-watched telecast in its time period since June 2022 – a title formerly held by Superman & Lois.

    The Winchesters is the network’s prequel series to the long-running Supernatural, which came to a close after fifteen seasons in November 2020. While the latter series centered on Dean and Sam Winchester, played by Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, respectively, the prequel centers on their parents – John and Mary.

    The Winchesters was one of many spinoff shows put into development at the CW over the years. Supernatural: Bloodlines was originally being developed to run during the 2014-2015 season, but the series was never picked up. While Wayward Sisters was announced as being in development in 2018 – that series, like Bloodlines, was passed over.

    The Winchesters hails from the Supernatural trio of Robbie Thompson, Jensen Ackles and Danneel Ackles. Thompson serves as a writer and showrunner on the series. Ackles’ Dean narrates the prequel series that is being called an “epic, untold love story of how John met Mary and how they put it all on the line to not only save their love but the entire world.”

    Source: Deadline.

  • Richard Harmon Joins ‘The Flash’ as Captain Boomerang For Final Season

    Richard Harmon Joins ‘The Flash’ as Captain Boomerang For Final Season

    The Flash is going out with a boomerang. The ninth and final season of the hit CW series has added Richard Harmon to its cast as the villainous Captain Boomerang, a longtime rival of the Scarlet Speedster from DC’s original comic books. According to The CW’s official description, Harmon will play a new version of the baddie in a post-Crisis world. Instead of Digger Harkness, who was played by Nick E. Tarabay in earlier seasons of the show before being killed off in the fifth season of Arrow, this Boomerang will be known as Owen Mercer, after the comic character of the same name. Harmon’s villain will be portrayed as a recently released inmate of Iron Heights, with a chip on his shoulder and a twinkle in his eye that disguises a dangerous and violent threat to Central City.

    Harmon is best known for his role as John Murphy on another CW hit series, The 100. He has also appeared on Smallville, Fox’s Fringe, SyFy’s Van Helsing, AMC’s The Killing, Showcase’s Continuum, and the recently released horror movie, Margaux. In the comics, Harmon’s Mercer was the son of the first Captain Boomerang. It’s unknown if The Flash will go this route for the series, although it seems unlikely. Either way, it’s nice to see the series finding a way to include one of its hero’s greatest nemesis in his last television outing.

    Grant Gustin will reprise his role as the title character for the shortened ninth season, so expect a few dramatic moments between him and Harmon before the curtains close on Barry Allen’s story.

    Source: Deadline

  • REVIEW: ‘Stargirl’ Episode 3×04, “The Evidence”

    REVIEW: ‘Stargirl’ Episode 3×04, “The Evidence”

    The previous episode of Stargirl left us with a mighty cliffhanger, as Sylvester Pemberton seemingly lay lifeless while doing some investigating of his own and being attacked by an unknown assailant. Episode 4 furthers the murder mystery in Blue Valley while throwing the spotlight onto a suspect that was thought to have perished towards the end of Season 1, leading the Justice Society to question a recent allegiance and Courtney distracted by a blossoming romance.

    ‘The Evidence” moves the story ahead in a productive way, but it can feel like it’s spending a bit more time on its b-plots rather than focusing on the premise of the episode. We’re given much more character moments, ones that have felt lacking throughout this season specifically between Pat and Sylvester. The duo had butted heads a bit and had their moments, but it never felt like they got those moments of growth until now, with the once great sidekick known as Stripesy acting as Pemberton’s anchor and helping to guide him towards a new purpose in life.

    DC’s Stargirl — “Frenemies – Chapter Four: The Evidence” — Image Number: STG304g_0007r — Pictured (L – R): Luke Wilson as Pat Dugan and Brec Bassinger as Courtney Whitmore / Stargirl, and Joel McHale as Sylvester Pemberton / Starman — Photo: The CW — © 2022 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

    It felt as if the biggest part of the episode was cast aside and not given attention until the final minutes of the episode. The episode title leads you to believe that they’d found something shocking that’ll push the story on forward more, when in reality, it just sets that up for presumably what is to come in the next episode. A dragon scale at the scene of the crime leads the team to believe that Dragon King could be back in play, hypothesizing that his numerous experiments on himself could’ve brought him back, with others showing their reluctance to trust and immediately throwing the blame onto the newly pardoned Cindy Burman, whom the audience themselves isn’t all that sure they should be trusting either.

    The biggest revelation of this episode would be Dr. McNiders diagnosis of just what is going on with Sylvester Pemberton and how he’s been able to return after spending ten years six feet under. McNider believes that prolonged exposure to the Cosmic Staff has energized Pemberton’s body, similar to how Jade was imbued with the power of the starheart. This reveal just feels a little murky, feeling like you should be scratching your head a little bit because… that’s it? It just felt like something so important was so casually revealed and could’ve been built up to a little bit more.

    Another bright spot of this episode is finally seeing some payoff to the relationship set up between Cameron Mahkent and Courtney Whitmore, something that’s been planted since season one. This episode reaffirms just what kind of person Courtney is because when she sees someone in need, she’s going to jump into action, no matter what else is going on. She can see Cameron struggling with his newfound cryokinesis abilities and feels the need to help him, when deep down we can feel the guilt she holds knowing the true fate of his father, feeling like she owes him while crushing on him at the same time.

    To cap it off we get a better glimpse of just what exactly is going on behind the scenes, as the Helix Institute has yet to make its presence known, we got a peek at Mister Bones within a room full of monitors, a much better look at the villain and the series seems to tease his arrival is getting closer and closer. Not a bad episode, but not necessarily the strongest episode of the season.

  • REVIEW: ‘Stargirl’ 3×03: “The Blackmail”

    REVIEW: ‘Stargirl’ 3×03: “The Blackmail”

    A period of change can be incredibly stressful for any person, whether you’re trying to find a new job or if you’re uprooting your entire life. You never know where it might lead you. Yet, what happens when that big period of change is being buried alive? Well, Sylvester Pemberton is living that very nightmare and Stargirl has certainly flipped the veteran hero’s life upside down.

    The episode dives deeper into the suspects on the board that was set in the last episode. This time around it shifts its focus onto the Crock’s, as the team finds out that they’d been blackmailed by the Gambler for months. A little more of the Crocks is never a bad thing though, one of the best choices they could’ve made was bringing back Neil Hopkins and Joy Osmanski for season 3. The two just have great chemistry together as they somehow have this perfect harmony when interacting with each other.

    The reintroduction of Starman has been a surprisingly classic fish out of water story. Joel McHale works incredibly well as an out-of-touch, grizzled hero who just doesn’t know what his place in the world is anymore. The parallels between him and Courtney, as well as how they choose to act with the power of the Cosmic Staff gives the show an interesting balance.

    Fans will also find some enjoyment in a perfectly choreographed fight sequence within a grocery store. With that worryingly impulsive nature, Starman takes things into his own hands to confront the Crocks, leading to an dynamic and incredibly pleasing scuffle between him and the duo of Sportsmaster and Tigress.

    The stunt team for this series deserves some insane recognition for what they managed to put together. It’s one of the best aspects of the show that they continously improve upon and push the limits of whats possible for these characters. The dual style that Sportsmaster and Tigress have mastered truly makes this sequence pop the way it does.

    The best way to watch this season is to get into the mindset as if you’re watching an experiment unfold, seeing how these characters continue to coexist as if they’re reactive materials that could easily lead to an explosion at any time. In a way, it feels like a whole new way to enjoy the veteran show on CW.

  • REVIEW: ‘Stargirl,’ 3×02: ‘The Suspects’

    REVIEW: ‘Stargirl,’ 3×02: ‘The Suspects’

    Blue Valley is that perfect little slice of America, a town that seems as if it’s a glimpse back into the ’50s with such a vintage feel, what could ever go wrong? Ever since the Injustice Society rolled into town on Stargirl? Well, it would seem a whole lot. Since Season 1, we’ve seen the town shaken with mind-control and even a chaos demon, but this time around, a murder has hit Blue Valley, and it has taken Steven Sharpe, aka The Gambler, with it.

    When we traveled back to Blue Valley in the season premiere, tensions were already high. This was due in part to the Justice Society’s bubbling leader, Courtney, working to make the transition period between the team’s oldest members more comfortable with the welcoming of Cindy Burman, looking to turn a new leaf. However, this dynamic isn’t exclusive to just the kids, as the people all around town are looking for a fresh chance. The Shade, Tigress, and Sportsmaster are all villains who have returned to Blue Valley with better intentions but, in the end, it just results in them all being considered suspects in the murder of The Gambler.

    Burman, of course, is the team’s biggest suspect, and it could not have come at a worse time as she continues to find her spot amongst the Justice Society. Half of the team lacks trust, and it is understandable as to why. Not even Courtney’s optimistic outlook and Beth’s voice of reason can help her find a way out of the hot seat.

    While we know that there are larger plans at play, it would be a bit more beneficial to the story if they could touch on it a bit more. It’s good to let the tensions amongst the characters develop a bit more as the mystery continues, but it feels like the antagonist could be a bit stronger if he was more of a present threat. As of right now, we can only presume that Mr. Bones and Helix are the ones surveying Blue Valley through the strange network of cameras planted about town. It feels like our characters’ growing agitations and feelings towards each other will pay off much better if the upcoming villains just felt a bit more like puppet masters in an “experiment” that currently doesn’t feel like a very controlled one as much as it was led on to be.

    With Courtney, of course, already appropriately being the shining star of the series, the growing mentor and mentee relationship between her and Sylvester is still one of the series’ most interesting. It’s exciting to watch as they find this middle ground in whose turn it is to be the red, white, and blue staff wielder, and how Courtney can grow alongside Sylvester. It is even more interesting to see how Sylvester reacts to a world that he left ten years ago, to see how it has changed, how he is still caught in 2010, and that person who voted to kill Bruce Gordon still finds his way out occasionally. In a way, Courtney is teaching Sylvester just as much as he is her, sharing her compassion and softhearted nature with him to eventually lead to both being the best versions of themselves.

    With Stargirl Season 3, Episode 2, fans are quickly going to realize this is a very different season than either that have come before. It is a much more character-oriented season. So far, Season 3 looks to be testing character limits by making them question who they let into their lives and if they can be genuinely rehabilitated in order to let go of their past villainous actions.