Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: The CW

  • Michael Bishop to Play Jonathan Kent in ‘Superman & Lois’

    Michael Bishop to Play Jonathan Kent in ‘Superman & Lois’

    Following the sudden departure of Jordan Elsass, the CW’s Superman & Lois looks to have found its new Jonathan Kent. Deadline reports that Michael Bishop has signed on to play the character in the upcoming third season of the superhero drama. Bishop is relatively new to Hollywood, having made his American film debut with the Disney Channel Original movie, Spin. Prior to that, the young adult starred in the Australian series, Grace Beside Me.

    Bishop’s casting comes as Elsass unexpectedly departed the CW series as production was gearing to kick off on Season 3. The actor later revealed he decided not to return in order to focus on his mental health. In a Cameo recorded for a fan, the actor stated, “Mental health is definitely 100% priority. It’s pinnacle. It’s got to take precedence. And mine has been… the last couple of years… it’s been rough.”

    Superman & Lois stars Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch as Clark Kent, aka Superman, and Lois, respectively. The series focuses on Superman and journalist Lois as they “deal with the stress, pressures, and complexities that come with being working parents in today’s society.” The CW series also stars Alexander Garfin as Jordan Kent, Erik Valdez as Kyle Cushing, Inde Navarrette as Sarah Cushing, Wolé Parks as The Stranger, Adam Rayner as Morgan Edge, Dylan Walsh as General Samuel Lane, and Emmanuelle Chriqui as Lana Lang Cushing.

    The series hails from Greg Berlanti‘s Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. Berlanti helped to create the series alongside Todd Helbing, who serves as the showrunner on the series.

    Source: Deadline.

  • ‘The Walking Dead’ Star Cast as ‘Superman & Lois’ Villain

    ‘The Walking Dead’ Star Cast as ‘Superman & Lois’ Villain

    Superman & Lois has found its next big bad. The hit CW series, which stars Tyler Hoechlin and Bitsie Tulloch in the title roles, closed out its second season with a major tease for the future. Longtime Arrowverse contributor David Ramsey appeared as a multiversal version of his character John Diggle to namedrop and set up Bruno Mannheim, the leader of organized crime syndicate Intergang, as the third season’s potential main villain. Now, only a few months later, Ramsey has spilled the beans on who might be playing Mannheim when the series returns.

    Speaking at the “Arrow Guests: Saving Star City” panel at DragonCon, Ramsey revealed that actor Chad L. Coleman would be playing the primary antagonist in Superman & Lois Season 3. While Ramsey did not confirm who exactly Coleman would portray, the previous hints at Mannheim’s role in the next season make it likely that the former Left 4 Dead 2 star will be the one bringing him to life. For fans unfamiliar with the performer, Coleman rose to fame playing Dennis “Cutty” Wise on HBO’s The Wire. He then had a successful turn as fan-favorite character Tyreese Williams on AMC’s The Walking Dead, and has also appeared in a recurring capacity on shows like Hulu’s The Orville, Amazon’s The Expanse, and FX’s It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

    This will be the second time Coleman appears in an Arrowverse project, after having played Tobias Church in four episodes of Arrow back in 2016. If he is truly playing Bruno Mannheim in Superman & Lois, then viewers can expect to see him wielding some fairly cool weaponry on the small screen. Mannheim’s Intergang is known for it’s use of highly advanced technology, bestowed upon them by Darkseid himself in the hopes they could find the Anti-Life Equation. It sounds like the Man of Steel will have his hands full when the show is once again airing on the CW.

    Source: The Direct

  • Jordan Elsass Exits ‘Superman and Lois,’ Jon Kent to Be Recast

    Jordan Elsass Exits ‘Superman and Lois,’ Jon Kent to Be Recast

    The days of the Arrowverse look to finally be coming to an end as only a handful of shows remain, with The Flash, the longest running of the current series set to make a speedy exit with Season 9. Superman and Lois is one of the newest and few surviving DC series left on the CW and it’s unknown just what its fate will be with the shakeups at Warner Brothers Discovery. However, while its future remains unclear, it seems the series has some more immediate issues to consider as one of the show’s leads looks to have made an unannounced exit. 

    Deadline reports that Superman and Lois star Jordan Elsass will be leaving the series in the upcoming third season, with the role of Jon Kent set to be recast. There is currently no word on who will be playing the son of Clark and Lois but with filming looking to kick off soon, it might not be long before news breaks. It is unknown as to why the Elsass is leaving the series with the only details being provided were that is was due to a “personal matter.” Elsass reportedly did not return to Vancouver by the deadline given to cast and crew ahead of the start of production on the third season. 

    “Jordan Elsass has notified the Studio that he will not be returning to Superman & Lois for season three due to personal reasons. The role of Jonathan Kent will be recast”

    Warner Bros. TV

    Elsass played a very different version of his comic book counterpart, showing no signs of having Kryptonian abilities like his father and brother. Elsass himself has yet to release an official statement regarding his sudden departure from the series.

    SOURCE: Deadline

  • ‘The Flash’s Grant Gustin Shares His Feelings on the CW Series Ending

    ‘The Flash’s Grant Gustin Shares His Feelings on the CW Series Ending

    CW’s The Flash is coming to an end with its upcoming ninth season. Not only that, but it’ll also be a shorter run, which was also the case with some other CW shows. With its ninth season, it’ll also be the Arrowverse series to have had the longest season count as it has now passed Arrow, which ended with eight seasons.

    Of course, it’s not every day that a franchise ends after such a long tenure and it won’t be an easy change for many of the cast. Grant Gustin, who played the series take on Barry Allen, got a chance to share his thoughts on wrapping up work on the role and what it’s like leaving the role behind after all this time.

    I’m really excited to get to do this one more time, finish on our terms. I’m going to enjoy every minute of it, as much as I can…. I couldn’t be more honored to be associated with this character, probably for the rest of my life and career. It is seriously a true honor.

    Grant Gustin

    There’s been an outcry of support for the actor to take on the role of the cinematic version of The Flash, especially with the drama surrounding Ezra Miller. Though, one could say Gustin deserves a break after such a long tenure in the role. Who knows what future role he is eyeing and if there’s a project he’s already set his eyes on potentially joining at some point in the near future?

    Source: TVLine

  • The CW’s ‘The Flash’ Will End with Season 9

    The CW’s ‘The Flash’ Will End with Season 9

    In not-so-surprising news, the CW has confirmed that The Flash will end with its upcoming ninth season.

    Eric Wallace, who took over as showrunner on The Flash with Season 6, confirmed the show’s end in a statement to the press. He thanked the cast, writers, producers and crew throughout the years for all of their hard work, while celebrating Barry’s long-running story on the small screen. “Nine seasons! Nine years of saving Central City while taking audiences on an emotional journey full of heart, humor and spectacle. And now Barry Allen has reached the starting gate for his last race,” Wallace said. “So many amazing people have given their talents, time and love to bring this wonderful show to life each week. So, as we get ready to honor the show’s incredible legacy with our exciting final chapter, I want to say thank you to our phenomenal cast, writers, producers and crew over the years who helped make The Flash such an unforgettable experience for audiences around the world.”

    Speculation that The Flash would be canceled began earlier this year when it was revealed that leading man Grant Gustin was renegotiating a deal for just one more season. News that was later followed by the revelation that Candice Patton was also looking to sign on for just one more season, too. Of course, news that the CW would also be going up for sale didn’t help to stop speculation. After news of the potential sale hit, the CW began canceling shows left and right, including Legends of Tomorrow and Batgirl. Thankfully, unlike those two shows, fans of The Flash will get a chance to see storylines receive a proper ending.

    While its views continued to drop throughout the years, The Flash still remained one of the CW’s most-watched shows in its eighth season, averaging around 1 million viewers and ranking among its most-streamed series on digital platforms. In its absence, it’ll leave behind Superman & Lois, Gotham Knights, and Stargirl, three DC Comics projects that are separate from the former Arrowverse that once ruled the network.

    The Flash‘s ninth – and final – season will conclude with a 13-episode run next year as part of The CW’s midseason roster. Production on Season 9 will kick off sometime next month.

    Source: THR.

  • Nexstar Nearing Deal to Take Over Majority of CW Network Alongside Its $100M+ Losses

    Nexstar Nearing Deal to Take Over Majority of CW Network Alongside Its $100M+ Losses

    It’s not been too long ago since the first news arrived that Warner Bros. Discovery was continuing its dismantling of the original structure, such as selling the CW Network. Now, it seems that Nextar Media Group who owns a slew of local television stations, is eyeing to take over the majority of the program. Accoridng to the Wall Street Journal, they aren’t even going to pay cash for it but rather will cover a significant part of its losses, which supposedly are above $100M currently.

    WSJ does point out that the deal isn’t final and could fall apart but we would know within the next few weeks. Surprisingly, Warner Bros. Discovery will still remain a shareholder with a 12.5% stake, the same amount that Paramount is going to keep. CBS and WB are still planning on creating content for CW, but Nexstar is eyeing to expand with other producers while the minority owners keep the content-licensing revenue from pre-existing deals such as their very lucrative Netflix dealings.

    It should be noted that Nexstar is already the largest owner, but this would give them almost full control over future ventures. The big focus will be to expand its target audience, as the CW broadcaster generally built its dynamic around teen-focused dramas such as Riverdale, Supernatural, Vampire Diaries, and many more. CW was never truly seen as profitable, but the Netflix deal became one of its biggest sellers that it managed to carry a network even with direct income losses from ad revenue. the broadcaster was famous for renewing series that seemingly had no audience, while their dramas entered the top 10 in the U.S. on Netflix. So, we’ll have to see if the deal comes together in the coming weeks.

    Source: WSJ

  • First Look at CW’s ‘Gotham Knights’ in New Promo

    First Look at CW’s ‘Gotham Knights’ in New Promo

    It seemingly took CW little time to get the adaptation of Gotham Knights on the road. Not only did it start production quite swiftly but it even got a production order. Coinciding with the upcoming release of the game with the same name, expectations were high. Yet, we were quite surprised when Oscar Morgan was cast as Turner Hayes, the series equivalent to Dick Grayson. While we got a promo shot, it seems that an actual teaser trailer for the pilot episode has found its way online through SpoilerTV.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-gUHOpRUqc

    It’s quite strange that they’d release a 3-minute trailer that seemingly was meant to go online on Twitter given its format. The story seemingly will just instantly reveal that Bruce Wayne is Batman, as not-Dick Grayson tries to find out who was the one that killed his father. After getting arrested alongside other suspects, he is seemingly going to join forces with them to uncover who exactly did it. We get some small hints at these characters’ history, such as Carrie Kelly being called “little Robin” and Duela’s origin as the daughter of the Joker.

    The trailer seems like the most CW one of the DC series have ever looked. If it weren’t for the mention of Batman and a brief glimpse at the Batcave later on, it wouldn’t really feel like this is part of a DC-inspired world. We’ll see if perhaps they are holding back for the final episode to reveal these characters’ more heroic (or even villainous) natures to build up the seasonal arc.

    Source: YouTube

  • Seth Green to Replace Jim Gaffigan as Thunderbolt in ‘Stargirl’ Season 3

    Seth Green to Replace Jim Gaffigan as Thunderbolt in ‘Stargirl’ Season 3

    Here’s a sad surprise, it looks like Seth Green is taking over as the voice of Thunderbolt in the third season of CW’s Stargirl series from Jim Gaffigan. TVLine has broken the news that the wish-granting genie will have a new voice actor, but no reason is given on why exactly he was recast. He only voiced the character in a few scenes of the second season and it may be that he has a larger role going into the third.

    Jakeem (Alkoya Brunson) is the wielder of the mysterious pink pen that Thunderbolt exists in. He helped the team of unlikely heroes and a reestablished Justice Society of America to take down the threat that was Eclipso. Green is no stranger to voice acting, as he has been a long-time member of the Family Guy voice cast, and worked on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H and Guardians of the Galaxy series.

    It’s sad to see Gaffigan leave the production, as he’s always a great addition to any project but with the role potentially growing, it could be that he had other projects lined up and just couldn’t return. Still, Green is a great get for the series, and given the supernatural origin of the genie, they could play around with the fact that he has a new voice every season as a fun running gag.

    Source: TVLine

  • CW’s Live-Action ‘Powerpuff Girls’ Series Still in Development

    CW’s Live-Action ‘Powerpuff Girls’ Series Still in Development

    CW has recently been busy cleaning house, as they’ve canceled the most TV series they’ve ever had since 2012. As such, it made many wonders if any of their other rumored productions are still being worked on, especially if Warner Bros. is interested in selling the broadcast network. Well, it turns out that the live-action Powerpuff Girls series is still being worked on.

    According to TVLine, the series is still in some form of “redevelopment” after the first pilot was passed on and even lost one of its main stars, Chloe Bennet in the process. CW’s CEO Mark Pedowitz has publicly stated that they believe in the cast and writers behind the project, but the pilot just didn’t quite come together as initially hoped.

    We’ll likely not hear from the project for some time, as they’ve just missed the cut-off for the 2022/23 scheduling for the CW. But, Powerpuff Girls may enter production on a new pilot by the end of the year. So, once we get a casting for Blossom, who Bennet was originally going to play, we’ll likely know more on the future of the series’ second attempt.

    Source: TVLine

  • The Reasoning Behind ‘Batwoman’ and ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ Getting Canceled

    The Reasoning Behind ‘Batwoman’ and ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ Getting Canceled

    In recent years, it has been normal for the CW to renew nearly all of its titles despite their often-low ratings. This year, however, following the successful merger between Warner Bros. and Discovery, the network is being forced to reevaluate all ofits titles.

    The Hollywood Reporter did a deep dive into what is being called “the Red Wedding at WBTC/CW.” After canceling ten shows – so far – the network’s volume of original titles has dipped to what is considered its lowest level since 2012. While the CW has never been profitable, the network was ultimately launched as a means to supply low-scripted shows from both Warner Bros. and CBS Studios to cash in from “lucrative international rights.” The network would then strike a huge deal in 2011 that saw Warner Bros and CBS Studios add revenue from a $1 billion deal with Netflix to stream its titles.

    So, how did all of this factor into the cancellation of Batwoman and The Legends of Tomorrow? Well, after the Netflix deal was not renewed, the plan was to switch to streaming CW titles on HBO Max and Paramount+. This impacted foreign rights deals, making it so the lower-rated shows were no longer “profitable” enough to keep on the air. While Mark Pedowitz, the CEO of the CW, wanted to renew both Batwoman and The Legends of Tomorrow, Warners was unwilling to pay the leases on the studio space for these shows, resulting in them expiring on May 1st.

    Both shows struggled in their final seasons, pulling in under 600,000 same-day views and only nabbing a 0.1 in the all-important 18-49 demographic. While both were loved by fans around the world, it ultimately came down to money. Neither title was pulling enough in regarding profits to keep them alive for the network.

    With the network expected to go up for sale, the CW will look drastically different in the next year or two. For now, fans at least have the DC shows on HBO Max that they can enjoy.

    Source: THR.