Another Fan Favorite DC Series Has Been Canceled
One of the last CW DC shows standing, Stargirl, has been cancelled by the network.
Another DC hero has fallen under the cancellation ax, as The CW network has announced that Stargirl will end at the conclusion of its third season, which saw its premiere in September. According to a report by Deadline, new episodes will continue to air through December, when the series finale airs.
Based on the character created by Geoff Johns, the series followed Courtney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger) a teenager who joins the Justice Society of America after finding the gear belonging to the original Star-Spangled Kid. The show’s third season follows Stargirl and her stepfather Pat Dugan (Luke Wilson), who has his own armored exosuit, as they try to help Starman (Joel McHale) reform and start a new life, but a murder mystery and the demands of the JSA get in the way.
In previous seasons, the series has tied in the larger DC comic book universe, including featuring a member of the Green Lantern corps,
Stargirl herself Brec Bassinger addressed the cancellation in a statement. “Getting to play Stargirl and be a part of the DC Universe has been the greatest honor, and I am so grateful for every moment of it,” she said. “I would like to thank our fearless leader Geoff Johns, along with WBTV, The CW, the cast and crew of Stargirl, and of course, the fans. Thank you. This show will forever live in my heart.”
The series also stars Amy Smart as Barbara Whitmore, Yvette Monreal as Yolanda Montez/Wildcat, Anjelika Washington as Beth Chapel/Dr. Mid-Nite, Cameron Gellman as Rick Tyler/Hourman, Trae Romano as Mike Dugan, Hunter Sansone as Cameron Mahkent, Meg DeLacy, Alkoya Brunson, Neil Hopkins, and Joy Osmanski.
The announcement comes weeks after Nexstar Media Group completed its acquisition of the CW network from Warner Bros. Discovery. Deadline reports that Nextar executives made the decision to cancel the series, not WBD/DC, and showrunners were made aware early on that this would likely be the show’s final season, so a satisfying finale was written for the series. Nexstar had previously indicated they intended to shift the CW away from scripted series and move towards unscripted shows, in an attempt to target older viewers.
The series has struggled to find a larger audience, and had been in danger of cancellation before. Alas, the acquisition was one challenge Stargirl could not defeat.
The WB won’t look the same after this season, and not just because of the Stargirl cancellation. The network has also cancelled other DC series Batwoman and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, and The Flash had announced its ending after its ninth season, which begins in January. Other WB shows that have been cancelled this year include Nancy Drew, The 4400, the Charmed reboot, Roswell, New Mexico, Dynasty, Legacies, and In the Dark, while Riverdale plans to end their series run next year.
Greg Berlanti, who created and produced the DC shows in the CW’s Arrowverse, produced Stargirl as well. Geoff Johns serves as showrunner, and created the character in 1999 as a tribute to his sister, who died in a plane crash several years before. “Stargirl has always held a special place in my heart for many reasons,” Johns said in a statement. “With all the brewing changes at the network, we were aware this was possibly the last season, so we wrote with that in mind and have delivered what I believe to be the best season of Stargirl yet, with complete creative closure.”
It is not clear what will become of the last DC series on the network not planning an end, Superman & Lois. However, that series could see life should the CW choose not to continue with it, as HBO Max has been featuring all of the CW DC shows on their streaming service.
