If you thought the superhero TV series cull was limited to Netflix – who axed its roster of Marvel shows in recent months, including Daredevil, Jessica Jones* and *The Punisher, Luke Cage and Iron Fist – another stalwart of small-screen superheroics is calling it a day. The CW’s Arrow, the show that kicked off an entire universe of DC Comics TV series, is set to wrap up with Season 8 which will consist of a shorter run of 10 episodes.
In a statement released to Variety, the show’s executive producers Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim and Beth Schwartz wrote: “This was a difficult decision to come to, but like every hard decision we’ve made for the past seven years, it was with the best interests of Arrow in mind. We’re heartened by the fact that Arrow has birthed an entire universe of shows that will continue on for many years to come. We’re excited about crafting a conclusion that honors the show, its characters and its legacy and are grateful to all the writers, producers, actors, and – more importantly – the incredible crew that has sustained us and the show for over seven years.”
The series starred Stephen Amell as the titular hero, aka Oliver Queen – and the actor took to Twitter to confirm the news that Arrow its reaching its (pointy) end. “Playing Oliver Queen has been the greatest professional experience of my life... but you can’t be a vigilante forever.,” he posted. “Arrow will return for a final run of 10 episodes this Fall. There’s so much to say... for now I just want to say thank you.”
While Arrow’s flight is ending, it sounds like the rest of the Arrowverse – The Flash, Supergirl, Legends Of Tomorrow, and the upcoming Batwoman – will still be forging ahead. Arrow’s seventh season is currently airing, with Season 8 expected to run in late 2019 to early 2020.
Keep up to date with all the latest movie news, click here to subscribe to Empire on Great Magazines and have the latest issue delivered to your door every month.