Arrow EP Says Series Helped Save The CW

Marc Guggenheim says Arrow felt "pressure" to keep the network afloat.

By Jenna Anderson

It has been over a decade since Arrow first made its debut, redefining what audiences expected from a DC television show in the process. The live-action The CW series became a bonafide hit, spawning an entire "Arrowverse" of interconnected shows and stories, but as a new interview reveals, that came close to not happening. During a recent interview on The Showrunner Whisperer podcast, Arrow executive producer Marc Guggenheim spoke about how the series held "the pressure of keeping the whole network on the air," as The CW evolved and pulled in smaller ratings over the years.

"[Warner Bros. TV chairman Peter Roth] took us out to lunch and basically laid out for us in incredible detail the reality that if Arrow wasn't a hit, there would be no more CW," Guggenheim revealed.

Will Arrow Return?

All of the Arrowverse's shows have already reached their conclusion, with the fourth and final season of Superman & Lois (which has since been revealed to be unconnected to the Arrowverse) being the last DC show to air on The CW for the time being. Guggenheim explained elsewhere in the interview that he doesn't think Arrow could have gotten made under the current Nexstar-owned regime of The CW, echoing recent comments made by Supernatural and Walker star Jared Padalecki.

"I don't think we could have done it with the amount of leeway and creative freedom that we had. It was a very special, unique time in the business," Guggenheim revealed.

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Will Stephen Amell Return as Green Arrow?

With James Gunn and Peter Safran's new DC Universe on the horizon, it has been safe to assume that the role of Oliver Queen / Green Arrow will be recast down the line. In a 2023 live stream, Arrow star Stephen Amell addressed that new franchise change.

"I don't know, man. I don't know. Those guys... the DCEU, they need to decide if they think that they're better than television or if they want to participate," Amell revealed. "Because I get mixed messages, which to me just signals that, I don't know. You guys do your own thing. We did our thing. We don't... I mean… Listen, as of right now, first of all, I wish everyone nothing but the best. I want nothing more than amazing movies, but right now, they need us a lot more than we need them."

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