Why Green Arrow and The Canaries is the Arrow sequel we deserve

The CW is developing an Arrow spin-off centred on the Black Canaries, and here’s why it’s exactly what we need.

Arrow is a staple of not just the Arrowverse but superhero television in general. Debuting in 2012, it showed the world that, yes, even in today’s day and age of must-see television, superheroes still have a place on the small screen and that, when they get it right, it is every bit as must-see.

However, all good things must come to an end, and with that, the show will bow out with its series finale next week. And although it’s already left behind an incomparable legacy, paving the way for four live-action spin-offs, it won’t be leaving our screens without potentially spawning one more.

As revealed by Deadline, The CW is moving ahead with an Arrow spin-off centred on Katherine McNamara’s Mia Smoak/Green Arrow 2.0., Katie Cassidy Rodgers’ Laurel Lance/Black Siren/Black Canary and Juliana Harkavy’s Dinah Drake/Black Canary. While not much is known about it yet, the show will be set up as a backdoor pilot in the upcoming ninth episode of Arrow‘s final season before hopefully being commissioned by the network.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at why this is an outstanding idea, and how it could ultimately benefit the Arrowverse going forward.

Life after Arrow

Make no mistake about it, Arrow may be ending, but as long as The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl and Batwoman are on the air, it will never truly be gone. After all, two of them are direct spin-offs while all of them take place in the Arrowverse.  That said, they are all very much their own unique properties.

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While this Canary-project would undoubtedly grow into its own property as well (particularly due to the Birds of Prey undertones), it would forever be directly tied to Arrow due to the fact that its three main characters were such a significant part of the show – especially when you factor in that Cassidy was the leading lady of that show for almost all eight seasons.

Arrow has given the superhero TV landscape so much, and this would be one final gift that it could offer us before it bows out – and one that would allow it to live on in a way that the other shows couldn’t. Oliver Queen and the original Laurel Lance’s legacy would be alive and well in The Canary Network.

Best of both worlds

When CW President Mark Pedowitz suggested that the network was interested in adding another Arrowverse show to its line-up following the conclusion of Arrow, speculation ensued as fans attempted to deduce what the new DC Comics show could be about.

Among them, the two most popular theories were a Birds of Prey spin-off focusing on Black Canaries Laurel and Dinah and perhaps even White Canary Sara Lance, or a Star City 2040 spin-off, focusing on the next generation of Team Arrow (Mia Smoak, William Clayton and Connor Hawke) who were introduced in the seventh season’s flashforwards.

Of course, the former was understandably the more talked-about idea for a number of reasons – the comic book legacy of the Birds of Prey, the beloved long-standing characters, the upcoming Birds of Prey (and The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) film – but there was still a lot of love for future-set spin-off concept too.

This project, however, is literally the best of both worlds, as it combines the comic book royalty of Laurel Lance and Dinah Drake’s Black Canaries with the unadulterated leader of Team Arrow 2.0. Moreover, it gives the incredibly talented McNamara a chance to continue shining while the addition of Arrow vets Cassidy and Harkavy provides some much-needed star-power that will ensure that fans of the original show would actually tune in.

Now, you could call that a compromise of sorts but, in all honesty, that couldn’t do it justice. After all, you can’t call a win-win situation a compromise now, can you?

Well-deserved spotlight for the Black Canary

It goes without saying that there simply is no Green Arrow without Black Canary. They are each other’s other halves and partners in crime. Unfortunately, that’s something Arrow has struggled with over the years, as the large cast of characters has often resulted in Black Canary not receiving the spotlight she deserved.

From the senseless death of the original Laurel Lance to the overlooking of Dinah Drake, the iconic DC superhero has, at times, been portrayed as one of the Team Arrow members when, in reality, she was capable of headlining her own show. And it’s unfortunate that it was only as Arrow hurtled towards its conclusion that it finally gave the character the spotlight she deserved (through the redemption of Earth-2 Laurel and the expanded Canary Network in the flashforwards).

However, it appears that we don’t have to worry about the overlooking of the Black Canary anymore. The fact that this spin-off will be headlined by not one but two versions of the legendary character is the kind of exposure and appreciation fans have always wanted for her. And it’s not a moment too soon!

The CW has prided itself on its inclusivity and representation, which is clear through its female-led superhero shows Supergirl and Batwoman. But the fact of the matter is that they always had a strong female character worthy of headlining her own show long before either of those two began, and now a version of that character is finally going to do just that – alongside two equally strong female heroes.

Guess it’s true what they say: The Future is Female.

Green Arrow and The Canaries airs tonight, Tuesday Jan. 21, at 8:00 p.m. ET. Are you excited at the prospect of this female-centric spin-off? Let us know in the comments below!