Batwoman was a regular part of The CW for almost four years, but the network decided not to renew it for a fourth season. Why didn’t it return for season 4?
Batwoman was the last of The CW’s mainstream Arrowverse shows. Set in the same universe as predecessors Arrow, The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, and Black Lightning, it’s renowned for finally bringing a member of the Bat-Family to that decade-old world of DC heroes.
Following the debut of its original title character Kate Kane (played by Ruby Rose), it debuted to mammoth ratings in 2019 when The CW revived its Sunday night slot. While its ratings steadily declined for some time, it eventually found a solid core audience that tuned in every week.
Throughout its time on the air, Batwoman overcame quite a bit of adversity, from surviving a questionable debut trailer to thriving even after its original lead left following the first season.
Unfortunately, neither that nor the fact that the third season of the Javicia Leslie-led series was its strongest yet, was enough to save it from cancellation.
Why was Batwoman cancelled?
So what was the reason behind Batwoman‘s cancellation? Was it ratings? Performance? Cast departures? If you’re familiar with The CW, you’ll know the answer is none of the above, as the network is renowned for renewing most if not all of its shows. What ultimately got to Batwoman was a series of unfortunate events that it just couldn’t grapple hook its way out of.
With the sale of The CW looming, the network had to make some tough decisions and cancel half of its programming. The irony is that steady DC performers like Batwoman and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow were ones that the network was willing to take with it into its new era, but they were reportedly prevented from doing so by Warner Bros. themselves.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, The CW planned on renewing both Batwoman and Legends, thereby continuing its relationship with the Arrowverse shows, but Warner “no longer wanted to pay the leases on the studio space”. And that explains why the cancellation of both shows were made public before The CW cancelled any other shows on its line-up.
While the creative team certainly prepared for the worst, with an ending so satisfying that it mostly serves as a series finale, it goes without saying that the show deserved better than that. Given the mountains that Javicia Leslie’s Scarlet Knight moved, Batwoman should have been on the air for as long as the cast, crew and CW wanted it to be.
Were you a fan of Batwoman? Were you shocked when The CW cancelled it? Let us know in the comments below!